Fashion Toast for Breakfast, Anyone?

In the same way that some of us like to kick off their day with a slice of toast for brekkie, I like to start mine with a dose of some of my favourite blogs and websites. Many people have a list of sites that they visit ritually each day and one of mine is fashiontoast.com.

Launched in 2007, I found fashiontoast.com in a write-up a couple of years later in an edition of ASOS magazine, visited it and have been hooked ever since. Written and compiled by Rumi Neely with photography taken by her other half and herself, this website is a fashion addict’s nirvana and I love, love, love visiting it!

Rumi herself is a fashion assistant and model and gets to travel around the world doing what she loves and loving what she does. Very jealous! With her embarking on frequent trips to Tokyo, holding random photo shoots in desolate and beautiful places and visits to parties and fashion shows there’s much fashion eye candy to look at and beautiful shots to boot.

Rumi herself has great taste, of course. She has an enviable collection of silver rings and bangles and provides me with a bit of wardrobe inspiration when I’m feeling in need of a booster. She also manages to pose for photos in the middle of streets and public footpaths as natural as standing waiting for a bus – something I haven’t managed to master myself yet...

Take a look for yourselves at www.fashiontoast.com.

As a side note there’s a fair few blogs out there that I’m always discovering and I think are well worth shouting about and sharing with you. So in future I plan to post more about the great people who share, contribute and make the web that bit more fun!

Image of Rumi Neely from fashiontoast.com

In the Market for a New Ring... Or Two

I have a bit of a history for losing rings. I'm very careful with my silver rings but in the past year I've lost two of the rings I wore EVERY single day. The first was last summer walking along Camden Lock. I didn't even realise it happened until my finger felt naked and looked down to see it was missing its usual silver band of tapped silver.

Then recently I had an even more upsetting loss of a vintage 80s ring I acquired 3 years ago. Because it's vintage, there's no replacing it. *Sniff* And it fit so snugly on my thumb as well. Now my third ring that I wore along with the other two is hanging on my jewellery stand and has been for a month, waiting for two partners in crime to join him again. I won't put it back on until I find two permanent replacements for the ones I've lost - because quite frankly it doesn't feel right on without another two to party with it.

I've been casually searching for a while now and I'm trying to make up my mind as to what I'd like these two rings to be... I have very picky tastes and the more unusual the ring, the better for me. If my budget was limitless, any one of these would be so lovely...

Images from Etsy sellers - RingRingRing, BlindFaithArt and Jewela

Now on Model Mayhem!

This is a little bit of a news to let you all know that I'm now a member of Model Mayhem. This is a great networking site for anyone working in the fashion and beauty industry, not just makeup artists but photographers, hair stylists, models and designers.

So if you're interested in collaborating/working on photo shoots for fashion, editorial and beauty or know of anyone who is, then please feel free to get in touch! I also do makeup for music videos and musicians.

And of course I'm available for brides and other special occasions such as proms in the South East and London area.

You can find me on Model Mayhem at www.modelmayhem.com/amandaoshaughnessy

Outfit of the Day - Flowers for the Lady

As you all know by now, as well as makeup I love, love, love fashion. Inspired by hundreds of fashion blogs out there I fancied sharing with you my favourite outfits and the clobber I pull together as much as a wardrobe journey and because pulling together outfits is fun and we should all share in the joy!

So without further ado this is one of my new regular features that you'll see more of in future here at All That Glitters - Outfit of the Day. I'll be posting one every fortnight so keep an eye out for more to come.

This is was what I wore to my anniversary adventure day with the man of my dreams : ) It's the first time I wore my newly purchased flower headband and I must say I'm loving it if I do say so myself! Oh and of course I also received some beautiful roses from the man in question, hoorah!

Flower headband - Topshop, jumper - Beyond Retro vintage, belt - vintage, paisley playsuit - 'Love' for Topshop, tights - H&M.

New Love/Inspired by...The Noisettes Ever Fallen in Love

I have to share my love for this version of 'Ever Fallen In Love' by the Buzzcocks.

Sure, I hear you, it's not the same as the original - nothing will match the raw emotion in the original track. But I just love, love, love Shingai Shoniwa's raspy vocals combined with what the Noisettes have done with the single. I like the fact that it shows love gone wrong from a different angle instead - maybe a darker, less angrier side - but that of a naughtier side, taken from a girl's perspective, i.e. we've all gone for a bad boy once upon a time!

And I also love the video - the makeup and wardrobe are just a little bit awesome. I've of course mentioned before that Shingai Shoniwa always loves the extreme looks and pulls them off oh, so well! Oh and check out the Doc Martens she models (celebrating the 50th anniversary of the brand) She seems to get through 4 different amazing, gorgeously coloured pairs : ) Whoop!

Enjoy:

IMATS and the Amazing Alex Box!

On Saturday 30th January I got up as bright and as early as the birds and made my way to my first ever IMATs visit at London's Ally Pally! I was so excited and the makeup geek that I am, I even had a little itinerary of who and what I was going to see for the day:

• Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics' David Klasfeld - Airbrush Confidential
• MAC's Terry Barber on Beauty in Video & Music
• Alex Box
• And lots of visiting - and potential buying at - makeup stands galore...

OCC David Klasfeld - Airbrush Confidential

David is a very humble makeup artist considering his resume covers Comedy Central and music videos for The Stills and Sum 41 to name only a mere few! He gave an excellent and very honest 101 on air brushing, in fact he made it sound so simple I thought I'd be able to pick one up and get going in no time, ha! Honestly though, this was a great seminar and a lot of very useful tips were given, many that all makeup artists should know!

MAC's Terry Barber - Beauty in Video & Music

Wow - the work that this man has achieved and the women he's painted, Terry too is very down to earth and incredibly talented. For his seminar he created a very Grace Jones-esque look that was inspired by the likes of Way Bandy's makeup work and 1920s glamour girls. He went through the look as he carried it out on stage in very thorough detail - how to shade and contour and how to work with the cameras and directors so you help them get the most out of the video in terms of the image created!

Alex Box

By far my favourite makeup artist of the entire event and day, I was so keen to see this lady and hear what makes her tick. I wasn't disappointed. She's so down-to-earth but very imaginative. You can almost see the cogs ticking over in her facial expressions, she's so extrovert but not in a crazy in-your-face way and the stories and advice she imparted were fantastic.

I was very much in awe of her as much as I am of her work. In case you're unsure as to she is, Alex Box is Creative Director of Illamasqua, a very new and different makeup brand. She is responsible for all their makeup imagery that you'll see on their website, branding and promotional material. For years now she's been creating astounding makeup for the likes of W, Stella McCartney and Vogue.

She's also just released a book with the famous photographer Rankin containing a year and half's worth of their beautiful collaborations. "Lost for words" doesn't even cover the emotion I get when looking at them! You can find more details on it here.

Aside from the seminars given there were also the entries for the Student Makeup Artist competition wandering around the venue along with their talented creators. This year's theme, in celebration of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland was exactly that - Alice in Wonderland! All of the nominees were phenomenal but my favourites were the Queen of Hearts and Alice with mushrooms and butterflies emerging from crazy, glittery hair and fabulous tattoos reading "Eat Me"!

The stands exhibiting and selling were offering some amazing discounts on the day. I got hold of some of Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetic's AMAZING Lip Tars at £7 a tube! These are highly pigmented, rich lip paints perfect for video and photography. I got hold of some crazy colours and also their Clear Lip Tar for avante garde and fashion work. I've already experimented with them and they are brilliant, I'm so impressed - the colours are so vibrant and you can mix them together to create new colours!

Inspired by...

I'm really into the new music video by I Blame Coco, I love the styling and Coco herself is very striking! In fact I thought to myself when I first saw the video that she really has a different, edgy look, kinda tomboy-ish - she could be a model... I swear I'd seen her face before.

Ha, little did I know she's modelled for Burberry back in 2008, oh and she's only Sting and Trudy Styler's daughter! Yup, makes sense now! The song's quite catchy, but I'm still not 100% sure about it and the video could be criticised for being achingly hip but I still like it!

And then there's Marina And The Diamonds' music video for 'Hollywood'. I've been hearing waves of whispers about this girl and how her and her band are the next big thing for 2010 but had yet to hear any of their choons. I LOVE her makeup and styling in this video, plus she's absolutely gorgeous. There's lots of pretty things in it that makes any girl want to shout 'Me, me, me!'

The video from I Blame Coco is for their up and coming debut single 'Caesar' (out Feb 2010).

Marina And The Diamonds' 'Hollywood' single is also released next month. Both videos can be checked out below...

Breakfast at Sotheby's

One of my favourite all-time style icons is Audrey Hepburn. I absolutely love her in Breakfast at Tiffany's and I hear that Roman Holiday is a must-see too. Miss Hepburn's most sought-after dresses are up for auction at the world-famous Sotheby's, London on Tuesday the 8th December. It's reported that items are so rare now that previously some have been sold for 1 million dollars!

All proceeds raised from the sale of the pieces will go to the Audrey Hepburn Children Fund and Unicef. I myself will have to merely be a window-shopper this time, like the beautiful Miss Holly Golightly at her favourite jewellers!

Here are a few pictures from the BBC News website of the dresses up for auction and a few inspiring shots of the lady herself...

Trend - Sequins Galore!

It's not the first time I've admitted out loud that I'm a bit of a magpie when it comes to fashion, beauty and... well just generally! If it sparkles I want it and I've been loving the sequin trend that emerged this Autumn/Winter. They're everywhere - over blazers, leggings, hats, you name it - it sparkles. And apparently this party season we're going to see more thrown over dresses and handbags - you can't really avoid them, but really why on earth would you want to?!

Here are a few of the style inspirations that I love when it comes to rocking the sequinned goodness of this winter...

What's your favourite trend of the season?

Backstage at Victoria's Secret

I love lacey underwear. But what do I love more? Lacey underwear plus gorgeous hair and makeup!

Tommy Ton, creator of Jak & Jil's fantastic fashion blog, has captured some amazing moments on camera at Victoria's Secret's fashion event and has posted them for all of us to enjoy. I think that these are some of the best captured backstage photographs for a fashion show I've ever seen - pure love!

Go to jakandjil.com for a peek behind the scenes. If that's not enough, enjoy more of Tommy's backstage photography on the Style.com feature Touched by Angels - seventh heaven hair and makeup!

Image source: Tommy Ton at jakandjil.com

A Day in the Life of Peter Phillips...

Ever wondered what an 'average' day would be like for Global Creative Director of Chanel? Well now you can be the fly on the wall, following the creative makeup and styling adventures of Peter Phillips during the Fashion Weeks of the world's fashion capitals!

Vogue followed Phillips around for 6 whole months on camera documenting his work backstage, his business meetings, and all of the planning and collaborating for this year's shows. The video diary comes in two parts 'Beauty by Chanel - Episode 1' and 'Beauty by Chanel - Episode 2'.

I love these videos as they're a fantastic insight into all of Peter Phillips' creativity and hard work that we eventually see in the final outcome on the catwalk. Being able to catch a glimpse as to how he works and what makes him tick is for me an amazing opportunity!

The videos also fairly represent the chaos behind the scenes when putting together something as huge and carefully crafted as a fashion show - the highs, the madness, the tears, the panic but overall the crazy and amazing rush that seems to buzz around only backstage at a fashion show...

Click on the link below to be taken behind the scenes:

Beauty by Chanel - Episode 1

The makeup magic continues in Episode 2:

Beauty by Chanel - Episode 2

Shingai Shoniwa

AKA the lead singer and bassist from the Noisettes. Great voice, beautiful woman, fantastic fashion sense - it's quirky, bold and full of colour!

I first laid eyes on her in a photoshoot for ASOS earlier this year. The photos of her made me stop in my tracks as I leafed through. She really stood out to me because I felt like the outfits she was wearing would be the type of things she'd normally wear. She just seemed to look incredibly comfortable in them and it all really worked...

I also love the way she carries off her makeup. She's not afraid to don on some fantastic neons, glittery shimmers and anything that screams 80s and she looks fantastic in them!

Here are a few photos to demonstrate why I think she makes such a great inspiration for fashion and style...

Ossie Clark

Today, for no particular reason, other than my love for his work, I just wanted to share inspiration from one of my favourite designers in the world - Ossie Clark.

The peak of his career was during my favourite era- the 60s and 70s. I love everything about the designs - the paisley, the floaty fabrics and bias cuts that were so hugely flattering for women's figures. For me, his work epitomised the 'free' feeling of the swinging 60s! For some romantic reason I've often been drawn to this decade...

Ossie, who's real name was Raymond, was also a 'Northerner', born in Warrington and raised in Oswaldtwistle (where my Mum went to school, haha!) which inspired his nickname "Ossie". He grew up creating dresses for friends and family and his talents were spotted early on by his Art teacher who gave him Vogue magazines to further inspire and indulge his creative flair for fashion.

Unfortunately when fashion moved on well into the 80s Ossie lost everything when his line just wasn't appealing anymore. His personal life had also been fraught with difficulties in love having gone through a reported turbulent love affair with David Hockney and divorce from the love of his life Celia Birtwell. His life tragically ended in 1996 at the hands of a former lover.

This year's recession has also affected the rebirth of the Ossie Clark brand and sadly the label has closed after no less than 12 months' trading. I wonder if we'll ever see someone have another attempt at reviving the label when the economy has picked up... Or maybe, like many great creations, it should be left in the past and be remembered and treasured for what it was...

Here are a few pictures and pieces that I really love - I hope you enjoy them as much as I do...

The Sartorialist

Okay so I admit it: I've only discovered this guy recently. In the past couple of years I've heard references to him banded around more and more. And then recently I kept hearing about him everywhere - videos, fashion blogs, you name it...

Then the other week on one of my many book store visits to the fashion and makeup section I found a book: 'The Sartorialist' and I finally discovered who he is! I've since found his much talked about (and adored by many) blog and have already recognised some of his shots, the guy is hugely talented, I can't believe it's taken me this long to find out about him properly!

I love the fact that he takes to the streets to find everyday people like you and me and finds beauty and style and a unique edge in them - it's very refreshing and inspiring to see everyday people dressing fantastically, flawlessly and sometimes very charismatically and The Sartorialist, or alternatively Scott Schuman captures these people indefinitely through his lens!

If you haven't seen his work then you can follow his blog at http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/. Scott also films and writes for Style.com, has a monthly page in GQ magazine and many other recurring guest blogs. Check him out, his work is amazing!

Awesome Vintage Shopping & Cupcakes To Boot!

Sunday afternoon was truly delightful! The sun was shining, and the Autumnal weather was just about mild enough to be pleasant and off we went to the Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair - so much fun in one afternoon.

All the vintage stalls were wonderful, a lot of them had such lovely owners running them. Some of the sellers were really chatty, helpful and informative - one of them even told me that one of my buys was a genuine 60s number - this is the one that I'll be wearing for Halloween as Twiggy ; )

And on top of all the fun with clothes, when you needed a break or a sugar/caffeine boost you could even grab a cupcake and a pot of Fairtrade tea, with a lovely performance of classic songs like Marilyn Monroe's and the by one of the lovely girls at Pop-Up-Shoppe tea shop! What more could you ask for?!

I had such a lovely time and without a doubt I'll be returning to shop there again when the Fair returns next Spring (I think they return in April, but I'll keep you posted).

Here's some snapshots of some of the items I bought - check out a sneak-peek at the 60s dress for my Twiggy outfit and the cute spotty 80s number, so fun. Oh and I couldn't resist -I threw in one of my new ruby red ballet pumps that the courier delivered today, yay!

The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair

I'm very excited - tomorrow afternoon London plays host to the largest vintage fair in the UK: The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair. You'll find 50 stalls of vintage joy offering vintage clothing, accessories and even homeware from the 1920s right through to the 1980s.

The Fair has been going strong for four years now and is so popular because it's an opportunity for anyone to come along and search out for some great quality vintage bits and bobs at really affordable prices - perfect when your wallet's feeling the pinch from the current recession!

Don't worry if you don't live in London though. The Affordable Vintage Fashion Fair tours the UK and sets up its stalls in different towns and cities at different times of the month. The Fair will be visiting the following places in the next remaining months for 2009 - look out for a town near you:

October '09

25th - London

31st - Lincoln

November '09

1st - Cheshire

21st - Cambridge

22nd - York

28th - Durham

29th - Newcastle

December '09

5th - Liverpool

6th - Leeds

12th - Norwich

As for tomorrow's fair it starts at 12pm and goes on till 5pm and takes place at the Sustainable Studios, 65-71 Scrutton Street, London, EC2A 4PJ. Let the scouring for all vintage goodness commence!

For more information visit http://www.vintagefair.co.uk/

Paris Fashion Week S/S 2010 Favourites

Going through some of the shows from Paris Fashion Week I couldn't help but fall in love with two collections most of all, the first being Chanel's collection. This was a really fun and sweet range and the show itself revolved around a barn where Lily Allen sang with her band especially for the show (dressed in Chanel of course)!

The clothing and even the makeup were all really pretty, soft and feminine! And clogs made an appearance as the shoe of choice for the show - I'm not sure about clogs and I wouldn't choose to wear them myself, but they worked on the catwalk nevertheless...

I also really want to get my hands on the new Chanel nail varnish colour for Spring/Summer 2010 - grey. It was all over the catwalks and makes for a really different and classy nail polish colour. Plus you know it'll go with pretty much everything : )

And my other favourite was courtesy of John Galliano. Those dresses... Those hats... That makeup! And squee - how do they make those super awesome gas bubbles that were being showered all over the catwalk?! They were amazing - when the lights shone through them they looked otherwordly (see the video at Vogue.com).

I would have loved to have been there to see the show and better still - to have been backstage to see how everything was crafted together! John Galliano shows always look so much fun both on the catwalk and behind it.

As well as the bubbles being otherwordly, the makeup was fantastic and really magical, not necessarily one to be worn out on your average day, haha, but I found the colours and creations really inspiring nonetheless... Then I found out that Pat McGrath was responsible for providing it - I should have guessed, the lady's a genius!