Pinterest

28 Jan

I’ve been on Pinterest for about a year now but haven’t really used it much. I’ve started using it much more and I’m quickly noticing themes in the kind of things I pin, particularly when it comes to style and fashion. Lots of sequins seems to be a definite theme at the minute.

pinterest gemma critchley gemstgem fashion blogger pins

Are you on Pinterest? Follow me – username GemStGem – and let’s share awesome things.

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You and me could write a rad browmance

26 Jan

My new favourite trend is The Scousebrow.

scousebrow scouse brow eyebrow beauty trends fashion blogger gemma critchley

Pioneered by, well, everyone from Madonna to Scousers to Lady Gaga to Bobby Brown… Have a look at the Scousebrow Tumblr and get yourself an eyebrow pencil and some scouse beauty nouse. Currently photoshopping amazing eyebrows into all of my scousebrow-less photos with a marker pen. In a way*.

*In every way.

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How strange this fear of death is! We are never frightened at a sunset.

12 Jan

“How strange this fear of death is! We are never frightened at a sunset.”

George McDonald

And we weren’t scared. Not tonight.

Not of the amazing flood of colour into the white sky this evening.

I didn’t take a picture, I just wanted to remember how it looked forever. People in the office drawn to the window; for once not by a noise or a skirmish, but instead drawn to the amazing arcs of discotheque neon pink and bonfire-night orange and dusky, dusty leather-bound book cover red – bleeding openly, profusely; into the swirling, spreading ink blot of night that flooded across the paper white page of the sky, writing another evening’s story.

A lava lamp over LS5.

Kirkstall Brewery silhouetted like a cut-out velvet dress pattern against molten gold.

As soon as the sunset arrived, it departed; leaving trails of sunset fingers dipping into the violet black of a January night.

I didn’t have a camera to hand to capture it, but I wanted to remember how shocked I was at how shocked I could be by something that has happened every day since forever ago and will continue to do so forever again.

Twitter exploded into its own sunset of sunsets shortly after night fell. Some people had caught it in part, but almost everyone said that no photograph could do it justice. Here are some of my favourites:

twitter sunset 12th january 2012 leeds

amazing sunset over london 12th january 2012 twitter

sunset over leeds january 2012 amazing sky

sunset in leeds january 2012 beautiful photo scenery

Magical.

All photos via Twitter.

Tangerine dream

8 Jan

Pantone’s colour of the year for 2012 is 17-1463, or Tangerine Tango.

pantone 17-1463 tangerine tango colour of the year gemma critchley fashion blogger

The Measure in the Guardian remains to be convinced, but I reckon this hue definitely has legs. Not quite subdued enough to be one of spring’s hot pastels yet not bright enough to scream summer holidays, it’s an unassuming, subtle hue that is already finding its way into graphic design, interiors and fashion.

Tangerine Tango reminds me of something that Mailchimp would use on their website (which, for the record, I adore) and a pair of jeans in this colour would be the perfect item to add a bit of lift to my winter wardrobe.

asos orange tangerine tango skinny jeans pantone gemma critchley fashion blogger

ASOS call these jeans ‘peach red’, but they’ll do for now until I find the pair I want. The ones I love are currently available from Dylan George but just not online.

tangerine tango jeans dylan george kiera denim blog gemma critchley fashion blogger pantone

I’m on board.

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The Design Fiction of Black Mirror, via Made By Many

7 Jan

Well, it’s been quite a week for stuff what I done gone and wrote getting re-posted elsewhere on the internet. My friend Greg over at Mount Analogue alerted me to the fact that one of my tweets had been used in a recent blog from those wonderful Made by Many chaps.

made by many madexmany blog gemma critchley social media facebook Black Mirror charlie brooker twitter willow grain

made by many gemma critchley blog black mirror charlie brooker facebook social media willow grain

Granted, it’s not the most eloquent thing I’ve ever tweeted but it felt good to have it included in a blog that I look to when I want an interesting or an inspiring read.

Did you watch Charlie Brooker’s (well, Jesse Armstrong’s…) Black Mirror? What did you think to it?

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My mantra for 2012

5 Jan

Thanks to a friend of mine who had the good sense to link me to this image, I have a new Mantra for 2012:

success and nothing less mantra for 2012 inspiration cool hunter gemma critchley

Success and nothing less indeed. Bring it, 2012.

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New year’s style resolutions – new blog for Madam Rage

4 Jan

I’ve been getting back to work in body, mind, spirit and style. For more, take a look at my latest guest post for the Madam Rage blog.

 

madam rage online fashion shop blogger gemma stone structured shift victoria beckham style dress

 

This is my second post for Madam Rage with lots more to come. If you like it, leave a comment on the Madam Rage blog!

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2011 in review

1 Jan

Well, the #oneaday year has passed. Granted, I haven’t blogged every day, but I’ve blogged as and when I could and ended up with 220 posts.

I’ve really enjoyed the project and have met some amazing bloggers through it. Whilst I know it’s not going to carry on with the same momentum, I hope people keep blogging, especially Ian (moaner. Funny moaner), Pete (one a day poppa), Nick (one sentence film reviews) and Ben (awesome, awesome drawings); all of whom keep awesome blogs in very different ways.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 17,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 6 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

I don’t really go in for resolutions, but I definitely resolve to write more for pleasure this year. Will you carry on blogging in 2012?

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Lush last-minute party dresses

22 Dec

The party season is in full swing, giving me license to stock up on fabulous dresses at every opportunity. With the office Christmas parties done and dusted and one of my favourite events of the year just days away, I decided it was time to turn up the glamour to maximum for Christmas and the New Year.

Having scoured most of the shops online and in Leeds, I was feeling a bit stuck for inspiration. Lucikly, I had one of those ‘OMG moments’ recently, when I went on a night out and saw my friend wearing one of her gorgeous dresses from Warehouse. So, I thought I’d get my fash-sleuth on and see if I could track down any similar gems for my own wardrobe from the dresses that they had to offer.

Warehouse have got so many amazing party dresses, I was pretty spoilt for choice. The good thing about shopping now is the fact that a lot of parties are done and dusted and so the sales have started, meaning you can grab a bargain to wear on Christmas eve or New Year’s Eve, and spend your savings on cocktails…

The ultimate Christmas Eve outfit

Regular readers of my blog will know that I’ve got more than a small obsession with glitter. If you can’t get the glitz out on Christmas eve, when can you? This stunning gold cutout sequin dress is perfect, with more than its fair share of sparkle to make you really stand out at your Christmas eve party. Bare legs (if you dare brave the December cold) and skyscraper platform heels will let the dress do the talking – keep accessories to a minimum when you’re wearing this many sequins!

gold sequin dress warehouse dresses uk gemma critchley fashion blog

My perfect Christmas Day dress

Christmas day is all about family, fun and indulgence. This cute green skater-style dress with its lace bodice would look fab with opaque tights and maybe a string of pearls to give it a bit of a vintage feel. The pleated skirt is bang on trend, too. Plus, the colour is festive without making you look like an extra from Elf…

green lace dress vintage style skater dress gemma critchley fashion blog party dresses UK warehouse

New Year’s Eve glamour

If Christmas eve is all about sparkle, then New Year’s Eve is about sizzle. It’s the last blast before those new year’s resolutions kick in, so dress for misbehaviour! This 1920s style drop-waist embellished dress from Warehouse is absolutely drenched in luxury. Intricate beading on the top gives way to one of this season’s hottest pieces: the sequin skirt. This item is from the Warehouse Luxe range, and it’s easy to see why. Teamed with a sequin headband and a faux-fur stole, I’ll be rocking 1920s glamour as I see in 2012:

Warehouse luxe 1920s style dress sequin gemma critchley fashion blog

Fash-sleuth success! I’ve got my dresses sorted for the next few parties and they’re sure to stand me in good stead for any soirees that crop up in 2012. With a bit of clever styling I can tone down the festive feel of these dresses, turning them from one-wear party dresses into investment pieces.

I can already imagine wearing the green lace skater dress in January with chunky, shearling-lined boots and a duffle coat for a trip to the outdoor ice rink in Leeds, before hitting the January sales…

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New Sleigh Bells record

19 Dec

There’s a new Sleigh Bells record coming out in January, called Reign of Terror. I absolutely loved the first record, so I’m hoping this one lives up to it. Although I must admit after seeing them live a few times, I began to get a bit tired of the taper recorder/shouting schtick. The first time was brilliant, though. Here’s a teaser for their album:

And this is their new single:

Expecting big tingz!

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