DIY: Dip Dye Denim

What you will need:

• Denim Jacket
• Household Bleach (either thin or thick)
• Fabric dye in any colour of your choice
• 250g of table salt
• Rubber gloves
• Bucket or stainless steel sink
• Studs (optional)

This is my first ever DIY post on this blog even though I am guilty of indulging in a bit of clothes DIY from time-to-time. I'm by no means an expert with customising clothes as I have certainly had some disasters in the past! The best way is just to experiment on old clothes and you never know, you could come up with something wonderful! A few weeks ago I picked up a vintage, denim Levi's jacket for £1, however as you can see from above it was pretty plain and rather boring. As it was only £1 I decided to try and jazz it up a little. I picked up the dye from my university art shop, but I know you can find a range of colours on eBay here and they're less than £3!



The first step in to fill your bathroom sink/bucket with 1 part bleach, 2 parts water. Remember to wear your rubber gloves and old clothes! I know this is rather obvious but I don't want to feel guilty if you ruin your loveliest frocks! I chose to dilute the bleach with water rather than using it on it's own, because I didn't want it burning through the fabric and weakening it. I opted for a dip-dye effect with my jacket, so I first submerged the top of it into the water for around 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, lower the denim into the water so that 2/3's of it are submerged - this will create a gradual faded effect so the bottom will be darker. If you wanted your denim to be one solid colour all over then simply just submerge the whole garment into the diluted bleach.



I left my denim to soak for around an hour. You will slowly see you denim lighten beneath the water anyway, so it's best to keep checking every 5 minutes or so. When your denim seems to have lifted to a light enough colour, remove it from the diluted bleach and rinse it thoroughly to remove all the bleach. I hand-rinsed it quickly before letting my washing machine do the rest of the work by putting it on "Rinse" mode.



You should end up with something similar to the photo above, which is starting to look pretty impressive already! Next comes the dying process, which is explained clearly on the back of the packet, but I shall talk you through it anyway. Mix the powder dye with 500ml of warm water either in a bucket or stainless steel sink. Stir it until it has completely dissolved. Then add approximately 6 litres of warm water to the mixture, followed by 250g of ordinary table salt and stir.



Completely submerge the denim into the mixture and stir frequently for 15 minutes. Leave for another 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. After an hour rinse the denim in cold water until the water runs clear, then wash (on it's own!) on a warm wash (40 degrees). Your denim should now look something like this:



Pretty trippy, huh?! You could just stop at this point if you wanted, but I decided to add a few studs onto the collar that I had left over from a previous DIY. You can pick up studs like these from eBay pretty cheaply.




I had to stop at 6 studs on each collar because it's so much effort studding denim with your hands. A studding machine would have been a godsend at this point! I'm really happy with the outcome of this jacket and it cost no more than a fiver to make! With a bit of manual labour and a free afternoon you can save yourself the ridiculous price tag that a lot of websites (such as this one) seem to be charging at the moment for DIY one-off denims.

I hope you've enjoyed my first DIY post, I'm hoping there'll be plenty more to come in the future! I'm already looking forward to wearing my new and improved jacket... I just wish it would hurry up and dry already!

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OOTD: Birthday Dress

Coat: Topshop, Hat: Warehouse, Dress: c/o Dahlia, Bag: Vintage via eBay

After one of the longest weeks of my entire life I'm back. As you may have read in my last post I had around 4 months worth of work due in last week so I was frantically working day and night to improve my portfolio. I'm not entirely happy with what I handed in, but it's too late to fret now. I've promised myself to commit a little bit more to my illustration work this semester, so we'll see how that goes. It was also my 21st birthday on Friday (also my hand-in date - BEST BIRTHDAY EVER?!), so going to university in the morning I had a rather civilized 21st with a meal at Nando's and a shopping spree with my boyfriend. He also bought me a nice, new little compact digital camera as my old one has an annoying scratch on the lens and doesn't ever seem to focus properly. I'm celebrating my birthday throughout next week with friends and family, simply because I did not have the energy to celebrate on Friday. Saying this though, I'm am currently in a state of post-hangover after crawling out of bed at 3pm because I could not move my heavy head from the pillow. I went out for another friend's birthday last night and made the horrid mistake of mixing spirits with beer. When will I ever learn?!




This outfit is actually what I wore on the day of my birthday. It was courtesy of Dahlia & Tantrum Magazine. Before last week I'd never owned a Dahlia dress, but there's now currently three sitting in my wardrobe! I couldn't help myself! I'm sure you'll see the other two pop up on this blog at some point. I actually wore one of them out last night and it drew so many compliments! As you can see my above, their packaging is absolutely adorable! I love it when a company make an extra bit of effort in their packaging, it really makes all the difference & leaves a long-lasting good impression. Also, it arrived ever so quickly! It literally turned up on my doorstep the morning after it was dispatched. If you haven't already, I highly suggest you check out Dahlia's range of cute prints and feminine cuts here. I'm already itching to see their SS'12 collection!

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OOTD: New Creepers

Shirt: Vintage, Beatnik Emporium, £10, Dress: Blonde & Blonde, £20, Creepers: Underground, £90

Sadly, the creepers I got for Christmas from my boyfriend were way too big for me, so I've been waiting and waiting on an exchange. This morning they finally arrived! They're still strangely a little big (size 4), but I think that's just because Underground creepers were originally designed for men. I specifically asked for the Camaro 2" sole, as the chunkier the better in my opinion! I know creepers are a love/hate thing, but I for one absolutely adore them (especially when teamed with a big, faux fur coat!). I've teamed them today with this pretty black floral dress, which I bought from where I used to work and I've thrown this vintage lumberjack shirt over the top to dress it down a little. Although there's a bit of a print clash, I think the feminine and masculine prints compliment each other nicely.

All my deadlines are at the end of this week, so I may not be able to post again for while because as per usual I leave everything until the last minute. I find I'm someone that works a little better under pressure (who am I kidding?). Because of this I'm not entirely sure if I'll be posting again until the end of the week after my 21st birthday (eeeeeee!). So I apologise for that in advance!

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Louis Vuitton SS12 Inspired Make-Up

MaxFactor Pan Stick (Fair), No. 7 Stay Perfect Foundation in Alabaster, MaxFactor Creme Puff (Translucent), eBay Eyelashes, Bourjois Pink Blush (not sure which colour as it's rubbed away), MUA Heaven & Earth Palette (top left shade)

As another form of procrastination considering I have so much work to do, I decided to experiment with a new make-up look today that is a little more natural. I've been using the signature cat eye flick eyeliner daily since I was around 15 years old. I rarely go a day without it, as I feel my eyes just look naked otherwise. I've always been captured by the make-up used in the Louis Vuitton SS'12 show (example here. It's so beautiful, fresh and feminine! Unfortunately, my attempts are nowhere near, but I mus admit it's nice to not wear the eyeliner for a change! Hopefully, as it comes into the spring season practice will make perfect so I can eventually master this look.

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January Wishlist

It's my birthday a week today and I honestly have no idea what to ask for, everything I do happen to want is ridiculously expensive (hence the reason why I don't have it) and nothing else is taking my fancy. As it's my 21st I feel like I should ask for something special like a piece of jewellery maybe, but I cannot find anything I actually want. Evil Twin are pretty much snaking their way up the ladder next to AllSaints in becoming my favourite brand. The cut-out, brown snakeskin dress by them absolutely belongs in my wardrobe! I want to invest in a cut-out dress because I'm hoping to get my ribcage tattooed soon, so this would also be a lovely way to show that off. I'm struggling to part with the £110 to pay for it though, as it is rather a lot of money on a student budget for one dress.

My gold Doc Martens are lonely and are in need of companionship, but I'm torn between the cherry red velvet ones and the matte black. The velvet ones are absolutely beautiful, but the black ones are far more practical (especially compared to my gold ones), or maybe I should just eventually get both pairs?! I have been wanting and wanting a Burberry trench literally since I was at the start of secondary school. I cam across this leather-sleeved one under their Burberry London range and I am completely besotted with it. It's maybe to practical in the long term compared the classic camel trench but oh boy, is it beautiful!

I put down a Mulberry Alexa satchel and an Alexander Wang Diego bag simply because I'm greedy! I was hoping to buy a DSLR with my bursary this month, but unfortunately due to unforseen circumstances I have to move out next year and I have to put down a pretty hefty deposit on a house for next year, which would have been my money for my new camera, so for now it remains on my wishlist.

I know everyone and their mother, but me has these studded shoes and I do love them. They could almost be mistaken for a Christopher Kane design only if everyone didn't know about them already! I absolutely fell in love with this cuff when I saw it on Vicky's blog. It's ever so striking and such a reasonable price. I'm hoping this one turns up on my birthday ;)

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OOTD: Double Denim

Denim shirt: Topshop, Levi's Cut-Off Shorts: Uncle Sam's Vintage Store, Bristol, Headscarf: Vintage, Camden

Whoever invented the rule double denim should never be worn must be mad! I absolutely love mixing up different colours and types of denim - it has a lovely 90's feel about it when worn with a pair of chunky DM's or creepers. This denim shirt was a sale purchase from in the summer last year and was only around £10. In my opinion, one can never have too many denim shirts! I currently own around 3 or 4, but it still doesn't seem enough. The same goes for denim shorts. Oh, actually for denim in general!

Today, I plan to finally finish my essay that I have put off for the past 4 months as it's due in a week today and then start on my studio work, which is also due for assessment next week. I never, ever learn and always leave everything to last minute no matter what! I can't seem to help it, I just don't have the motivation anymore, sadly. Sadly, my creativity seems to have disappeared down a deep hole somewhere and I'm failing to find it. On a lighter note however my Evil Twin dress arrived yesterday and another new dress courtesy of Dahlia turned up on my doorstep today and they're both absolutely beautiful! I can't wait to share them with you!

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OOTD: Leather & Lace

Bolero: Vintage via eBay, Blouse: Vintage via Charity Shop, Leather Shorts: Topshop

Just a quick little outfit post of what I wore today, although I must admit I ditched the bolero in favour of my burgundy blazer as it went with the brown shorts a little better. The 80's bolero was bought from eBay for only 99p. Absolute bargain! The swooping fringe/Myhairwenthorriblywrongtoday is a little bit Ellie Goulding inspired, although I'm not a fan of it. I didn't really have the time to do much with my hair this morning unfortunately.

This blouse was only £3 from a charity shop in Winchester (as always!) and I just couldn't leave it behind. The lace detailing is so beautiful and dainty. It even has lace cuffs on the sleeves! It reminds me of what the Amish communities wear (yes, I watch too much TV!), so I dressed it down with a bit of leather. I wanted these shorts forever, but eventually they went into the sale and I managed to get them for £9! Technically this entire outfit (minus the tights) cost me £11! That's student spending right there!

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The Best Chelsea Boots So Far

Detail Black Chelsea Boot, £15, Primark

I've struggled to find a Chelsea boot on the high street that I actually like or feel is worth the money. A few weeks ago with I purchased the £36 Topshop Chelsea Boots without even thinking as there was only a couple of pairs left, but after much contemplation I returned them. They don't have much of a sole on them at all, and I was planning to get a lot of daily wear from them and it was obvious they would wear through in no time. Topshop sell another pair, which look a little better but they're almost double the price and I wasn't willing to pay so much for them. I had been searching through charity and vintage shops high and low for a better quality pair at a lower price, but never had much luck at all.

It seemed like a lost cause and I was chasing a pair of boots I was never going to find. However, it always seems whenever you stop looking you seem to stumble across what you were looking for in the first place. This was the case for me. I don't really shop at Primark anymore other than for the essential pyjamas and black tights, but I usually cut through there on my way back from uni because it's quicker. On passing through, I spotted these lovely black, scallop-detailled Chelsea boots WITH A SOLE! I know a lot of people are skeptical about Primark's quality but I had an £8 pair of brogues from there, which I wore almost on a daily basis to work and they lasted me well over a year. I think I threw them out even though they were still in usable condition, so my opinion on Primark shoes are somewhat heightened. They look so much more expensive the Topshop version, and they're under half the price! The scallop detail, which reflects that of a brogue makes them an little more individual compared to the other Chelsea boots around at the moment. Also, I've found a problem with alot of Chelsea boots being too rounded at the toe making them look like a little too much orthopedic shoes for my liking! I grabbed them instantly as I have a feeling they're going to be a sell-out. Also, if you're planning to buy these I'd advise to go a size down from your usual as they come up a little big.

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SS12 Acid Brights

I'm not one for the upcoming SS12 pastel palette trend. The candy colours are far too sickly and girly to suit me, and pastels just wash me out completely because I have such pale skin. I've decided to work the spring/summer palette in a different way and a little louder than the muted, ice cream coloured pastels. I've always been drawn to psychedelia and acid-infused design and it's reflected pretty strongly in my illustration work, so now I've decided to branch out and bring it into my wardrobe! Think swirling 70's inspired psychedelia, mixed with the colours of a mermaid's hair, blended with 90's rave and a unicorn thrown in just for fun! Just be careful to avoid looking like a 15 year-old "nu-rave" kid that has discovered Hadouken! for the first time. This is a bold move for a girl who usually sticks to black or burgundy.

Luckily, the high street is bursting with 90's rave inspired neons and tie dyes, although pastels still seem to be dominating. I've composed a few of my favourite picks that I've seen whilst browsing above. I tried on the Topshop ombre jumper and I am absolutely in love with it, but I think £42 is a little too much money for something I could chance across in a charity shop. I am very tempted to go back and get it though, I must admit! The pink lace dress wouldn't particularly suit me as I don't work well in bodycon, but the colour is absolutely amazing and as close to looking like a beautiful mermaid as you can get!

I'm definitely going to pick up the bright orange beanie as I think it'll look amazing with an all black outfit and for £12 you really can't go wrong! The bubblegum pink creepers are absolutely to die for and if I could convince myself that it's worth owning two pairs of creepers I would definitely have them as a summer alternative to my black pair.

If you're not brave enough to go all out in these head-turning and ever-so-slightly blinding colours but want to take a part in the trend keep it subtle with neon nails by Model's Own. Model's Own have an amazing selection of bright and beautiful colours and I've found stay chip-free for ages. 19398239832043040 x better than Barry M! The Neon Trio featured above is available at ASOS for a special price of £12 instead of £15. I can't wait to start introducing some colour into my wardrobe, finally! I bought a vintage Levis denim jacket for £1 today, so I'm planning to dye it bright pink and punch some studs into it to kickstart my SS12 wardrobe!



Gifs taken from Tumblr, predictably.

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A Look Into My Janaury Sales Shopping Bags

L-R: Fox toy, Tangle Teezer, Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Finishing Cream, Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Foundation

If you read my previous blog post you would have learned that yesterday I went on an epic shopping spree as soon as my loan was delivered into my bank account. I hadn't been sales shopping at all, so I was making up for lost time! As you may have guessed from my blog title I have a certain love for foxes and collect everything I see with a fox on, hence the reason I picked up this little guy (only £1.99). I'm a sucker for a soft toy, so I just couldn't help myself. He's adorable! I picked up this Tangle Teezer from Boots, as I'd heard good reviews on it. I must admit, after using it only twice since I've bought it, it's an absolute must-have for anyone with long hair! I don't brush my hair that frequently because it's naturally wavy and tousled, so when I do it's an absolute nightmare. However, after using this on my wet hair this morning it was absolutely pain-free and didn't pull out half as much hair as my normal hairbrush usually does. I highly recommend this if you have shoulder length or beyond hair and it's only £10, which is the price of a normal decent hairbrush. I use all of the other products from the Tousle Me Softly range including the shampoo, conditioner and intensive conditioner, because I have naturally wavy hair. I'm hoping this will define the waves a little more rather than the bird's nest I currently sport on the top of my head.

Estee Lauder's Double Wear Maximum Foundation has been on my mind for a while. I suffer from monthly outbreaks around my chin area and it really depresses me, because I feel like I shouldn't be getting spots at the age of 21. I never had spots as a teenager though, so I suppose it's caught up on me. The woman at the counter was dubious about selling this to me (needless to say I was having a good skin day), because it is like stage make-up and is designed to camouflage scars and tattoos. I don't intend to use it on an everyday basis, nor all over my face, but to simply use it areas which are spot-prone. It's pretty pricey also, which will stop me using it all at once!


Pink Brogue Boots: Office, £16

These boots were an absolute bargain in the Office sale reduced from £88 to just £16. I tried them on without even looking at the size because I loved them so much and my feet did fit into them. They're actually a size 3! However, they're a little narrow but they're real leather so they'll soften up and stretch in no time once I've worn them around the flat a bit.




Oversized Leather Clutch: Urban Outfitters, £7.50, Jewellery: Topshop, £2.50 each, Crucifix Beaded Skirt: Topshop, £36

This clutch bag is absolutely massive and was in the sale for only £10 at Urban Outfitters, but my staff discount brought it down a little cheaper too. I'm contemplating using it as a wash bag because it's the perfect size. However, I'm always stuck in a rut on a night out because I never have a bag big enough to carry one of my lomography cameras with me. Now I do! As it's plain black it'll go with almost anything too! The Topshop jewellery was just too cheap to pass up. The skirt I have been lusting after forever and it was on my Christmas list. However, it seemed to have sold out everywhere and only size 16's were left on the rail of my local Topshop. I had completely given up hope, until I was browsing through the Debenham's concession yesterday and low and behold there on the "Last Chance To Buy" rail was my perfect skirt in a size 8! I snapped it up instantly for fear of losing it again.






Metallic Oversize Dress: Zara, £15.99, Pink Foil Top: River Island, £15, Gold Foil Skater Dress: Topshop, £18, Snake Print Tie Blouse: New Look, £5, Batwing Chiffon Tribal Top: New Look, £19.99

As you can see I have a bit of a metallic theme running through my purchases. I love how a little bit of metallic can add to a dark outfit, it gives it a slightly 80's edge. Plus, it's a nice way of dressing up a day time outfit. This oversized bronze and silver dress from Zara is absolutely amazing when it's on. I'm considering saving it to wear for my birthday because I love how it swamps the figure. I can't wait to wear it with my black trilby. Topshop actually have almost exactly the same top in their store as this pink one but for double the price. I'd been contemplating the Topshop version but £30 seemed like a little too much money so I was over-the-moon when I saw River Island had their own version in the sale. This top is actually a size 16, but it's rather small for a size 16 and I tend to wear everything oversized. It has a beautiful mermaid look and feel to it! The gold foil dress isn't something I'd usually pick but it surprised me how nice it looked when it was actually on. I think I'll pair it with a thick knit cardy to dress it down at some point.

I've never bought anything with snakeskin print before. It's always been a little too "daring" for me compared to leopard print. However, I've agreed to a wardrobe makeover this year to try and reflect Mary-Kate Olsen, as I admire her style over anyone else. This means lots of layering and textures, so I'm introducing a little monochrome snakeskin. This second chiffon top is also from New Look and was still full-priced. I love the fiery colours and if anything has a Florence-esque batwing, I'm there! I was actually thinking of the upcoming festival season when I bought this, even though there is no Glastonbury this year. On a day-to-day basis, it should look divine with some leather trousers!




Aztec Wool Cape: New Look, £12, Paisley Flock, Fringed Cape: Minkpink @ Urban Outfitters, £30, Black Riding Pants: Urban Outfitters, £20

This Aztec Cape was reduced in the sale from £40 to just £12, which I was so excited about because I wanted it whilst it was full priced. It's so thick and warm, but a little on the big side which actually makes it cozier. Once again, I bought this with festival season in mind when sitting round the campfire. I'm an eager beaver as festival season is 6 months away, afterall! This paisley cape by Austrailian label Minkpink had been staring at me at work for a while now, but I could not splash out the original price £85, even with my discount on top. However, it went into the sale last week for only £40 and I used my employee discount on top of that which brought it down to £30. It's such a beautiful one-off item and channels Mary-Kate so well! I love how my arms are so pale in these photographs they blend into the white wall behind me. Finally, after all this time the American Apparel riding pants have gained a cheaper competitor. The American Apparel riding pants retail at £60, which is frankly ridiculous for what are in fact just a pair of thick, high-waisted leggings. Urban Outfitters have introduced their own almost-identical version for just £32. They're quite hard to photograph without them looking just like plain black leggings, but they have the shiny surface that the AA ones do and they're thick enough to work as trousers without that trashy too short t-shirt with leggings look. My employee discount brought them down to just under £20 too, which is only a third of the price of the AA ones!



I also bought the dress by Evil Twin last night from ASOS. More crucifixes, I know! I just can't help myself. Goff, forever! Evil Twin, another Austrailian based label, are another one of my favourite designers to date. You can view their complete collection here. I'm excited for it to arrive now, but ASOS orders always take forever!

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OOTD: Mermaid Motel

Trilby: £5, Warehouse, Cardigan: £50, Urban Outfitters, Crucifix Vest: Topshop, £22, Faux Leather Leggings: £15, New Look (had them around 4 years now)

So, my original intention today was to go to the library to continue with my ever exciting marketing essay. However, after hearing a few whispers here and there about student loans arriving into people's bank accounts a few days early, I decided to check mine (after a serious turnover of the flat looking for my secure debit card reader!). Hallelujah, my bank balance is looking reasonably healthy once again! The only way I saw fit to celebrate was to hit the shops and boy, did I go all out! To be fair, I haven't sales shopped at all over the past few weeks because I haven't had the money too, so it was long overdue! I even spent a whopping £26.50 on Estee Lauder's Double Wear Maximum Foundation, which still makes me wince a little. I'm hoping it lives up to the hype, because I have never spent so much on one item of make-up before #tomboy

I'm wearing my ever-loved Urban Outfitters cardigan along with a woven vest I picked up from Topshop last week with one of the giftcards I received for Christmas. I do love anything with a crucifix I must admit, and I love the way this vest is thickly woven. I've had these leggings since I was around 17 when the horrid wet look PVC legging trend went around that I must admit I was a part of *cringe*. However, these leggings have gradually become more distressed and patchy over the years and it looks intentional. People are constantly asking me where I bought them from, now they're looking more vintage leather than fetish PVC.




Last week, my boyfriend bought me these gorgeous brown suede and sheepskin military boots from AllSaints. I've wanted the sheepskin Sarena Doc Marten boots for a while now, but I prefer these ones so much more. Also, I'm hoping to get the burgundy Doc Marten's and I really should keep my DM collection limited! I've never, ever been a fan of Ugg's or other sheepskin boots - I don't understand the fad around them at all, because frankly I think they're just plain ugly and instantly make an outfit look trashy. At my last job I had to sell Ugg boots, so I know how awful and not worth the money they actually are (not that I'd tell customers that). However, despite my hatred for Uggs and the cheap rip-offs, I have always been envious of how comfortable the girls that wear them must be with the soft sheepskin lining when I'm tottering around in narrow, pointy boots. These AllSaints sheepskin beauties are my answer to Uggs.

5

'Hansel & Gretel'

All images copyright to Toni Caroline

Yesterday I helped out the lovely Toni and modelled for one of her 'fairytale' themed photoshoots. This one was based on the tale of 'Hansel & Gretel' by the Brothers Grimm. I was 'Gretel' and I must say acting the role a fat, greedy German child surrounded by sweets came all but natural to me! I love the way the bright candy colours pop against the dark, drizzly forest - there really is a fairytale/fantasy feel about these photos that work so well. My make-up was done by the ever-so talented make-up artist, Amy Rees, who has worked on my face a few times in the past now. Oh, how I wish it was 'socially acceptable' to match the colour of my eyebrows to my outfit everyday!

I just wanted to share some of my favourite photos with you because the shoot was so much fun! I literally could not stop laughing throughout the entire time we were shooting. I mean how often do you get to hit shove a swiss roll in someone's face and eat sweets hanging from trees?

See the rest of the photos on Toni's blog here.

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