Showstoppers.

I watched The Tourist a couple of nights ago. Great movie, perhaps somewhat predictable but the beautiful setting and brilliant acting saved it from descending quickly down the line of blockbusters churned out by Hollywood each year. I am mentioning this because during the whole movie I was taken aback by Angelina Jolie's stunning beauty. What I would give to have eyes as big as hers but in brutal honesty I think her make up artist must be amazingly talented! I've always considered smoky dark eyes to look a little too grunge for me to pull off (I like the natural look) but as Jolie shows us with a bit of talent and some decent make up smoky eyes can become showstoppers.

Powered by a little inspiration I found this video online which demostrates the make up in the Tourist. The transformation on the model is pretty surprising. Its not quite up there with the movie make up though!

Whilst we're on the subject of show stoppers I think these women below are some of the prettiest in show biz. Scarlett Johansson's lips look fantastic in bold colours. I have discovered that finding the right shade can be less than a doddle but once you've found it, you'll never be without it for nights out... I'm sttttiillll looking!


On occasions Kirsten Stewart's smoky dark eyes do make her appear to look too 'grunge' but I guess that's what she (or her stylist) goes for, however, the simple make up in this photograph below really shows off her more natural beauty.


Once again, Blake Lively is living proof that minimal eye make up and a bit of blusher is perfectly sufficient!


I remain a smidge jealous of this last one, Miss Watson; but as one of the highest paid actresses on the scene at the moment and only 21 years old she probably deserves a mention. I'm not fond of short hair to be honest with you but she does pull it off well. I still prefer the longer length.


I might just have to have a play with my old less minimal make up kit later on..

xoxo

A Small Space - Plenty of Potential

Now that I'm back once again in the UK I've been starting to think about moving into my new studio. I am quite excited about having a place of my own as its something I've always wanted to try. My new studio is a blank canvas so I relish the thought of creating and designing my own living space from scratch. I redecorated my room at home after leaving school 4 years ago and changed absolutely everything; wallpapering a wall, painting the others, re-carpeting, repainting the built in wardrobes and even changing the door knobs! Once everything was done I set about buying new furniture and textiles. I still love my room today, it still represents me and the memory of designing and creating it makes it all the more worth while. As of next week I almost get to do it all all over again!

One concern of mine has been relating to clutter. Obviously I will have limited space next year as my small patch incorporates bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and balcony into a relatively small area. Whilst I need to live in this space I want it to look fresh, homely and clean! My saviour in this so far lifelong battle against hoarding has been Ikea. They just know how important it is to have a clean and personal space to live and how difficult it can be if you don't have huge amounts of space. The video below is pretty cool. They create a walk in wardrobe as part of a normal sized bedroom!



In terms of my studio I have not been quite as extreme in the designing as Ikea has above. However, I have had some interesting ideas that both save space and will hopefully look good! When it is all done and I'm happily moved in I will take a couple of shots and post them. As a taster of my ideas - I have a bought a clothes rack similar to the photo below but in white with wooden hangers to organise and display my clothes for easy access in the mornings before uni.



The new academic year can not come fast enough!

yours truly, Damselfly

xoxo

Photos From The East (2)

As a second instalment of my posts following my trip to Beijing here are some photos form my trip to the Summer Palace. I think this is possibly my favourite area in Beijing, its even prettier than the Forbidden City and was only a couple of stops on the subway from our hotel. The Palace area is massive and you could spend over a day wandering around the paths in the forest and visiting the temples. It was a bit like a enchanted maze at times; that is until you hit the Kunming lake.

You can take paddle boats onto the lake which surrounds a mini island and provides a stunning view of the biggest building in the summer palace. Wiki tells me that the lake was man-made! The land was dug out and the excess soil was used to create the hill on which many of the temples are built. Once again many of the photos online are stunning but I'm going to show a couple of my own.




This is a photo taken on the edge of Kunming lake. Despite the heat unfortunately due to the heavy pollution in Beijing often the sky is this grey colour. On the couple of days the cloud had been blow aside the sky was a brilliant blue. You can see a couple of the paddle boats close to the horizon.




This man was a good laugh. His outfit was so eccentric we just had to ask if we could take a photo of him. I don't know if you can just see his feet but he was wearing wooden platforms! I have no idea how long it would take to grow a moustache that impressive! It reminds me a little of the Huns in Mulan :) Of course after we had a photo of him he wanted a photo of us too!



xoxo

Aldo's Collection A/W 11

I'm aware this is a little bit of an odd post for me. I like to post about everything and anything that takes my fancy but as much as I love buying new clothes and (above all) shoes I will never be an avid follower of fashion. I know what I like and I go with it. Aldo, however, remains a little exception to the rule. This little shop has a special place in my heart because the shoes are beautiful, not too excessively priced, and still remain the most comfortable shoes I will ever buy (bar Keds which are my ultimate casual footwear favourite). Aldo handbags are also beautiful and look so much more expensive than they really are!

I don't know if I'll ever get over my love for ankle boots. They're just the perfect length to make your legs look spindly slim and so easy to wear with everything. Currently I'm on the hunt for a replacement pair of black ones. I wore last year's pair so much that they started falling apart, my grandma decided to put them out of their misery and throw them out. I have to admit I was a little heartbroken. These Sandidge boots are pretty cool buuuut probably a little too high for that comfortable everyday swagger especially when I have to place Cornish hills into consideration!


I have a thing for red at the moment. Red handbags, red keds, red bikinis... so it is only right that I place a pair of red shoes on here also. I was torn between the patent red Capecoral and these Sorgatz.


Finally for good measure I have to include these beauties...


There are two types of bags I love to use, the shoulder bags and the fairly recently popular handheld style that looks a little more briefcase/'I'm-a-working-woman-who-balances-sexy-and-practical' look. The Klingner bag is a hybrid of the two annnnd its red!


As with ankle boots I have a guilty pleasure in faux fur...

Pursel


Opdyke

xoxo

Tinkering Away on those Blacks and Whites

During the summer I am trying my best to get back up to speed on my piano. I have learnt 'I Giorni'; a piece I posted for your listening pleasure back here and a little prelude I learnt years ago whilst I was doing grades. Today I have begun to teach myself Fur Elise as it appears to be a piece everybody who can play anything on the piano can play. Maybe sometime soon I'll be brave enough to start writing my own music again.

Whilst we're on a theme, when you next have time you should check this guy out. His name is Yiruma, hes from South Korea and he is pretty dapper when it comes to playing the keys and composing music. My current favourite is a piece named 'River Flows in You' but he has composed many many more pieces.



xoxo

Photos from the East (1)

Good news! I finally have a replacement charger for my little camera. Which meeaaanns I can show you some photographs of my trip to Beijing. Enclosed are some photos from our trip to the forbidden city which was home to the Emperor from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. The Emperor and all his family used to live in the city which was very well protected and beautifully built. It stands at the very center of Beijing which now has many many more modern buildings.

You can 'google' images of some of the buildings and see it for yourself but I want to show you a couple of little things you're unlikely to find on any search engine.



The details and colours on the buildings are just fantastic.


A Chinese Dragon... I think it looks a little bit like a dog or a lion. I don't know whether it is playing with the baby or squishing it, I wish I'd had the sense to ask one of my friends out there..


According to tradition if two people approach this tree together their souls will be together for eternity, even in the afterlife. Quite a scary prospect!


I have no story to tell regarding this little statue but I do happen to think its rather pretty.

xoxo

Michael, Isabel and Tommy have been busy...

Hey you! Remember me?

Its been such a long time since I last blogged I'm not surprised if I've been forgotten amongst the hundreds of bloggers that slowly lose interest. I can assure you I have not forgotten Damselfly, I am still here, squirrelling away ideas for future posts and looking for inspiration where ever it might surface.

As you might have gathered from my last post all those weeks ago, I have been out of the country. I knew facebook was blocked in China but blogger... who knew!? It seems a shame because Tumblr wasn't blocked, I was so desperate to post I even considered starting up a Tumblr account. Instead I stand today still a loyal follower of blogger. Unfortunately it appears I've left my camera charger in my hotel room in Beijing. I have ordered a new one buuutt it still hasn't arrived so I am unable to post photographs!

As it happens my new copy of Elle arrived in the post this morning and I spent a precious hour just flicking through the photographs and advertisements (I love love love the september issue!). I am not ashamed to admit that when it comes to fashion and make up I am such a sucker for adverts in glossy magazines and this September's edition has some beauties. So many designers have come up with delightful styles for the new season from Isabel Marant (a personal long term favorite) to Hunter. Below are a few new campaigns that have really caught my eye this month.

First off I was really struck my the make up in Estee Lauder's new campaign. I'm going to be brutally honest and admit that I've never really take a huge interest in make up advertisements. Every morning its moisturiser, bronzer, eyelashes curled, mascara and carmex on the lips. Occasionally I will add eyeliner or a bit of lipstick but I'm generally too lazy to do anything other than the bare minimum. Estee Lauder has made me want to make more of an effort. I want to achieve those smoky eyes and perhaps invest in some darker/deeper lipstick colours.




On to perfume and I wish I could pull off this tanned! So jealous of Hayden Panettiere right now!


Whilst I'm not sure I could sport a bright green outfit such as these below I really like Mulberry's new campaign. This image reminds me of little pixies in a giant magical forest.


Tommy Hilfiger always gives you so much to look at! I love how they incorporate all ages into their more recent photos in celebration of generational fashion and the contemporary family.



Michael Kors makes me want to fly over the channel and ride a moped in a bustling city street.


... and even Topshop has something to offer this september. I would be very happy with that dress on the right!


Hope you haven't missed my little rants too much ;) Its been a pleasure to finally post again!


speak soon!

xoxo

Please Can I Sleep Here Tonight?

I found this photograph a couple of days ago and thought it was real, I immediately set about trying to find the actual hotel so I could discover where it was and find out how many '0's would need to be on my payslip one day to ever justify a night spent beneath the waves. To my great disappointment it is only a digitalised image of future plans for underwater rooms. Underwater hotels are not common place as of yet but with great excitement I can announce that there are currently a couple under construction! There are plans for hotels all over the world, the first of which include Poseidon Resorts in Fiji, Hydropolis in Dubai and a further underwater hotel yet to be named in Istanbul.

Unfortunately even the websites reveal very little! I wait with eager anticipation to see actual photographs. Who knows maybe some day I'll get to experience one myself.

A unique dining experience:


This slide is pretty cool too though maybe a little too claustrophobic for some.



That's all for now...

xoxo

The Ultimate Outfit for Packing Light

Dear Damselfly,

I'm sorry I have been neglecting you recently. I have had my mind on many things and forgotten the enjoyment I get from posting. Today I am stuck in bed with a cold so I am going to write post after post to keep you entertained for the next week whilst I work. On Saturday I will be flying to Beijing for a couple of weeks, providing I can use blogger over there I'm sure I will have many exciting things to tell you but for now lets stick to the everyday things. Damselfly travel edition starts in just over a week. I'm so excited!

I am home now and left all my stuff back with family in Cornwall. The suitcase I had to pack for 2 months is ridiculously small I dearly hope I can be creative with my outfits! Thankfully its apparently boiling in china during June and July so I won't be packing many jumpers or coats. Currently, I am in love with casual effortless and classic short shorts.


I think the best thing about these beauties is you needn't buy any! I have had such drama in the past buying short shorts only to find that when the denim gives they become to baggy round the waste and never look as good as they did in the changing room. Instead this morning I found an old pair of jeans that I know fit me and chopped off the legs. You get to pick the perfect length and do anything you wish to them. I have ripped the edges and I'm thinking of using a bit of bleach. For high wasted jeans wear with a good quality leather belt and a tucked in loose fitting tee add some embellished sandals or wedges and you're good to go.


Fed up with denim? These rose ditsy floral print pleated shorts (what a mouthful!) from topshop are cute and perfect for those girly days. I'm always a little worried about wearing floaty skirts because often its so windy at uni you cannot leave your flat without having to hold your skirt down, the issue is very much reduced when you're wearing shorts instead!



White can be a pain in the neck to keep perfect but I love love love it when paired with sun kissed skin.



Miso belted white shorts with this Harleyford belt from Mr Wills :)

speak soon!

xoxo

Winnie the Poo Stands Outside my Window

Just thought I'd share this with you. Who wouldn't want a big blue bear staring into their office each day?

I'm moving out of halls in the next couple of days. My walls and desk are bare and last night I went out for the last time as a fresher. Its been such an amazing year I wish time didn't speed along so fast!

xoxo