Fantastically Wonderful Advertisers | April 2013

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Olive & Frank

You may remember this lovely shop from last month’s post? Well I’m so glad they’ve decided to stay put for another ramble about how much I love them! I’m sure you’ll agree that there are countless online boutique’s to choose from, so what makes one stand out from the other? In this day and age affordable prices seem to be the front runner, and Chloe who founded this stunning shop has got that spot on. When you have so much choice, clothing and accessories to die for and you won’t be spending more than £30 it’s a no brainer. I would happily own every single piece and I’m particularly fond of the Yellow Tassel Loafers...pretty sure they need to be mine.

Bows, Bangles and Bakes

What can I say about Jen? Her blog sums up what I would like to be in ‘life’ – she bakes, has a creative eye for DIY projects (candle in a teacup has to be my fave) and knows exactly how and where to pick up amazing charity, bargain finds. With all this documented in her lovely blog and a smashing personality to boot – she’s always making me laugh with her witty tweets; you know the only thing there is to do is hop on over and see the wonderfulness for yourselves.  

I hope you enjoyed reading about the lovelies that are on my sidebar...it's fast becomming one of my favourite ways to discover new blogs and shops - I think it's fab that our little blogging community can bring everyone together!

As of June 1st, there will be some changes on how Wonderful You's advertising package will work. I won't go into too much detail now, but there will be options for more than one package along with mentions on this blogs other social media platforms throughout the month.

If you're interested in securing a spot, please do get in contact: wonderful.you(@)hotmail.co.uk

And a big, big thank you to the two lovely ladies above - you're fantastic!

Balance Me | Radiance Face Mask

Face masks have to be my favourite part of the skin care routine - they feel truly luxurious and it’s always something I look forward to after a long week. When Balance Me got in touch and told me all about their natural beauty amnesty, I was excited. The hope is that us beauty lovers will swap out our synthetic products and replace them with natural ones – and of course I’m always up for a challenge!

So – what do I look for in a mask? Having blemished and scarred skin top of my list is definitely exfoliation and brightening. BalanceMe’s Radiance Face mask manages to incorporate that along with deep cleansing properties including ingredients such as ground walnut shells, fruit acid complex and kaolin clay which all contribute to getting rid of any nasties and encouraging cell renewal for a clearer, brighter complexion.

Balance Me Radiance Face Mask c/o

It works differently to any of my other masks – it has a similar consistency of an exfoliator but you apply it to dry skin, rubbing in circular motions to release the beads and then you leave it for 5 minutes to work the rest of it’s magic before removing with warm water. Never before has my skin felt so silky smooth and I’m not exaggerating when I say it was definitely softer than a baby’s bum – it’s like a layer of loveliness and been left on my face with no stickiness or drying. The scent is also really calming and not at all over powering, perfect just before bed.

Of course, what you really want to know is if it’s actually done any good. What do you think? Yes is the short answer, but I’ll let you have a little more than that. Obviously my skin feels smooth after use, which is always a plus but it’s not the be all and end all – I’m more interested in the changes it brings to my skin. After using this twice a week for 2 weeks the scarring on my forehead from previous breakouts have almost disappeared, and my complexion in general is clearer, brighter and with a more even skin-tone. 
The nasty scarring on my chin hasn't budged just yet but it's becoming easier to blend with my makeup, so I'm confident that with a few more weeks it will help to improve that more too.

This retails at £18, so I'd say it's at the higher end of a high street buy - but it's definitely justified with the results it's given me so far.

Fear not - If you're on a spending ban (like me) and want to re-vamp your beauty regime with some natural products like this, enter Balance Me's competition here where you stand a chance to win £200 worth of their products!

What do you think of Balance Me? Is it a brand you've tried before?

I'm Still Jenny From da Block

Ladies, you never forget your first. And my first (fashion icon…duh!) was Jennifer Lopez, or as I like to call her, Jenny from da Block. For little 8 year-old Chelsea, JLo was the epitome of glamour, class, and taste. The furs, the diamonds, the dance moves, and a rapper boytoy…the girl had everything I wanted. Luckily, of course, as we get older our style evolves, and for some reason or another my JLo obsession waned. (BEN! It was Ben…I mean srsly you’re gonna leave P-fuckin-Diddy for some random white dude?! Snooze.) However, my love for JLo was recently reignited when Britt shouted to me across the aisles of Goodwill, “Chels this looks like something you would have worn in your JLo days,” as she held up the most amazing relic from Y2K that I have even laid eyes upon…a snowy-white, studded Mongolian (JK it’s faux) fur vest from the Mecca of JLo-style dressing: BEBE. Obvi, I had to have it. I mean, one of the reasons we all love fashion is, as the anthem says, we can be a million different people from one day to the next. And today, I decided to channel my #1 fashion icon: JLo…with a heavy sprinkling of 2013 flavah ;)

Thrifted vest. Vintage button up. Vintage suede shorts. Via Spiga boots.

Until next time,

Chelsea

A Little Treat for You

Just in case you wanted to do some shopping this weekend:

It's no secret that I LOVE Fahsye.  It's my go-to shop for fun, exotic accessories.  Here are the spoils from my last Fahsye shopping trip:

Everyone has been asking me about that elephant bracelet.  I'd run there quick to get yours before they sell out!

Here is how I styled my new jewelry:

Get outfit details here.

Have a great weekend!  I've got a jam packed Saturday including hair, makeup, and nails courtesy of Allora Salon and Spa, Shop Peppermint's Sewn Seeds Runway Show, TRATA VIP after party, and a private party for a friend.

What are you up to this weekend?  Shopping?  Spa-ing? (Totally just made that word up.) Dining?  Relaxing?  I'd love to know!

Happy Friday Rochester!  Smile!  It's the freakin weekend!

xoxo

Jenny
The Flower City Fashionista

Fashion Lovers vs. Clothes Lovers

The most valuable lesson I took from my brief stint studying fashion design at college (Ok…it was community college. Also should mention that this is South OC we’re talking about so I was basically going to school with the cast of Laguna Beach. Literally.) was that there were two types of students: Those who love fashion, and the social and cultural role it has played in people’s lives throughout history, and those who love clothes. I was part of the latter; and we were in the minority. Sooooooo, I don’t wanna get all Regina George on you guys but like, we could spot the clothes-lovers from a mile away: Tory Burch signature logo flats, Chanel sunglasses, Marc Jacobs handbag, True Religion jeans (all about those back pockets), Juicy Couture chain necklace, Tiffany’s charm bracelet…you get the idea. The clothes lovers always know the ‘Who, What, When, & Where’: Who is the designer? What’s in? What’s out? What should I wear with this? Where can I wear a pencil skirt? When is it appropriate to wear a mini skirt? What should I wear on a date? And sure, that shit is fun sometimes. And Cosmo could always use more writers like that! But we really need the fashion lovers to continue to ask, ‘Why’. Why so label obsessed? Why is fast fashion on the rise? Why are we showing so much skin? Why are the 60’s back in fashion? Why are the 90’s back in fashion? Of course, I don’t wanna be throwin’ shade on those ‘clothes lovers’ as I can never advocate any sort of ‘us vs. them’ mentality. I mean, at the end of the day we all just doin what makes us feel good...like us. And like really…who could resist Chanel sunnies and MJ handbags?! Cuz that shit makes you feel reeeeeeeal good ;) Though you’ve gotta wonder why…

Thrift denim jacket. Thrifted sweater. Vintage plaid pants. Theory booties.

Until next time,

Brittany

Spring Haul! | Primark, Estée Lauder & More!

I’ve been absent from my YouTube account for the past month - I find myself falling in and out of love with it and to be honest I think I’d love it a whole lot more if I had some decent software or a new laptop to edit from. I’m sure other ‘YouTubers’ will agree that editing a video is a time consuming and hard going process; to get your video not looking a complete shambles it takes some care and attention and some of my videos can take a couple of hours (including filming).

Nonetheless I am back and this time it’s with a Spring haul! I’ve picked up a few items of clothing and make up bits and bobs over the past month or so and of course, I want to share it with you lovely lot...

Hope you enjoyed watching :) Have you picked up any bits and bobs for spring?

Whole Lotta Woman

Lately, I find myself fascinated with Astrology and learning more about my sign, the greatest one under the sun (naturally): Gemini. A Gemini woman could be described, as Beyonce once put it, “A whole lotta woman!” And indeed, it is true. One minute demure and doting, the next ruthlessly sarcastic; the Gemini woman’s personality is impossible to pigeon-hole. One things for sure, Gemini’s are extroverts. The Gemini is represented by the Twins, for their ability to always see two sides of every situation. Interestingly enough, I have learned that Gemini women have a playful and flirty style, and love to pioneer new trends or experiment with different looks. (Um…yup.) Although my Sagittarius girl Britt is technically my sister, we also fancy each other to be BFF’s. And according to the stars we are the perfect BFF match up. Together a Sagittarius and Gemini will come up with new ideas that the other is excitedly ready to explore; though by our very natures we do have a very competitive partnership. Good thing I’m the smarter sis ;) Learning that Geminis are some fierce mamma jammas has influenced my style lately. Feeling a little extra bold and sexy in my tigress pants and don't-mess-with-me topknot.

Foreign Exchange Crop Top. Vintage pants. Charlotte Russe Boots. Forever 21 Jewelry.

Until next time, 

Chelsea

I've been SHORTLISTED! Company Style Blogger Awards 2013

Okay so this is some pretty hefty news for Wonderful You..I only went and got bloody shortlisted in the Company Style Blogger Awards! I know – I can’t really believe it either, it only seems like yesterday that I started this little bubble of happiness in my life and to think that other people think it worthy of an award is CRAY. But honestly – it makes me feel giddy inside and so, so proud. Thank you so much to every single amazingly amazing individual that placed their vote to get me to the shortlist I am sending you the fattest virtual snog ever.

I said it last time and I’ll say it again – I do feel a bit naughty writing a blog post about this and I hope it doesn’t annoy people too much, but I promise this will be the last you’ll hear of it on my blog!

If you wanted to vote for me to win it’s super simples. Just click here and I am under category 6 – Best Fashion Blog Newcomer; you have to click ‘next page’ 6 times in order to get to my slot, but there are some other amazing categories with amazing bloggers if you want to vote for them on your way to mine! :) then just continue to click next page until you get to the end where it says ‘Submit’, your vote will then be counted.

If you do choose to vote for me, it will mean the absolute world. And I know it sounds silly and mushy, but I don’t mind at all if I don’t win – there are some wonderful blogs that I’m up against and just to be shortlisted has literally made my year! If you don’t want to vote and managed to get to the end of this ramble, then thank you for reading and apologies again for being a bit of a nag!

Sending out SO much love to you – thank you all  for being truly supportive and fan-bloody-tastic. And of course a huge BIG LUCK to everyone else shortlisted - congratulations :)

On Fashion and Music: Vibe it Out

Like most people, I enjoy a slew of different musical genres. (Except country…ew.) One of my favorite things to do is sit around with my friends/boytoy and discover new music. Or as we refer to it, “Take a journey down the musical rabbit hole.” I like music that has it’s own steez. I LOVE music that is not easily defined by a genre; music that doesn’t care if it’s easy to digest or what people are going to think of it. (Interesting how my musical philosophy mirrors my fashion philosophy.) Sometimes I think I choose to listen to certain songs over others based solely on what I’m wearing…which makes sense considering what I’m wearing often determines the overall mood of the day. And songs are ultimately about feelings. So, here’s a list of songs that I listened to while wearing this AMAZING dress I picked up at the Pile Sale on Saturday. I wore this out to my BFF’s 25th Birthday celebration at Mesa…and then again the next day because I just love it that much. I’m pretty sure what all these songs have in common is a general air of jovial bad-assery…cause that’s exactly how I felt in this ensemble. Did I mention this entire outfit was $10 out the door? No shit.

Click the titles to go to the YouTube vid....for your listening pleasure :) Also, I tag Ashley of The Photogramps, my musically inclined blogger buddy, to participate in this fun little exercise next. 

Intro by the Xx: If life perchanced me the opportunity of stripping for a living, this would be my jam. Hey, a girl has got to have a plan!

Politik by Coldplay: I once saw Chris Martin bang this out on the piano (HARD)  from the 14th row and lets just say I’ve never wanted to be a piano bench so badly.

Carry On by CSNY: Solo crusing down PCH on the first hot and steamy Spring day of the year. Volume: loud. Windows: Down.

Evil Boy by Die Antwoord: You need to see the music video: Although, if you’re like one of those people who’s easily offended then don’t even bother. Ok if you’re someone who just might possibly even 1% get offended...then this will offend you. But know that you’re missing out on one of my personal style icons…YOLANDI.

Mrs. Jackson by Outkast: Solid advice: You could plan a pretty picnic//But you can't predict the weather

Genesis by Grimes: Grimes is my bbygrl. PS- Video is worth a watch if only for the sartorial inspiration. Grimes is a fashion goddess.

Ceremony by New Order: From Marie Antoinette...an ethereal film with a BOSS soundtrack. Watch it. Love it.

Breathe by Pink Floyd: Wait for it…seriously, wait for it. Vibe it out.

Lipstick of the Moment | Barry M TMLP

Finding a new lipstick is always a merry time, especially when it’s only £4.49 yup that’s right, under a fiver. Barry M isn’t a brand I would usually think to look at for lipsticks but when I was recently in London staying with my cousin I absolutely fell in love with the lipstick she had on. She told me it was Barry M so regardless of the spending ban I’m on, I figured a few pounds wouldn’t make too much of a difference, right?

I bet your jaws dropped when you saw the shade? Haha, so did mine and it did feel a little odd putting on a ‘green’ lippy but of course, the application isn’t anything of the sort. TMLP – touch of magic, reacts to the PH level in your lips creating the perfect shade of pink for your skin tone. Firstly what an amazing idea, finding my perfect shade of pink has been a long and losing battle - until now. And although it requires a steady hand – you have to remember that the lipstick is clear until your body starts to react to create any colour, but it feels just like applying a lip balm so after a few attempts it’s easy.

The formula is nourishing and waterproof with a staying power of up to 8 hours and it’s not fibbing. After relentless scrubbing trying to remove this lippy at the end of the day it’s almost impossible, my lips are stained and it’s not going anywhere. If it was a neon orange then it might look a bit ridiculous, but I’m quite taken with having rosy lips and a bare face!

I would go as far as to say this is my favourite lipstick purchase to date. It has all the qualities of a high-end brand and the price tag of a McDonalds! The shade is clearly going to be different on every individual, which is my favourite part – and I really do feel like it’s the absolute perfect pink. 

What do you think? Have you tried TMLP yet? If you want to get your hands on it, I picked mine up from the Barry M website. Thank you lovely Kyle for introducing me to this holy grail product and thank you Barry M for being bloody brilliant. 

Filling our First Home | #1

As you know (I go on about it enough) Daniel and I are currently on the exciting search for our first home. Whilst it’s bloomin’ brilliant and so much fun it’s also a little stressful. There are so many factors to consider and even though the house may be perfect, the area might not be ideal and vice versa. There’s already been a few tears (on my part may I add), but I do promise there’s lots of smiles involved too!

I thought I would take a break from finding the ideal home and find some beautiful things to fill it. I’m going to be writing a series of posts dedicated to my ‘bottom drawer’ as my nan likes to call it :) showing you all the weird and wonderful bits and bobs I pick up. These posts will be a bit higgledy piggledy and will feature anything from pots and pans to bed sheets. I hope you enjoy reading them and fingers crossed you find some niceties for your house too!

I’m sure you also remember my love for Not on the HighStreet – this website is a homebuyers idea of heaven. I nearly fell off my chair when I saw an email pop up in my inbox asking me if I’d like to review something, absolute perfect timing and from one of my favourite shops too.

Daniel and I have quite different tastes, where he’s quite contemporary and clean-cut I am most definitely not. I enjoy clutter and vintage randomness. Do you think we might have a bit of a problem?! Regardless, we sat down together and sifted (through thousands) of items available. We managed to narrow it down and surprisingly loved so many of the same things (phew). The winner was this beautiful toilet roll holder. Excited is not a word I would usually use for such a contraption but this excites me far too much to not share with you guys...

How amazing?  Each shoe last has been recovered from a disused mill in Herefordshire and have been reclaimed and polished by hand. If you're not familiar with what a shoe last is I shall briefly explain - shoemakers and cordwainers use these to manufacture and repair shoes and are shaped similarly to a human foot - whether it be simply for the repair of a heel or a custom made boot, they're a little bit clever! 
I absolutely love this idea, the finish of the solid wood is so warm and authentic and I actually cant wait to have it in my bathroom! If you fancied you could use it as a kitchen roll holder, but I've already found one I like for that :)

For only £35 you're getting something completely original (no two are the same) and every person I've shown it too has been lusting after it, but for now, it's going back in the bottom drawer to wait until we've found it's perfect home!

What do you think? Is this something you'd like in your bathroom? 
P.S. if you like the toilet roll, it's Andrex limited edition haha and I picked it up in Sainsbury's!

The Future Is Now

This is my time-traveling coat. For when I travel...through time. The clocks make me think of time, and thinking about time can be a tricky thing. I wonder if we can ever live in a world where generally speaking, people value time over money? I always thought that would be my kinda place. Britt sent me this quote the other day and it punched me in the face, so I thought I would punch all of you in the face, too. You’re welcome :)

“As a child, you are sent to nursery school. In nursery school, they say you are getting ready to go to kindergarten. And then first grade coming up and second grade and third grade. They say you are gradually climbing the ladder, making progress. And then in high school, they tell you you’re getting ready for college. And in college you’re getting ready to go out into the business world with your suit and diploma. And you go to your first sales meeting, and the say, ‘Now get out there and sell this stuff.’ They say you’ll be going on up the ladder in business if you sell it, and maybe you’ll get a promotion. And you sell it, and they up your quota. And then, finally at about the age of forty-five, you wake up one morning as vice president of the firm and you say to yourself, ‘I’ve arrived! But I’ve been cheated. Something is missing. I no longer have a future.’ ‘Wrong,’ says the insurance salesman. ‘I have a future for you. This policy will enable you to retire in comfort at sixty-five, and now you can look forward to that.’ And you’re delighted. You buy the policy, and at sixty-five you retire, thinking that this is surely the attainment, the goal of life. Except that now you have prostate trouble, false teeth, and wrinkled skin. And you’re a materialist. You’re a phantom. You’re an abstraction. You are nowhere because you were never told, and you never realized that eternity is now. There is no time.”

Vintage coat. Vintage dress. Thrifted beanie. Demonia creepers.

Until next time,

Chelsea

Why have an opinion? You're skinny!

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For many people I'm sure this wont be anything new..there are thousands of articles drifting around the internet about weight and people's opinions regarding it - this blog post isn't one I want adding to the list. However, my blog is my personal space to share my feelings and every now and then I indulge in a 'lifestyle' post, today is one of those days.

Yesterday I tweeted an article by the ever wonderful awful Samantha Brick talking about how she feels that in order to be self respected, successful and attractive you have to be thin. I was absolutely disgusted reading it and I'm quite sure that Samantha Brick isn't actually real at all, that this persona is made up and she's doing it all for the publicity (which doesn't make it right), but how can someone be that vile? Any way, that's another story entirely - what I actually want to write about is the fact that people think I can't have an opinion about this because 'I'm skinny', because obviously - my body makes my opinions redudant. Writing that makes my eyes water and my nose sting but more than anything I'm angry and want to talk about why that, isn't okay.

Firstly 'skinny' is the most horrible word. I am not skinny - but yes I am slim, I can consume a fair amount of food without gaining weight, but I am also human. My entire family are of a small build, so I suppose that makes me lucky right? No it doesn't. At primary school through to college I was bullied for being anorexic, bulimic (I wasn't) and 'disgustingly' thin. To say I wasn't 'in with the crowd' would be an understatement. I was what they called a late bloomer and I didn't start my period until I was 15, meaning that I didn't have anything to show in the chest department for my entire school life, my metabolism was also so high that I didn't have much joy in keeping any weight on me either, I was 6 stone until I was 17. Now to be ridiculed and alienated when you so desperately want to be different and cant is something incredibly hard to deal with. Please don't let your jaw drop to the floor and say 'how gross to be that tiny, eat some food.' I eat, I eat a lot and regularly.

Now I'm older I've 'shot' up to an A cup and managed to squeeze a tiny pair of hips out of my puberty (YAY) and many wouldn't believe how awfully self conscious I am of my body. I didn't take my bra off for my boyfriend for the first 6 months of our relationship (what a saint he is) and he's the only person in the world who has seen my boobs (that makes me feel so awkward to write down, eww). I struggle with my body image everyday and unless age slows my metabolism down that will continue. 

I don't want people to read this and think this is me attention seeking. I know that I am not the only girl out there that feels this way and I really do feel that it should be talked about more. Because I find it SO bizarre that this society believes it's okay to ask someone who is smaller why they are that way or tell them that because they are slim they can't have an opinion about weight. I mean I can't believe for a second that the majority of the public would go up to a bigger person and ask them why are they overweight, or query them if they had something to say about someone else who was overweight - it's just ridiculous!! 

All I want this post to say is that it shouldn't matter whether you are small, tall, big or slim - your opinions still matter and you are entitled to have feelings regardless of how much you weigh. Being 'skinny' doesn't mean that you are happy with the way you look or comfortable in your own skin. Remember some people, like me, struggle to put weight on - and others struggle to lose it, we're all in the same boat to a certain degree.

Don't ever think that because someone looks your idea of perfect that that is what they are or feel. I'm sure, that 9/10 they feel insecure just like you do. And what is perfect any way?

Fashion, Art, and Holly Fowler

Is fashion art? Is art fashion? Of course, debating the answers to these questions are ongoing conversations amongst the fashion realm. Which actually beg a much larger question, ‘Well…what the hell is art’? To which I always thought a perfectly sufficient answer was, ‘You know it when you see it’. Like love. When I discovered the work of fashion designer Holly Fowler I knew hands-down, no if’s, and’s or but’s about it, that this was art. And I think you’ll agree.

Holly is an English designer based in London who specializes in hand painted fashion. Her work is based on the idea that every garment is, in fact, a painting. She treats the silhouette as her canvas, and paints each print directly onto the clothing, to create a print that wraps around and moves and grooves with the wearer; essentially creating ‘wearable art’. Holly’s muse is ‘Princess Pamela’, a character based on her grandmother as a young woman. Pamela is a modern day princess who goes on adventures in each season’s collection. And we can definitely see the Princess’s influence in the latest collection of regal gowns and ‘off-duty’ pant suits painted with jewels, tassels, and sashes bearing intricate floral designs. Wearble art for the modern day Princess- tres romantique! Can’t wait to see what fairy tale Holly Fowler invites us to dive into next season.

All images via HollyFowler.com