Lisa Galibardy knows good jewellery

All hail Lisa Galibardy, who has lifted the bar on quality, quirky jewellery. http://galibardy.co.uk/ has a sumptuous collection of beautifully eccentric rings, necklaces and earrings, inspired by anything from tattoos to teeth to animal skulls.

In between bouts of essay writing/revision at Uni, I would finding myself drifting onto this site and falling into an accessories trance and by 9pm, I still might not have finished the first paragraph of the essay but I would have several excellent outfit and jewellery combinations worked out. Now, being a fully fledged worker and OUT of my student overdraft for the first time, I no longer have to dream – my galibardy tattoo necklace arrived in the post the other day. Oh, never have I been so excited to receive mail.

You know you’re onto a good thing when the home page dons a surreal Alice in Wonderland-esque scene…. Not only does Lisa design amazing jewellery but she knows what’s big right now, and that we’re all lusting after mad hatter pendants and cheshire cat rings. Yes please!

I mustn’t go mad though, just as tattoos become addictive after getting your first, so do tattoo necklaces. I might find that overdraft rearing its ugly head once again…

One Bardot To Go Please!

For some reason I have often managed to leave the hairdresser looking like Barbara Windsor or Little Britain’s Marjory Dawes – bouffant, but not in a good way. The cut is not the problem (I’ve been able to swish my split-end free hair from side to side Pantene style many a time), it’s the blow-dry. So many hairdressers I’ve encountered have had a passion for the cylindrical brush. I remember one particular incident when I went to get my roots done, I had a short blonde crop that I wore in a quiff in an attempt to look like Agyness Deyn. Instead I left looking literally like Derek Acora. I had a 10 minute walk home and no hat, I was…most haunted… for a long time after wards…(ho..ho)

 As soon as I see that mega cylindrical brush and mighty hair dryer emerging behind me in the mirror I pray that this time I won’t be transformed into a bouffant nightmare. Perhaps now my prayers have been answered – in the form of Blow-Dry Bars. Of course bad blow dries will continue in salons across the world with or without the invention of Blow-Dry Bars, but if you want as much attention paid to your blow-dry as your cut – you can head to one of these places and be transformed into a forties beauty or a Lauren Conrad. Yes please! Blowdrying in hair salons is almost just an afterthought, it’s optional, and seemingly just to stop you leaving with sopping locks and catching a cold. Blow-Dry bars are specifically for styling, where the stylist’s focus is solely on providing you with the perfect hairstyle, leaving the technicalities of a good cut or colour to the hairdressers.

Of course the difference between a trip down the hairdressers and one of these bars, is necessity and luxury. But clever Mr Hersheon and son, who have an exclusive salon on Conduit Street, hair spa in Harvey Nichols and now a blow-dry bar in Topshop Oxford Circus, have managed to persuade me that I need this. The idea behind the Topshop bar, is that you can pick out the perfect outfit for that evening, say, and get a storming hairdo without even leaving the store! (I might also suggest popping down the road to Carnaby Street and getting a cheeky MAC makeover into the bargain). Yumsies! With a menu of hairdos to choose from, named The Bardot, The Rick Rack Jack and the B-52, how can these bars not become part of your monthly…or weekly…or… daily… (no, too far) beauty routine…?

A Blog for the Clog

I realise I’m a little late with this one but I think the clog craze is still worth a mention. Normally the arrival of a new trend pushes me in one of two directions – I fall in love or I um and arr until I see enough celebrities looking gorgeous in it, to be convinced…. then I go shopping.

Clogs are another story. No matter how long I stare at that Chanel pair swallowing Alexa Chung’s delicate fairy’s ankles I can’t bring myself to like the big clompers! I’ve always thought Alexa looked a beaut in anything – and she still does, from the ankles up. But I don’t see how those big brown hooves reminiscent of Clarks’ back to school range, can do anyone any justice. And it’s clear from the picture that she’s not very happy about being made to wear them either….

I first thought… heyyy, easy there Hannah Betts… when she described clogs as ‘monstrous’, but the more I’m exposed to them, the more I have to agree. When I first caught wind of the mighty Clog return I was imagining, admittedly a little naively, authentic Dutch style, wooden pointy wonders. I thought … oooh how interesting… but to my horror, these ugly shoe boots emerged and they remind me of this sorry pair of second hand platform mules I wore to a school disco at the age of 13. Don’t get me wrong, I’m as big a fan of school chic as the next person (thinking… Mary Janes…. Brogues… etc) but I feel like Chanel have taken it a step too far. Back in my school days, clip-clopping into school in clogs may have gained you (at a push) the reputation of the ‘quirky but quiet European girl’… but you certainly wouldn’t have been some sparkling fashionista. To me, the fact of the matter is: clogs weren’t cool back then, then and they’re still not cool now.