I've been wanting to do a still life project for a while. Working with models is great and I love pulling together a team, but I'm always up for a new challenge so on Saturday it was just me, Matt and the biscuits! I hadn't actually planned to photograph biscuits but couldn't get what I originally wanted in time for this weekend so had to improvise… I'm pretty happy with these though; they make me smile :)

It's an odd time of year here in the UK - with Summer just around the corner but Spring still seemingly in full swing, the weather is truly unpredictable. Some days the sun is shining and it's far too warm for a coat, but other mornings I still head to work wrapped up in a hat and scarf! I find that one way to get through this awkward time is with a good selection of jumpers, which are easy to throw over an outfit then whip on and off accordingly!

Over the years I've built up quite the collection, but I'm always on the lookout for more. Recently I've noticed an influx of online stores focusing on knitwear - Repeat Cashmere for example sell all things cashmere and have loads of snuggly jumpers to choose from! I tend to get a lot of knitwear from work with my staff allowance and I do love a good rummage in a vintage store at weekends! I found this blue number for £14 about four years ago…. bargain.

HAT FROM TOPMAN

GLASSES BY SWAG & STARE

VINTAGE JUMPER

ASOS JEANS

DR MARTENS SHOES 

 

Last week I was sent this gorgeous navy, linen dress by Great Plains. I'm in dire need of dresses to wear this summer and I'm absolutely delighted with this little number! Not only is it linen, so very lightweight and cool, but I love the colour and it has a real nautical feel about it. I don't really do the nautical thing, (it reminds me of my former 14-year-old pierced faced, anchor smothered self), but i do like how subtle this is. It's subtle, but I can still picture myself wearing it on a boat, lounging about in the sunshine.... bring on summer I say!

SUNGLASSES BY ZEROUV

LINEN SHIRT DRESS BY GREAT PLAINS

BAG FROM H&M

SHOES BY KURT GEIGER 

I was recently sent some sunglasses from a company called Zero UV, who have an amazing range of super cool sunglasses all at bargain prices! I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot more of their frames on my blog over the coming summer, but for now, here's a cheeky picture of Matt photographing me taking a selfie in my new shades!

Be sure to check out Zero UV here!

If ever you’ve seen Sadaf Nava’s eye-popping performance art and video work, you’ll notice that she’s able to make a huge impact with the most minimal of devices. Whether she’s encasing her body in elastic rubber bands to further a conversation on the manipulation of the female form or dancing in front of her computer screen among a swirl of infrared colors in a lo-fi music video, the New York–based Iranian-Canadian artist, whose work has been featured in the prestigious Performa biennial, has a DIY approach to her craft. And, as it turns out, the same could be said for her beauty routine.

The stunning artist eschews a hairdresser, regular manicures, or the drugstore aisle, instead using her beauty regimen as a chance to connect with herself. From growing out her unibrow and conditioning her enviable mane of curls to whipping up turmeric facial masks passed down to her mother, Nava creates her own magic in the bathroom while bringing her Persian roots into the mix. Here, as Persian New Year kicks off, Nava lets us in on her native beauty secrets.

Take a DIY Approach
I think my family passed along a very DIY ethos [when it comes to beauty]. I don’t go to the hairdresser; I don’t go the nail salon, and I don’t go to the spa. I do it all myself. I think it’s important to know your body, and once you do, you yourself will know what works best. I also get satisfaction from perfecting my own rituals: cutting my own hair, doing my own nails. Another important factor is using natural ingredients. The beauty aisles can be dizzying, and it’s good to keep it simple.

Embrace the Unibrow
I have threaded my eyebrows once or twice, and I never seemed to be able to pick it up! I naturally have a unibrow and hated it when I was a teenager, so I would pluck my eyebrows to oblivion. Even as a kid, I remember I would draw faces without eyebrows—I thought everyone would look better without them! Now in my paintings, the eyebrows are always connected and very prominent and reminiscent of the Persian Safavid era. After age 18, I kept them pretty thick but very groomed, and now I am on my way back to my preadolescent au naturel look and have stopped tweezing them completely! I am trying to bring back the Frida Kahlo–esque unibrow I was born with, and I even darken them with pencil to a point of excess.

Find a Statement Lip Shade
Right now I’m kind of at war with the drugstore, and I always alternate face creams, so there isn’t one brand I love. But makeup is a whole other ballpark: I love drugstore makeup, and Revlon has a lipstick color called Persian Melon—it’s a very Malibu Barbie pink.

Make Your Own Face Masks
My mom makes this mask out of yogurt and henna and honey that is very good. The yogurt cuts the color of the henna so you don’t turn completely orange. But it’s got great benefits—it moisturizes and purifies the skin. I use turmeric now, too; it’s also really popular in India. I use bentonite clay, activated charcoal, honey, and turmeric. Also, baking soda is great for acne.

Line Your Eyes
My favorite look is a winged liner. I always use a liquid eyeliner; felt-tip ones work better for me. I’ve tried Kajal for under the eye; it’s kind of smudgy, so it’s actually great for a smoky look.

Fight Frizz Naturally
My hair is naturally really, really curly. I use an insane amount of leave-in conditioner. Recently I’ve also sprayed it with a mixture of glycerin and water, added a tiny bit of oil—a mix of jojoba, almond, coconut, avocado, and rose hip—and then sealed it with a styling cream.

Voguefans April issue hits newsstands tomorrow, which means plenty more #badgalriri cover story realness—and our exclusive reveal of spring’s most highly anticipated makeup launch. Inside, you’ll get a first look at Skin Fetish 003, the latest offering from Pat McGrath’s innovative Labs concept, which has been churning out coveted products (in even more covetable quantities) since the debut of Gold 001 nearly broke the Internet last fall.

For those who’ve long wondered how to get the otherworldly skin finish—think dewy, luminous, alive—that McGrath has made her signature on set and backstage at the industry’s top runway shows, it may be the makeup legend’s most exciting surprise yet. The new three-piece collection features a dual-ended stick with a creamy illuminator on one side and a nutrient-rich balm on the other that are meant to be layered with fingertips. “The real secret is the system,” says McGrath, who has been keeping said secret confined to unmarked plastic tubs that she has dipped in and out of over the course of her 20-plus-year career to readily dust the Cupid’s bow of lips, cheekbones, and even clavicles with incandescent light. But with artistic elevation—and real-time transparency—at the heart of her Labs initiative, McGrath is finally in a sharing mood.

The components of the kit—which also includes a made-in-Japan blending brush and a glimmering pressed powder available in two shades, Iridescent Pink 003 (a prismatic ivory) and Fine Gold 003 (a pale champagne)—can be used together, or alone. When swept across the high planes of the face or all over the body, they collectively impart a curated shine reminiscent of the ethereal skin McGrath created at Valentino’s recent Fall 2016 show, where she clandestinely first used the product.

“It’s just a fun new way to show women—and men—how to use shimmer,” McGrath explains; it’s also poised to be kind of a big deal. Pat McGrath Labs will produce just 25,000 of the Skin Fetish 003 Kit, which will be available on April 26 at PatMcGrath.com and on May 10 at Sephora.com. Consider this your first calendar reminder.

{Photo via The Everygirl}

I am so happy to say that Spring is officially in full swing! Although, you wouldn't know it at the moment here in Maine as I sit here typing this during a Nor'Easter. But I am not sad or even a tiny bit mad. Part of the reason for that might be the fact that I happen to have today off! But the biggest reason I am not upset about this snow storm, is the fact that it is the end of March and the snow won't last long. You know what today is a good day for? A good closet clean up!

So, what is step one in cleaning out your closet you ask? Step one is coming to the realization that you don't need all that "stuff" to be happy. Believe me, you will be much happier when you don't have all that clutter that you never wear out of your sight. If you have multiple closets, just focus on one at a time. 

Step two in cleaning out your closet is actually taking each piece out and talking to it. Ask it the following questions:

"Do you fit and flatter my body?"

"Have I worn you in the past year?" 

"Are you in style and do you currently represent my style?"

"Are you damaged, and if so will I actually make the effort to repair you?"

"If I was out shopping right now, would I buy you?"

"Do I feel confident when I wear you?"

"Do you make me feel super fantastic when I put you on?"

If you answered yes to these seven questions, then you keep it! I understand that some things in your closet have sentimental value, such as your old prom dress or that outfit you wore on your first date with the love of your life. You should definitely keep those! Just take them out of your closet and store them in an area that you don't open up every day. You will be less confused when you are getting dressed if you have less in your sight.

So, now you have a huge pile of things that don't make you feel great when you put them on, right? What do you do with them? If you have some great pieces, but they just don't work for you anymore, you might want to consider selling them on Poshmark. If you have some high-end expensive name brand items that don't work for you any longer, you might want to consider selling those pieces on Tradesy. I personally would stay away from e-bay. E-bay is tough to sell used clothing and accessories on. You have a much better chance of actually selling your things on Poshmark or Tradesy because they specialize in fashion, whereas on e-bay you can sell anything and everything including the kitchen sink. But no matter what site you choose to list your items on, this does take some time. You can't possibly get it all done in one day especially if you have a ton of stuff. You might want to set a goal yourself to list 10 items at a time whenever you have an hour to spare. Poshmark and Tradesy make it easy for you to list your items using your smartphone. Just download the Poshmark and Tradesy apps and you can take photos of your items with your phone and list them from your phone using the apps! It's actually pretty fun once you get going.

So, obviously, you must have some items that you cleaned out from your closet that are not worth a darn. Clothing that is a bit faded and/or maybe a bit pilled should be donated to a charity of your choice. Clothing that has holes in it could be used as rags or recycled. 

Once you clean out your closet, it's time to re-evaluate what you have and what you don't have. This might be a great time to update your wardrobe a bit! Here are a few of my favorite updated items for Spring 2016!