How to Stand Out

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

Click images for sources, all under this Creative Commons licence

These tips are not for a day when you just want to simply look nice – they’re for those times when you want attention, to be noticed and hopefully admired (because let’s just admit it, we all have those days).

Something that reflects light is a guaranteed way to catch people’s eyes, literally. My theory is that it dates back from when we were hunters and had to search for prey. Anything that suddenly glitters attracts the eye, so sequins and sparkling jewelry is perfect. Use this concept to highlight your best parts, such as a sparkly belt if you have a lovely waist, or a metallic necklace to bring attention to beautiful collarbones or a decolleté risqué.

This works in the same way as the tip about sparkling things (those old hunting instincts can be quite useful). Anything that moves in an interesting way will make people look, and this can be done boldly or quite subdued. A full-circle skirt follows the movements of your body fantastically, and simply demands attention as you’re walking by. A flowy scarf of long, loose hair follow the same principle, but even some dangly earrings can have the same effect (just make sure they’re a colour/metal that contrast with your hair).

Magazines always tell you how shoes can transform your personality, but have you really tested this with the shoes you actually own? For me, I know I’ll have to wear my brown, worn leather boots if I want to feel cool and powerful, as they allow me to stomp through the streets. Converse shoes actually do the opposite for me, making me feel young and girly. The black satin heels give me a more elegant walk – perfect for those burlesque moments! – whereas the bottle green platforms make me feel like a harajuku girl. Shoes have power, but one shoe does not have the same effect on everyone. Learn how it works for you.

If your sense of style suffers from multiple personalities disorder, or you find you tend to jump back-and-forth between different looks (like Ulrikke), use this to your advantage. Last time I was out on town, for instance, all the other girls were wearing some version of black tights + denim shorts + a tight, funky top. I was on the verge of putting this on myself, as it’s comfortable and looks casually cool, but then decided I wanted to stand out more. I slipped into a peach tulle dress, and instantly felt a lot better. If you wear the same as everybody else around you, you’ll blend in, which is nice sometimes, but not always. You can also be compared more easily to the rest of the group which is only a good thing for the self-esteem if you’re 100% positive you’re the most fabulous of them all. Being different makes you stand out, and looks even better if you do it with pride.

Any tips to add, dear ones?

Nfu.Oh Cuticle Remover

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

I know there’s been a lot of nail posts lately, but please bear with my obsession for one more post. You see, I’ve found the most wonderful product and a wonderful web store, so of course I have to share it with you. The product first, then: Nfu. Oh Cuticle Remover. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you’ll remember my joy when discovering Lush’s Lemony Flutter, as it gave my cuticles some much-needed moisture. Well, I still wasn’t completely happy; let me show you why.

Yes, this is polish (“Gold” by H&M) that’s about three days old. See how a gap has formed between my cuticles and the polish? This always happens to me as my cuticles grow really far up on my nail. I have the choice between leaving this area free of polish, or see the polish fall off after a day or two. Topcoat doesn’t help, either, which means no manicure will last me for more than maximum three days. But nevermore!

It’s still not 100% perfect as I was a bit scared of overdoing it on my first time, but you can see a huge improvement already. The cuticles now stay down where they’re supposed to be, giving me a nice, clean edge along which I can paint my polish. No more annoying flaking! The best part? It’s so easy.

1. Buy the Nfu.Oh Cuticle Remover. I got mine from Viis Ilusalong, which I found through Neglelakkmani‘s links in the sidebar. It’s located in Estonia, has very fast shipping (I placed my order on June 9., received it on June 14.), and label the package as a gift automatically, which is good if you’re ordering for more than the customs limit. To find the cuticle remover go to “online-store”, “professional liquids”, then “nfu.oh liquids”, it costs $9.40.

2. Ride your bike to the post office as fast as you can to get your stuff, then home again.

3. Take a shower. This isn’t necessary, but it does help with softening the cuticles before you start (plus, after that hefty bicycle ride you probably need it anyway).

4. Put a layer of the white liquid on your cuticles (bottom and sides of nail). Wait a minute or so. Then, if you’re cuticles are very overgrown like mine, apply a second coat.

5. Use a wooden stick – preferably one designed for fixing nails, but a small barbecue stick might do the trick if you’re desperate (I was) – and scrape it along your nail where you want the cuticles to come off.

6. Squeal in glee while you (in Laquerized’s words) “watch the gunk come off“.

7. Rinse, then moisturize like a mad woman. The previously mentioned Lemony Flutter does an excellent job.

This Nfu.Oh-stuff is just as good as all those polish blogs out there say it is. I’ve previously tried Depend’s cuticle cleaner, which didn’t do anything at all, but the Nfu.Oh-version is a completely different matter.

Voilá! Perfect cuticles.

How To (Not) Wear Skin-coloured Tights

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

Image linked to source

Yesterday I had one of the worst fashion-experiences of my life. I was walking casually along the streets of Tromsø with a bunch of friends, on our way to a club for a few beers to celebrate the summer, when BAM! It was as if a bomb of (wannabe) flesh coloured tights had exploded on the girls surrounding us – I’ll say about 95% of them were wearing them, which made for quite a sight. A few looked perfectly fine, but most had

1. chosen the wrong “skin” colour, and

2. combined them with the tiniest, most boring pair of denim shorts in the world.

I know I should have seen this coming, with the whole demin-shorts-being-the-it-garment-of-the-year and all. Still, I do wish they could at least choose a proper colour. It’s just like with foundation, you might get away with one shade darker than your natural colour, but most girls seem to have no idea as to what a “shade” is. I’ve made some diagrams to make sure at least my readers will be well-educated in this matter:

Most fashion magazines condemn flesh coloured tights to eternal hell. I must confess I have no problem wearing them from time to time, as they prevent my thighs from rubbing together so much (yes, I am a curvy girl, we all know it!), even out my skin tone and generally make me feel less naked. Still, I’m extremely picky when it comes to what’s acceptable.

Firstly, they must be so thin they’re almost non-existent, which means 20 denier or less (denier is the measuring unit for thicknesses of tights, you can read more about it here). Second, I always pick a shade that matches my skin perfectly. Always. Those boxes of five tights they sell at H&M are all too dark for me, and the fabric is too coarse, which means they’re a no-go. Instead I buy these soft, 10 denier tights from Lindex in a shade called powder – they’re very comfortable, very soft and give the impression that I have a perfectly even skin tone.

Once you’ve got your quite invisible tights, though, please be clever when you put together the rest of your outfit. Those itsy-bitsy denim shorts might be very trendy, but don’t choose a tiny tank top and your tallest heels as well. As one of my male friends said yesterday: you can definitely show too much skin. Most important, though, is to remember those old, wise words, tights are not pants. Yesterday I saw a girl wearing skin-coloured tights, a t-shirt-like top and nothing more. Yes, it’s completely true, and yes, it was very traumatic to behold.

I’m sure you, my darling readers, have both the brains and the taste to avoid those horrible non-flesh coloured tights. Still, just to ease my traumatized mind -

please tell me I’m right?

Nails for Dummies

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I want hands like these when I get older. Image linked to the source, of course.

Your hands and nails say a lot about you, and nowadays it’s become quite a trend to paint and decorate them. If you’ve just entered into the world of nail polish and find it a bit overwhelming, here are a few tips to help you along.

1. The skin: Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Use a good hand lotion, preferably one with SPF, and protect them with rubber gloves while washing dishes and floors and such. Using a scrub on them once a week isn’t a bad idea either.

2. The cuticles: For you newbies, the cuticles are the transition from your skin to the nails. If they are dry, they tend to look flaky and can cause hangnails (nothing dangerous or permanent, but it can hurt a lot). The first step to healthy cuticles is… moisturize, moisturize, mo – yeah, you get the idea. My HG (“Holy Grail”) is Lush’s Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter (click for my review), and I now have nice cuticles for the first time in my life.

Moisturizing is the most important thing, but there is a whole science behind the truly amazing cuticles. Lacquerized is my absolute icon when it comes to this, and as she’s written a fantastic post on how to have happy cuticles, I suggest you head over here for more information.

3. Nail polish – the base: A good base coat is a must if you’re using coloured polish, as otherwise your nails can get stained from the polish. There are lots of base coats/clear polishes with “special powers”, like strengthening, ridge-filling and this’ll-make-your-polish-stick-to-the-nail-until-you-choose-to-take-it-off (more on that later). These clear ones are good if you want a natural look, too, as they help protect the nail.

Before you put any polish on, though, remember to only put polish on squeaky clean nails. The slightest hint of grease and your polish won’t stay on as long, so wash properly, or swipe your nails with a little nail polish remover before you start.

4. Nail polish – the colour: My main problem is how to pick a colour, as there are so many available these days. Once you’ve found one you like, though, you can head over to this great guide by Lacquerized on how she paints her nails. Some general tips:

• two thin layers of polish will be less likely to chip than one single thick layer.
• if you want your nails to appear slimmer, leave a gap of one or two millimeters on the sides of your nails. This won’t be visible from a distance, but will create the illusion of slimmer, longer nails. Just don’t make it too big a gap, okay?
• If you’re impatient, there are quick-dry sprays and topcoats that can make it dry in 5 to 10 minutes. The most hyped one is Seche Vite, but it can be a pain to find in Norway unless you go online.

5. Nail polish – finishing touches: A clear topcoat protects your coloured polish, making it last longer. You can even add a new coat of topcoat every other day or so to aid in maximum duration. For you brave ones or the perfectionists: a lot of the more advanced nail girls are talking about “clean up” – here is Lacquerized’s excellent post on the subject.

6. Polish removal: Eventually you’ll have to remove the polish , preferably before or when it starts peeling (I can’t help but find peeling polish a bit tacky, and I sing in a rock band and everything!). There are a variety of removers out there, with and without acetone. Without is the best, as it’s less drying for the nails and cuticles, but can also demand a little more work.

The easiest way to remove the polish is to put a little remover on a cotton pad, then simply hold the wet bit on your nail for about five seconds. Then press the cotton pad firmly against your nail and “slide” the polish off. This method allows the remover to do its job, and helps prevent polish traces on your skin. If you didn’t get all the polish off at once, just repeat the process one more time on the same nail. No rubbing required!

7. Shape and length: This has a lot to do with personal preferences. When my nails get longer than four millimeters, I get chills and have to run for the scissors. And yes, I do use scissors (I have some orange ones from Fiskars that are amazing), but I always cut a millimeter or two above where the whiteness of the tip starts (this prevents them from becoming painfully short). Afterwards I use a nail file to even out the edges – and remember that a glass file is much better for your nails than those metal or sandpaper versions.

For more info on this, here is (another!) great guide by Lacquerized, this time on how to shape nails.

8. Inspiration: WARNING. THESE LINKS MIGHT LEAD TO UNEXPLAINABLE LUSTING OVER A PARTICULAR NAIL POLISH, A SUDDEN VENTURE INTO THE WORLD OF KONAD OR WATER MARBLING, OR A PURCHASE OF A ZILLION TINY RHINESTONES, AND SHOULD BE APPROACHED WITH CAUTION. Ye be warned. For hundreds of inspirational pictures, I like Lacquerista, Fuckyeahprettynails and Fuckyeahnailart. For more in-depth info and tutorials, visit Nihrida, Emerald Sparkled and Norwegian Neglelakkmani.

Good luck!

Styling the Summer Hat

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Make an Effort

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

Click image for source

Knowledge is a funny thing. Everybody seems to understand that you have to learn things like math or fixing a car or playing an instrument, but it’s a different matter when it comes to knowledge about beauty or fashion. I often get comments like how do you manage to walk in those heels? or I wish I was as good with nail polish as you are. People make it sound like I simply know these things by intuition, but that’s not the case. As a teenager I spent a whole lot of time reading fashion magazines and playing around with hair and makeup. I wasn’t very good back then, but I wouldn’t now have known how to walk in high heels unless I’d insisted on stumbling around in them when I was sixteen.

A few times people’s comments make me slightly irritated. No, it’s not luck or good genes or magic, it’s simply hard work that made me good at this! But mostly I just feel sad for those out there walking around thinking they have no hope at all at mastering these things. You do, you do! And here’s how:

1. Research and practice. If you want to learn how to make your nails look prettier, go to YouTube and search for “manicure”, “nail care” or “nail art”. Watch at least fifteen videos – most of them are only a few minutes long. Make a mental note (or, even better, an actual note) of all the clever things they teach you. Then practice. Do the same thing over and over again, remembering your notes. If you have a friend/acquaintance with beautiful nails, ask her about it! I guarantee she’ll be flattered – as long as you actually pay attention to her answer and…

2. Accept that it will take time. In the beginning, as you are learning something, you’ll make mistakes and have to correct them, and progress will be slow (remember learning to write? Yeah, it took a while, didn’t it?). But as you get better everything will speed up, and soon you’ll be able to curl your hair or apply lipstick in a flash. Still, pampering does require a little time no matter what – hoping that you can just touch a curling iron to your hair and have gorgeous waves in one minute is simply unrealistic. The thing is, it’s perfectly all right to spend time on how you look. It doesn’t make you vain or stupid or annoyingly girly, it just means that you’ve decided to make an effort to improve your appearance.

Applies lipstick and turns toward camera.

“And there’s nothing wrong with that!“

Big, sparkly smile, a toss of the hair and… end scene.

Stage Outfits!

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Hair Product How-To

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

I have bought an embarrassingly large number of hair products in my life. I’m always on the lookout for something that can make my hair thicker and shinier, but I don’t like the feeling of a hair full of products. My motto has therefore become: as few products as possible, with as much effect as possible. I thought I’d share some of my hard-earned knowledge with you, in hope that it might spare you some trouble (and possibly some cash as well). First:

Volume and shine are opposites.

If you want hair with lots of volume, shine products are your worst enemy. Why? Well, think of your hair as… as Spiderman’s hands. When you add products for shine, the hands are smooth and slippery, and he’s just plain old Peter Parker. To get voluminous hair, you need him to become all prickly and spiky (watch this, at about 0:40). Thus, if you want big hair, stay away from the shine products, all right? But what if I want big AND shiny hair? Only one way to do that, darlings, and that is to keep your hair in general good condition. Which means moisturizing products aplenty – just not on that particular day you want extra big hair.

Good, now I got that out of my system. Let’s get to the good stuff! Here’s how to make some key hair products work their best:

Volumizing shampoo: Use as normal, but don’t throw on a heavy conditioner afterwards. A volumizing conditioner is the best, and most of it in the lengths, not the roots.

In-shower treatments: It’s better to use too much than too little. Clip up long hair in the shower to avoid it being rinsed out while you wait. For ultramegahypersuper effect, cover with gladpack, then a warm towel, and leave in for as long as possible.

Volumizing mousse: Apply to wet hair – mousse in dry hair will only make it heavier, in my experience. If you want to do it properly, blowdry as well. Most volumizing styling products need heat to work.

Shine products: A little goes a long way, as too much will make it heavy and greasy within a few hours. Applying it to the lengths only is a good precaution.

Hair spray: Give it time do dry. If you use it to fixate a finished hairstyle this won’t be as important, but if you’re spraying to make sure teased hair stays teased, or to give volume etc., then hold hair the way you want it, spray, and wait for at least ten seconds. Otherwise you’ll just add lots of product without it actually doing anything.

Voilá! If there’s any product you miss on my list, just leave it in a comment and I’ll see if I can offer any advice. And by the way – do you have any I haven’t discovered yet?

Airam’s Ultimate Guide to Fringes

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It is now eleven days since I got a fringe (or bangs, if you prefer the American term), and I must say it has been an interesting transition. I don’t regret it at all, in fact, I’m really glad I did it, but it has taken some getting used to. I thought I’d share my experience with you, in case somebody out there is considering a fringe but is still on the fence.

Articles and such always talk about how it’s important to find a style to suit your face. That is important, of course, but I think it’s by far more important to find a good hairdresser. You see, there are lots of ways to cut a simple, blunt fringe like the one I’ve got (not to mention all other kinds of fringes), and different cutting techniques suit different kinds of hair.

When it comes to what will suit your face, I never thought a blunt bang would look good combined with my quite round face. I’ve read my share of hair magazines (“Perfect Hair” being my favourite), and some of them have these drawings of faces with a “suitable” bang for each type of face. These rules aren’t written in stone, though, and what will suit you also depends on the placement of your features (especially the eyes), the condition and structure of your hair, and your personality. I mostly chose my fringe based on what kinds of bangs I normally think look cool. Zooey Deschanel and my little sister Cookie have the most fabulous blunt fringes, so I knew I liked the concept of that particular style. I then booked an appointment with the only hairdresser I trust (Therese at Hårny in Harstad, if you were wondering), and told her about my concerns.

I expected her to say “yes, you can have a fringe, but let’s stay away from the heaviest kinds”, as this is what I’ve been previously told – I’ve always suspected it was because of my “round face”. But no, Therese suggested a quite long, heavy fringe that starts almost at the very top of my head – you can see it in the picture above. This was so clever as it makes the fringe pretty heavy, thus preventing it from becoming thin strands that look greasy simply because it’s not one even layer of hair. No previous hairdresser have ever understood my hair (each hair is rather thin, but there are lots of them!) properly, which is probably why no previous fringes have looked flattering.

This is how I style mine (I’ve partly copied Cookie’s routine, as she is my fringe-idol).

After shower: dry hair with towel (squeeze the water out, don’t rub vigorously), add some volumizing mousse (preferably one with heat protection). Make sure to get it into the roots – I didn’t do this before as I was afraid it would make them greasy, but I’ve realized not that this is pretty much what causes the volumizing effect. Silly me. Blowdry fringe from crown (the top of your head) and down towards the front, until it’s dry. Then blowdry a little bit from beneath, so the air is directed almost up your forehead. This will give the fringe some lift (thank you, Cookie!), but if I do it too long I end up with weird kinks at the ends. Experiment with what works with your hair. Then brush, and use a straightening iron to slightly curve the fringe so it goes away from the top of your forehead, and in again towards your brows. This takes some practice to avoid kinks where you clamp down the iron, and to get the right curve, but it’s so worth the effort!

Without showering: I don’t wash my hair daily, but the fringe seems to need some freshing up pretty much every day. In the beginning I used to simply wash it in the sink (tie the rest of the hair into a high knot or away with hair clips so it won’t get wet), but that requires more blowdrying and straightening/curving, which seemed damaging and like a lot of job. Maja tipped me off about Batiste Brunette Dry Shampoo, which works like a charm. Spray into fringe, leave it in while putting on makeup, then rub with fingers or a towel and brush. It looks almost better than when it’s freshly washed, and it takes very little time. Ss they have a brunette version it doesn’t turn greyish, and it doesn’t make the hair sticky or brittle at all, either. I’d feared it would be a little like when using Dust It and such powders, but the hair stays nice and soft. They have it in non-Brunette versions too, of course – and right now it seems to be on sale at Vita, by the way.

What I found most important – and fun! – about my fringe, is discovering new ways to style my hair. Pulling all my hair up into a high bun, which used to be my emergency hairstyle, doesn’t work without using hairpins to keep the fringe back, but I haven’t felt the need to do this. The dry shampoo makes a greasy fringe a non-issue, huzzah! I’m still working on how updos look with a fringe. I find it rather exciting, as I usually struggled with how to style my long, sideswept bangs in combination with an updo, but that’s not a problem any more.

The thing I love the most about my fringe, though, is how it has changed my general look. Not only does it bring out my eyes in a wonderful way, but it also gives me an edge, a touch of devil-may-care. And that, my darlings, is always a good thing.

Challenge: Styling the Chanel Tights

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Chanel Tights – Level 1 by mariaairam

The “Level 1″ Polyvore above shows what I think is a foolproof way to wear the tights. The shoes are plain black pumps with a rather high heel, which will help combat the short-leg syndrome. The black like from the back of the leg is allowed to continue all the way down through the black heels, which gives the impression of very long legs indeed. The shoes are strapless, too, which is good as the nude panel in front won’t be cut off by a sudden black line.

The clothes in this outfit are simple and plain, kept in neutral colours to prevent that Harlequin-feel you might get with bright colours. Details such as the bow on the clutch and the birdcage necklace keep it young, and the denim shorts make sure your legs get all the attention. As it should be.

Chanel Tights – Level 2 by mariaairam

“Level 2″ is a little bit more daring. The dress – in that fabulous blue colour – makes it less safe. The shoes also add interest, as they reflect the pattern of the tights, but twist it around the foot somehow. It is still quite classic and elegant, but with a slight twist that gives it a little more personality.

Chanel Tights – Level 3 by mariaairam

Now, “Level 3″ is a little bit crazy, I know. But that’s the general idea – it makes a statement, it’s bold and feminine, but still not crossing into Harlequin-territory. To carry this off, you definitely have to wear the outfit, and not let it wear you. It’s all about the attitude, and mixing spring-like bright colours with bold black.

How would you wear those tights?

Outfit Inspiration: Books

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Neverwhere by mariaairam

Hi, my name is Maria and I’m a bibliophile. I know a lot of people seek outfit inspiration in magazines, blogs, movies and music – but what about books? As I tend to read in bed before going to sleep, and then while eating breakfast in the morning, I often find myself influenced by a book when it’s time to get dressed. Say I’ve read Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere – I can almost guarantee that I’ll want to make my hair big and messy, I’ll dress in something eccentric and slightly off, and there will be leather and lace involved. Well, fantasy books do that to me, all right? You should try it.

And not only that, but it works the other way around, too: if I’ve dressed a certain way, my outfit will often influence the book I choose to bring with me that day (never leave the house without a book, girls!). This has gone so far that I now sometimes choose a book to create a mood for the day.

Special Topics in Calamity Physics by mariaairam

A couple of weeks ago, for instance, I was going to attend a conference about musicians and tax (also known as boring-money-stuff). I decided to bring Marisha Pessl’s Special Topics in Calamity Physics, because the main character, a mysterious girl named Blue, always makes me wish I was smarter and knew more nerdy stuff. A perfect state of mind in which to attend said conference, wouldn’t you agree? The book is also a great source for outfit inspiration due to its wonderful combination of decadence (or lace), school uniforms (blazers) and good old-fashioned mysteries (leather, books and accessories with literary references).

Girl With a Pearl Earring by mariaairam

Other days I might feel calmer, in the mood for something simple. But everyone who’s read Tracy Chevalier’s Girl with a Pearl Earring (or seen the movie, although it’s not completely the same) knows that the calm is just on the outside, and an attention to detail is required to understand what’s really going on. Fabric isn’t merely white, it’s cream, or eggshell, or even yellow (like the clouds), and a splash of the rare blue of lapis lazuli makes a world of a difference.

Water For Elephants by mariaairam

Then again… sometimes you just have to go crazy. You have to wear tulle, feathers and diamonds (all at once!), you have to talk to your invisible friend, Rosie the elephant, and you definitely have to wear heels too high to walk properly in. You want to run away with the circus, find true and all-consuming love, make a crowd gasp in admiration. I felt like that after reading Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants – darlings, ye be warned.

How To Prepare For Busy Times

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Some weeks are just crazy. You suddenly have a lot more work than usual, or things have been piling up and you now cannot even find time to read your favourite fashion blogs. It can be hard to stay stylish in the middle of it all – but fear not! The key (as in most things) is proper preparation. A day or two before things get hectic, simply go through my carefully constructed checklist:

♮Favourite clothes: clean. I know myself so well by now I know that if I have to get dressed in two minutes I always reach for my black tulle skirt, an elastic belt and a 3/4 sleeve button-down. The same goes for my black, shiny jacket from Gina Tricot.

♮Closet: tidy. An organized closet makes getting dressed so much easier. You also won’t have to add “tidy closet” to your already endless to-do list.

♮Hair: acceptable. If you’ve been fretting about those roots or split ends for weeks now, do something about it! Not only will you not have to stress about it during your busy times, but you’ll feel so much better. Good hair = a good day.

♮Designated spot for mess: yes. I’ve decided to put all my discarded clothes in one place in my room. Yes, that pile grows enormous when I don’t have time to tidy, but at least my whole room won’t be covered in dresses. Also, if I cannot find a sweater in my closet, it’s either in the laundry bag or in my designated messy spot. No need to search all over the place any more.

♮Emergency food: in cupboard/fridge. If you don’t have time to drop by the store some day, there ought to be something edible in your home to save you from starvation (yes, even a frozen pizza is better than nothing). And if you don’t have time to eat before rushing out the door, there should be something you can stuff in your bag (energy bars or a pre-made sandwich, for instance). This is an especially important point if you’re like me and get grumpy if you get low blood sugar.

♮To-do list: as short as possible. Things that can be done in advance, such as replying to e-mails and paying bills, should be done before, well, in advance. Some things can probably wait until calmer times, too.

♮Body: ready. Shave legs, pluck eyebrows, file nails and other such things. If you decide to paint your nails, do it properly to make it last – base coat, two (or three) coats of polish, topcoat. A neutral colour such as a nude, red or grey will work for many different looks (which is especially good if you’ve got multiple style personalities disorder, such as yours truly).

In short, if you minimize the risk for fashion disasters, make sure you won’t starve to death and don’t try to do everything that one busy week, you should be all right. And remember to breathe. Breathe.

The Gelaskin Project

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I received my brand new GelaSkin a couple of days ago, and yesterday (at 2am) Boyfriend and I decided to make a video of the application. What do you think? Oh, and the GelaSkin is perfect, by the way. I’ve had one before so I knew I liked the GelaSkins in general, but this motif is incredible (it’s “Crows” by Nicoletta Ceccoli). And no, I’m not being sponsored by GelaSkins – I’m just a little bit in love.

Filed under: How-to-Guides, Nerdy Stuff, Video

7 Steps to a Faux Bob

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

This Monday I was going to a birthday party and had absolutely no idea what to do with my hair. I’d tried my usual solution: making it really messy, but for once I just thought it looked messy. Then a bright idea popped into my head: the faux bob. As I have layered hair I did it in a way that would allow my shortest layers to hide any bobby pins and the ends of my hair, but if your hair is all one length I suggest you try this method. Here’s how I did my messy version:

You need:

A dry towel/a comb for teasing, hair spray, bobby pins/mini jaw clips

1. Start with dry hair, preferably hair with some sort of product in it already. Use a dry towel to mess up hair. You can, of course, use a comb and tease the hair, but the towel-trick can save you a lot of time if you’re in a hurry. Just rub it all over your head, and don’t panic when you remove the towel – you can brush it down a bit if it’s too big for your liking.

2. Flip head upside down, spray with hairspray and then – I just learnt this, actually, by watching this video – wait for 20 seconds to allow hair spray to dry. If you flip it back before the spray is dry, the volume will just collapse after a few minutes.

3. Divide your hair into two sections by parting it at the back (just the lengths, not from the top of your head).

4. Take small sections of hair (I divided each side of my head into about three sections, so I had six in total) and roll them from the bottom up to where you want your “bob” to end. Use a bobby pin/jaw clip in the same colour as your hair and fasten the little roll to your head. It doesn’t have to be a perfect roll as we’re going for a messy look, the important thing is that the bobby pins aren’t visible.

5. Repeat until all your lengths are tucked in. Try to shape your “bob” nicely, and make sure both sides are equally long.

6. Pull the top layers of your hair to loosen them. It doesn’t matter if some hang longer than the supposed length of your bob – people will know it’s not a real bob anyway.

7. Finish with a little hair spray, and may I suggest a pair of chandelier earrings? It looks delightfully feminine when they dangle against your  now bare neck.

Posted in Beauty, DIY, fashion, Hair, How-to-Guides, Tutorials

DIY: Origami Bird Lamp/Mobile

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

As I’m spending the day redecorating my room – after wonderful Boyfriend moved all my furniture around yesterday – I thought it only suitable to show you my little creation: the Origami Bird Lamp.

My lamp looks like an ugly beehive, you see, so this is my attempt to distract the eye. Here is how you make one:

1. Fold a lot of origami birds according to this site. You can use patterned paper, like I did, or make lots of birds in different colours, or simply make them with plain white paper. It will take some time in the beginning, but once you’ve done it a few times you probably won’t spend more than about 4 minutes on each bird, so hang in there!

2. Stick a needle with white thread through the middle of the bird, from the bottom up. Remember to tie a knot on the end of the thread so it won’t just fall out again.

3. Measure a ring of paper to the same size as your lamp. Then tape the threads of the birds to the paper ring (easiest to do if you remove the paper ring from the lamp while working). I think it looks the best if they hang at different lengths.

4. Fasten the paper ring to the lamp. My ring fit so snugly that I didn’t even have to tape it, which is good as the tape might have melted or become permanently stuck to the lamp because of the heat.

You can, of course, make something similar without attaching it to a lamp by simply taping the threaded birds to the ceiling itself, or to a wooden/plastic ring and then hanging that from the ceiling.

I also added a bird taped to the paper ring itself. It looks like it’s hiding, trying to ambush the other birds, don’t you think? Boyfriend suggested I tape a single bird to the ceiling itself a bit further away from the lamp, like this:

I think this is my favourite bird ♥

Posted in Creative Airam, DIY, How-to-Guides, Tutorials

Hair! Biosilk, ghd and Youtube.

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

My new best friend, Biosilk’s Silk Therapy, photographed on my new skirt from H&M (it cost 30,- on sale!)

Ever since a period in 9th grade when I started styling my hair Lion-style (think short and MESSY), my hair has usually been in a permanent bed head state. Nothing easier than to squish some gel into it, rub it with a dry towel, and voilà, instant I-couldn’t-care-less-hair. But lately I’ve leaned more and more towards a softer, more elegant look, especially after discovering Vintage Koi’s channel on Youtube.

The question then becomes: how do I get soft, shiny curls without too much of a hassle? I’m terribly impatient when it comes to grooming, you see, so velcro rollers or even a curling iron are pretty much out of the question unless it’s a special occasion and I’ve got lots of free time before the event. But this Christmas I discovered how, and it’s so easy I have to laugh.

Biosilk Silk Therapy + a quality straightener = ♥ hair

I shower, apply a tiny amount of Silk Therapy to the lengths of towel-dry hair, then let it dry naturally (or blow dry it if I’m in a hurry). Then I make ribbon curls with the straightener (thank you, Cookie, for teaching me how to do it!) without any other products as I don’t like the stiff, flat curls they get in the video. I only curl the hair from about eye level and to the ends, so the roots are left au naturel. And that’s about it, really! A light mist of hairspray is a good idea if I need the hair to last for a long day.

I just bought that ghd straightener I told you about, I can’t wait for it to get here! I’ll let you know what I think about it as soon as I’ve put it through the test. As for now, I’m rather curious

- what’s your favourite way of styling your hair?

Posted in Beauty, Hair, How-to-Guides, Look what I've got...

Quick & Easy “Nail Art”

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

We all remember my last horrible-melted-ice-cream-nail-art-attempt, right? Well, wanted to come up with some ideas that even I can do, and I wanted something simple. I haven’t any particular sources of inspiration, but many of the nail art tutorials on youtube do something similar (they usually add more fancy stuff on top, though). I’ve used two coats of OPI’s Nail Envy as a base – more on that in a later post! – but you could naturally do this on top of a coloured polish. A dark brown looks fantastic!

1. Make sure there is just a tiny amount of polish on the brush. Start at the tip of the nail, and brush with a light hand towards the cuticle. Try not to get any glitter on the bottom half of the nail, and make the transition gradual. The first coat should be thin, then do a second one to make the gold less transparent on the tip.

2. Cover the entire nail in two layers of gold. Yeah, I ran out of ideas, but it’s nice and sparkly, don’t you think?

3. A very easy French Manicure, where the tip is gold and the rest is kept au naturel (almost). I didn’t even use tape or anything to keep the edges nice – since the glitter polish is transparent and the Depend brush is rather tiny it was easy enough to do. Two layers makes the glitter more opaque.

4. A reversed version of number one. Do exactly the same, only make the gold “pour” from the cuticle, not the tip of the nail.

5. A reversed version of number three. I covered the entire nail in glitter, except for the white tip, which I left bare. Again, I did this without tape or anything, and two layers of the glitter polish will give you the best result.

I’d normally pick only one version and do it on all nails, of course; I did one on each finger just to show you the different varieties.

Which one is your favourite?

Posted in Beauty, Creative Airam, DIY, fashion, How-to-Guides, Nails

DIY Chained Top

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

Posted in Creative Airam, DIY, fashion, How-to-Guides

Christmas Calendar: Quick Fix Beauty Tips

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

Around Christmas there seems to be a new party every day – if not two or three! – but there’s hardly enough time to prepare for them all. I therefore thought I’d share some of my quick fix tips with you, in hope that you will arrive at your festivities looking fabulous without being stressed out.

♮Diamonds, darlings, diamonds! The quickest way to look ready for something wonderful without a lot of fuzz. You can also include them in your everyday outfits, of course (and you can read about how here), but somehow they always look their absolute best when they’re glowing in candlelight.

♮I always reach for a red lipstick when most desperate. I first put on a little bit of Rosebud’s Mint Balm (the round metal box in the picture), then dab on the lipstick and smooth it out with my fingertip. This way it doesn’t look like it’s supposed to be perfect, and you can get away without razor-sharp edges and lipliner. Just remember that you’ll have to freshen it up quite often, as the lip balm makes it disappear fast.

♮Creamy eyeshadow is a lifesaver when in a hurry as they blend so easily. A slightly neutral colour, such as a champagne/grey/brownish one is great for that five-second-application.

♮Nail polish in a pale colour won’t give away tiny errors as much as a dark one, and you can often get away with a single coat. I like Maybelline’s foreverstrong in colour 76 (“French Manicure”), as it’s practically transparent, but gives a more polished nude look.

♮If you know you’ll have very little time to do your hair on the day of the party, proper preparation can make things easy as pie. My favourite hair trick is to shower the evening before, applying some mousse in wet hair, then braiding my hair in two french braids. My hair dries while I sleep, and I’ll usually keep the braids during the day as well, finally letting my hair out an hour before the party. Or, I can keep the braids (which will have become a bit messy) and pin them up in my neck for a rather lovely updo. Braids are also good for days when you don’t have time to wash your hair.

♮A good quality perfume will always give you glamour bonus points, no matter how you look. Just avoid spraying yourself almost to death in panic, as perfume overload is a definite turnoff.

Do you have any tips of your own? Do share them in the comments section!

Posted in Beauty, Christmas Calendar, fashion, Hair, How-to-Guides, Lists, Makeup

Christmas Calendar: Fashionable Gift Wrapping

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

With Christmas comes presents and gift wrapping, so I thought I’d show you how I intend to do most of my wrapping this year. You’ll need some old fashion magazines (that you can bear to cut apart), scissors, tape and some nice ribbons/stickers/labels.

I only managed to wrap one gift before I ran out of tape, so remember you’ll need quite a lot to tape the pages together. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to buy the rest of this year’s Christmas presents – and some more tape.

Posted in Christmas Calendar, Creative Airam, DIY, How-to-Guides