The Swelle Life

Clever Bridal Styling Saves the Day

A friend's sister is getting married and she came to me with a dilemma that is a nightmare scenario for a bride-to-be. No, she didn't find out that her betrothed has been leading a secret, unsavoury life; rather she no longer likes the dress she bought last year, and that may be the worst of the two evils in a bride's mind! Achieving the *gasp* moment when appearing at the back of the aisle is the goal of many for the wedding day, and anything short of looking stunning will not do. (I was afraid of having my makeup done badly - the most talented makeup artists cannot make sense of my eyes for some reason - so I did my makeup myself. And wound up applying too much 'dewy look' product on my cheeks and appearing in photos as if I'd been shellacked.)

Back to the dress. I asked a few questions and found out that, luckily, she didn't find the dress particularly awful, she just found it 'blah' now, which was probably a result of being overwhelmed by choices and so going with something on the plain side. She was afraid of her look falling flat and passing down the aisle practically invisible. The first thing to do to put her frantic mind at ease was to give her options. First, she could buy a new dress. That's not feasible for most; however, you can get custom made wedding dresses in less than two weeks from JJ's House at wholesale cost, so there are actually reasonable replacement options available. And there are lots of things you can do with styling, embellishments, and accessories to give impact to a dress and salvage your original purchase. 

If you're looking at having the dress embellished, get quotes from as many local seamstresses as possible. Our bride opted in the end to have a bow added to the bodice of her dress, but the shop that sold her the dress was going to charge £400 to do it! So I recommended she find an independent seamstress with experience with wedding gowns who would be happy to do it and not take advantage of her situation. She did, and paid a fifth of the original quote. 

Next is styling. I found these bridal looks which show how an unlikely bridal colour, soft grey, can add a subtle pop to the look while maintaing the exquisiteness of the dress. A lace jacket will instantly beautify a plain bodice, while a belt creates a modern look:

And then there's your head to consider. She had been a bit non-commital about what to do when she bought her dress, not too keen on anything elaborate, but also not wanting to do something underwhelming. But since it's not a good look to go all-out on every aspect - meringue! - the best way is to go subtle with nearly everything and pick one thing to pop.  The editorial below, shot by Tim Walker, illustrates how an unusual tulle headpiece can be both lovely and dramatic, and with the right hair and makeup, balanced with the right dress (no, it doesn't have to be as grand and Vogue-worthy as this one!), can create a fashion forward bridal look. No jewellery needed. 

Our bride-to-be will be just fine. She's a lovely English rose of a girl with a great, beaming smile, and that in itself will make her a beautiful bride. 

Glasgow: On the Train Through Northumberland

Last weekend I went to Glasgow. This post really has nothing to do with Glasgow except for the fact that this is what I saw out the train window on the way! But I have too many photos of Glasgow to post at once, so we'll start the tour here. Northumberland, the county that borders Scotland in the east, is absolutely stunning country - you can see other trips to various sites here - and is the reason that when people invariably say to me, on a weekly basis for the past nearly 8 years, "Canada is beautiful, what are you doing here?" I reply, "Have you SEEN your country?!" Yes, Canada is beautiful, but it's massive and therefore not beautiful everywhere. And the UK pretty much is, you're never very far from breathtaking scenery. One of the first observations my husband made when we took our first trip through Northumberland when we moved here, is how all of the land is used for something, and so you don't have the wastelands you see in North America. All of this land has been owned for hundreds of years by someone, taken care of and given purpose, and it's easy to see why it inspired so many landscape painters over the centuries. You can be so tired your eyes are burning in their sockets but it's almost impossible to look away when travelling through areas like this. And if you like sheep, you'll get your fill and then some. Somehow none of my pictures have any. But I swear they are everywhere up here. Really.

The rapeseed fields (worst name ever!) create wonderful, bright yellow, massive colourblocks on the landscape. 

Pretty painted houses dot the coast of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the last town in England before you cross into Scotland. 

We saw rainbows along the way for about 20 minutes, and when I exclaimed, dumbfounded, that we kept seeing them I was made fun of for not understanding how rainbows work. I have now reminded myself by reading about it (it's been a long time since grade 7 science class!). I still think it's a little bit of magic happening there. 

More to come on actual Glasgow...

Photos © The Swelle Life

Tips for Shopping Flash Sale Sites

Unlike this online shopper, I don't need to pull out my debit card - I have it memorised!

Surely you've noticed the flash sales sites that are popping up everywhere, those online shops that promote sales to their members for just a few days at a time, and then *flash* - they're gone. I do the vast majority of my shopping online and a fair bit comes from a favourite or two private sale sites that I can rely on for legitimate discounts on quality brands, followed up with great customer service. That's all we ask for, right? Unfortunately not all flash sales sites deliver on these must-haves which can mean a disappointing shopping experience, wasted time and possibly even money. So I've put together a list of tips that will help you get the most value out of flash sales sites and determine whether your card is best left in your bag. (Please keep in mind that my experience is based on shopping with UK sites!)

Before I get into that, discount shopping can also benefit from voucher codes sites which offer limited time offers for online shops. One I like is My Favourite Voucher Codes because it gives 20% of profits to charity (users can vote each month for the recipient charity and the amount of the previous month's donation is reported on the homepage). It represents 2,400 merchants offering 4,000+ voucher codes - updated regularly, that's important! - in a broad range of categories. They also have a handy voucher code app that works in your browser and lets the voucher codes and deals find you. 

Ok. Let's start with the scenario that you've found a flash sale item you want to buy:

1. Do you know the brand? If you're not familiar with the brand, do a search. Look to see if they have an online presence, particularly their own company website or a reputable retail site(s) that stocks them, so you can get a sense of who they are and what they are about. If they are an established brand, they should appear within the first few search results, or at least on the first page. Newer brands may still be building their web presence, but they should still exist online. It's important to do your research because you need to be able to separate the rubbish from the treasures - and it literally takes just seconds to determine if this is a worthwhile brand.

2. Is it really a deal? Get a sense of the brand's price range and look for items similar to the one you've chosen so you can compare the RRP, which is the original, recommended price of the item as set by the manufacturer. We should be able to to trust that the site is reporting prices honestly, but trust needs to be earned. I once saw a pouf that I thought would be perfect for my living room, but didn't buy for a second that the RRP was over £600, as indicated on the product page. Further research showed that it sold for the equivalent of just over £100 on the brand's website, making the 'deal' of £268 not a deal at all! And this was a clear indication that the quality would not be what you'd expect of a £600 item.

Further, I once found an item in the brand's online shop that was being sold at the same price as the flash sale site. This clued me in to the fact that there was no actual deal, and therefore no real incentive or urgency to buy the item as it would still be available online after the flash sale was over, and at the 'discounted' price. That put things in perspective rather quickly!

3. Don't feel pressured by the 'Only 1 left!' message on the item you want, keep calm and make a rational decision. Never buy an item simply because it's nearly sold out. Resist the compulsion to develop an immediate and intense attraction to something simply because it seems to be popular and is about to slip through your fingers. And hey, maybe there were only two available to begin with!

4. Only buy what you actually need, or something special that isn't usually available to you, or is a brand that is not normally discounted. French fine foods are one I will always jump on because I can't buy Fauchon or Hediard in Newcastle, but I don't go as nuts as I used to, I now have what I really want narrowed down to a few favourite things. There are hundreds of flash sales happening every day so you need to practice restraint!

5. Think about the value, not the discount. Ask yourself: am I happy to pay this price for this item? That may seem obvious, but at the end of the day, what matters is not the discount, but the value the item holds for us individually once it's in our possession. We can buy things at 85% off, but if they sit in your closet or cupboard unworn or unused, that is wasted cash, and space. Alternatively, a piddly 15% discount may be a good deal for us if it's on a hard-to-find item or one that is not generally discounted. 

6. Demand good customer service. It's my personal philosophy that one sketchy experience is a deal-breaker. Last December I placed an order with a flash sale site about four weeks before the holidays, and all of the items were scheduled to be delivered before Christmas. The one that I actually needed as a gift never arrived, and I received no email updating me on the delivery status. The order was not fulfilled and apparently simply forgotten. I later saw in an issue of Which? that this site scored at the bottom of customer satisfaction survey for guess what - unreliable delivery! Unless there are extenuating circumstances and the customer service representative goes above and beyond to make it up to you (in this case they did nothing beyond acknowledge the mistake), that overrides the error for me and I can happily forgive. But otherwise, don't bother with that site again. Unsubscribe from their email newsletters so as not be tempted back. There are lots of great sites that will follow through on their promises. 

Things to know about flash sale sites: 

• Don't expect quick delivery once you've placed your order. The way they work is when the sale is over they place the entire order with the manufacturer, so it takes time to receive the products and then send them on to you. There are exceptions, however; one I know actually stocks the merchandise and therefore can send it out straight away, and this also means additional savings later when they have a clearance sale, though it really is picked through by that point. So again, remember never buy simply to score a huge discount. There's usually a reason it's been left behind. 
• Check their returns policy. The site may have conditional returns that may make getting a refund difficult, and due to the nature of flash sales, exchanges are not possible.

So that's my two cents! Shopping should be a positive experience and you should feel good about your purchases. If you have a tip of your own, let us know!

Swedish Photography Berlin: Fashion Meets Art

Denise Grünstein’s focus is theme of women and nature, explored through a powerful and suggestive visual world conjured by the artist. 

The work of five internationally renowned fashion photographers from Sweden is currently on show at Swedish Photography gallery in Berlin. Artists Denise Grünstein, Julia Hetta, Martina Hoogland Ivanow, Julia Peirone and Elisabeth Toll explore and displace limits in 'Different Distances'. Their art is a game of balance between fashion and artistic photography, rooted in art history and personal experiences. 

Julia Hetta

Julia Hetta’s romantic and timeless images, published in magazines like Another, Dazed & Confused and Harper’s Bazaar, show an alternative world inhabited by mysterious and omniscient beings, evolving slowly in a place where the light is always soft, however permeated with a feeling of impatience. The colours are so saturated and the textures appears so real they make one want to step closer and touch them. 

Martina Hoogland Ivanow 

Martina Hoogland Ivanow’s photographs give the onlooker the sensation of a presence both real and poetic, combined with a menacing and hypnotic aesthetic. She works for clients like Prada, Miu Miu, Philip Lim and Bergdorf Goodman. 

Julia Peirone, Nike

Julia Peirone masters the art of capturing moments out of our control. Her images are revealing; for instance, her series of portraits of teenage girls uncover a self-consiousness during this awkward time of transition into womanhood.

 Elisabeth Toll

Elisabeth Toll, who works for French, German and Russian Vogue, says, "If there is no light, I can’t see anything". Her photographs are inspired by personal recollections, stories, impressions and sensations which she relives and shares with us. Exhibition curator Greger Ulf Nilson says, "These images spark my curiosity by their strong link to architecture and their dash of surrealism."

The exhibition is produced by Swedish Institute, Stockholm.

DIFFERENT DISTANCES is now open until July 20, 2013

SWEDISH PHOTOGRAPHY
Karl-Marx-Allee 62
D-10243 Berlin
+49 30 81473709
Monday to Saturday 12:00 - 6pm

Fresh Ideas: Sweet Paul's Spring Issue

I'm very late to the game on doing a show and tell on Sweet Paul's Spring Issue. I saw the dreamy beach-themed edition in preview and was so excited, and have now finally found the time to truly indulge; getting lost in those pages is one of my favourite things to do. Here are some of my favourites in terms of fresh spring colours, fantastic styling and photography, and of course, yummy - and easy! - recipes to try:

Keep salads interesting by using a colour story to create your healthy spring plates, such as this Red Cabbage Salad with Feta and Blueberries. 

Why isn't everything topped with mini macarons?! Make this Raspberry Swiss Roll for a standout dinner party dessert. 

Exploring the Creative Heart of Paris takes us on a most daydreamy tour of one of the most inspiring cities in the world. See and read about the best places to eat, sleep and shop from a personal perspective. 

Paul does this 'happy dish',  a colourful spring salad, justice, with his fresh and vibrant styling. 

 

Some of the tastiest concoctions that come in a glass - spring cocktails that are perfect for outdoor entertaining or as a special treat just for yourself. 

Salmon is a great warm weather dish; this lovely, healthy one is served with a cool Asian cucumber salad

 

Lotta Jansdottir tells us the story of her porcelain collaboration with Manhattan's Fishs Eddy, a great visual tale for lovers of blue!

Cakes that impress - this issue is full of them! Get the gorgeous recipes here

The Sweet Paul summer issue is out soon, and in the meantime we've also had the super fun Kids issue which can be enjoyed by any age, really. 

Images from Sweet Paul Magazine

Essential, Iconic Chairs

The classic, stackable Tolix chair designed by Xavier Pauchard in 1956 became a café favourite

And by 'essential', I mean so cool you have to have them. There are dozens of iconic chairs from the modern era (late 19th century on) that are so special and significant due to their influence on future design and enduring relevance throughout the decades - today, they are as coveted as ever - that they have transcended their function as something to sit on. Some might say they are a work of art. These are a few of my favourites. 

The name Arne Jacobsen is synonymous with iconic chairs, among other furniture and household designs. He was the most celebrated post-war Danish architect and interior designer, and one of the pioneers of the concept of organic modernism. If you're not familiar with his name, you will know his Egg chair (above, left) and Model no. 3107, Series 7, both still being produced by Fritz Hansen.

Tell me you've never wanted an Eero Saarinen tulip table and chairs. Have you ever noticed what the Brady's were sitting on to eat breakfast? Green and orange they were. Knoll has been producing the Tulip collection for over 50 years now and there's no end in sight. We hope. 

The furniture of Eero Aarnio, namely the Ball Chair (left) and Bubble Chair, are pure joy. The Finnish interior designer who is still with us at age 80, was one of the pioneers of using plastic in industrial design to create furniture that offered both function and fun. And it sure does.  

Finding Your Dining Room Style

Colour can instantly make your dining room vibrant and fun and the place to be in your home

Whether we have a grand dining room or a tiny spot in the kitchen to work with, we traditionally create a special place to sit down and eat in our homes. It's important to establish a consistent daily ritual of eating at the table, even if it's just us, but it's especially beneficial for families with children. It has a positive impact on mental health and the strength of the family unit, and since so much time is spent there, it's well worth making the dining room as charming as possible, yet it is probably one of the most overlooked and underestimated areas of the house. (And for some reason the place where clutter tends to accumulate!)

It all begins with the dining room furniture we choose. Some will automatically lean toward what they grew up with which tended to be heavy wooden tables and chairs, and a serious, formal tone to the room. But a dining room can be so much more, anything you want it to be. 

On that note, here are some dining rooms that I would love to spend time in every day, and I chose them because they are simple, warm and inviting, and offer many elements that are easily adaptable to any space. 

Having hardwood plank floors and lots of large windows will give even an empty room heaps of charm. But take it all away and that wonderful, glass-top trestle table and sleek white chairs can carry the room on their own. The sheepskin chair covers add texture and warmth, and the table decoration couldn't be more simple - it's a bunch of tea lights straight out of the box. 

You don't need 12-foot ceilings to recreate this art-focussed look. The elongated sideboard against the matching white wall fills the space yet is virtually invisible, keeping the focus on the pictures on the wall above it. A few of the frames cleverly echo the wood tones of the table and two chairs to warm up the white, and the textured, transparent lampshade softens all of those linear features and creates a focal point in a room that has a whole lot to look at. 

This is a modest and efficient dining area, yet it has its enchanting qualities that make it stand apart from the rest of the kitchen. The dark blue painted wood table top and chairs don't seem a likely pairing with the gold candlelabra lighting, yet it works quite beautifully to create a visually separate and intimate place to eat.

Good wood and iconic Danish chairs will work wonders; as you can see, you need little else to entice others to your table. The Scandinavian style is so versatile, though it works best when you allow the furniture to stand on it own as it speaks volumes. Keep the decor simple, functional, and warm. 

Sources linked from photos

Swelle Review: Fashion and Beauty Apps

I've been a little slow getting in on the app game despite having an iPad2 for at least two years now; maybe it's because I pretty much only used the iPad to play Ms. PacMan (which my husband put on knowing that would be my first priority because I'm awesome at it - don't laugh!), and I work from home so I'm on my laptop all day and tend to use websites since that's what's in front of me. 

But it was time I got onto exploring the universe of apps available to us through our devices, it got embarrassing having to shake my head 'no' when asked if I know this one or that one, then having to explain that I am actually otherwise clued into the online world, I work strictly with digital media for a living! So, when browsing mobile phones on the web to find out what the current upgrade on my phone looks like, I came across some fashion and beauty apps and decided to put in some time seeing what clever things are out there. 

In terms of shopping, clearly I like Net-a-porter. They are the pioneers of online luxury shopping and became the model to follow in terms of website design and product presentation, and they've also got a fantastic online magazine. So I was curious how all of this web greatness translates on an Android mobile phone, specifically the HTC Sensation which is what I use. 

This is what the homepage of the app looks like (images are screencaps from Net-a-porter's video):

The landing page automatically opens on the Shop tab from which you can select 'What's New', browse the designer directory and product categories, or see a curated grouping of products via the 'Trend Edit' option. Or you can select the News tab which appears to be the mobile version of their digital magazine, Edit which features brilliantly shot editorial - you can always shop the shoot directly from the page because, of course, everything featured is from Net-a-porter - as well as interviews and trend stories. And also from the front page is a 'Live' option which is something exclusive to the app, and something that took me a few seconds to figure out. 'Why is it showing me products and telling me that they've been added to so-and-so's shopping bag or wish list?' Ah, ok, this is the social aspect worked in. I probably wouldn't browse this feature again, but I am aware that some others would be interested in being influenced by others' choices and so I can see its relevance in a shopping app (as you probably already know, there are shopping apps and websites based entirely on this principle, one of which is coming up). And I suppose it can bring items to your attention that we may not otherwise come across in the vast yet discerning sea that is Net's product offering. 

Since the primary purpose of the app is shopping, I tried to buy an item (stopping short of the actual purchase, unfortunately!) to see how the selection process and shopping cart function compares to the smoothness of the website. I selected the 'Shoes' category from the homepage which went to the 'Shoes Type' page where you can select the style you want to look at or just go with 'All Shoes' which is what I did. Then I decided I wanted to see what Esquivel shoes they currently have (my favourite) and to do that I returned to the homepage by hitting 'Net-a-porter' in the top left corner of the screen and found the brand in the Designer A-Z page. It gave me four style options, and I clicked on red brogues with a white detail that has a spray-painted effect because they were screaming for my attention. I ran into a few glitches with the images. I got 'image not available' a few times and as I scrolled through was able to see other shots rather randomly. The first three looked low-res whereas the remaining four were crisp. I wondered for a second how you buy the item and tried pulling up a menu from the bottom I hoped was there, and it was. From this menu you can select to view each of the details you get from the product page view on the website. But I couldn't figure out how to add it to the cart. Trying to conjure an 'add' feature with my finger wasn't working, but after staring at the screen for longer than I'd care to admit, I noticed a + button in the top right corner. I hit it and was given the option to add the shoes to the shopping bag or wish list. I selected 'shopping bag' and a list of sizes dropped down. I went for my Esquivel size which is US 7 and then it showed me my selection with the total and a button to confirm the purchase. I didn't do that since I wasn't actually buying them (nuts!) but I'd assume the purchase would have been successful. I should mention that I browsed quite a few other products and didn't find any image problems with those - everything loaded and looked high-res, so I went back to look at the Esquivels again and guess what, all images loaded and were crisp so it was probably that the images hadn't fully loaded although I did give it some time. I put that down to my phone, not the app. 

My overall impression: A smooth and comprehensive app that represents the aesthetic and features of the website well and delivers a similar feel and experience. My one suggestion would be to make the 'add to bag' or 'add to wish list' function more obvious to avoid missing it altogether and abandoning the app in frustration, and ultimately feeling like a dumkopf with no new gear on its way. (Unless this is how all shopping apps work, in which case you can just ignore that last part!)

The Net-a-porter app is free and available for iPad, iPhone and Android in English, French, German and simplified Chinese versions. You can find out more about the app and download it here 

Pose is an online and mobile fashion community that has been generating a lot of media buzz and has been called 'The Instagram of Fashion'. There are dozens of sites like it as developers are capitalising on the current hunger for social engagement, fashion show and tells, and the compulsion to buy something right NOW! that looked really hot on a girl who lives in a country that seems so much cooler than your own. Social influence is driving purchasing decisions and the cool kids have it. The developers attract the fashionistas who attract more users who will probably buy something at some point, and they tell their friends about it, and so on. 

So I was curious to see what I might get out of it, if anything. For this one I decided to use the iPad2 since the app is image heavy and it's not available for Android anyway. To begin, I had to create an account. I used my email and then was allowed entry. It told me 'Pose is where fashion happens...and you're about to see why.' Ok! Hmm...now it wants me to take a quiz so they can suggest the best people on Pose for me to follow. Can I bypass this? I instantly resent anything that tries to pigeonhole me - I'm a varied and complex individual! And so are you. Oh well. Here we go. I guess it's just trying to make the sea of fashion more digestible and relevant, although it makes me wonder what I'm not being shown. You can skip questions but at the end it automatically chooses people for you to follow. It gave me four users, incuding Rachel Zoe and Coco Rocha. Something tells me that was not random. Next you can create 'collections' to save 'poses' for inspiration, to buy, or to share with your friends. I hit 'stream' and was brought to a page showing me the poses from people I follow, you know, those four I didn't have a say in following. At this point I am prompted to scroll through images, or 'poses' and encouraged to drag some into my collections. The only thing that stands out is a close-up of a grey t-shirt that says 'F*CK' (but with the U) at which point I'm tempted to create a 'So Subversive' collection just for it. (I don't.) I notice buttons scattered throughout that have a user name and image and they seem to be competing for my attention, so I bite and hit one to see what happens. It brings me to this person's stream and indicates I am now following them. Again, no choice and no prior indication this would happen. This particular Poser has 6646 followers and is following 45 people back. That's not very sociable. At this point I know it's definitely not for me. It hasn't offered anything different from other similar interactive fashion communities I've seen (not that I've seen everything), other than it's the only one that places you exactly where it wants you, rather than let you create your own experience. I'm an adult, I can make my own decisions. But I persevere because this is a review. I hit 'Shop' in the side menu and select a photo of a girl wearing a white outfit. From here I can shop pieces of the outfit and I wind up on the Barneys site looking at a Sophie Hume bag and it's like a breath of fresh air being there. I go back to the outfit page at which point the left menu navigation disappears, I can't figure out how to get off the page and I take that as a sign that I'm allowed to bail. 

My overall impression: If you like looking at style photos of bloggers, celebrities and other fashionistas and don't mind being plunked into an experience that has been quite conspicuously chosen for you, then have a go. You could have fun. One million other people seem to be. 

The Pose app is free and can be downloaded for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad here

The last app I'm reviewing is Bangstyle which I saw on a 'Best Beauty Apps of 2012 list'. I thought it might come in handy for avoiding a repeat of my last salon visit where I tried to describe a very popular colour technique to a colourist who had no clue what I was talking about. (How could she not know what ombre is?!) It's always best to have a photo, you really don't want to assume your stylist knows what you're asking for. (I once wound up with what was essentially a layered bowl cut on top of long hair when I asked for volume. No amount of 'blending' by the salon owner who saw the atrocity and stepped in could salvage it. Don't let this happen to you!) 

Ok, so first you create a profile, which according to the reviews was a prohibitively glitchy process at some point and got the app lots of low ratings. It's not anymore and I was able to sign up quickly. Next I'm taken to the Image Community for Hair page (above left) and have a browse of the styles. There is just one page and when I get to the last one a window pops up telling me it's the last and to go to 'Fresh Pix' to view more. I return to the Image Community and see the Fresh Pix tab at the bottom of the page. The pages do not load quickly which was another gripe users expressed in the reviews. I've waited for at least 10 seconds to be shown a new set of hairstyle photos which seems excruciatingly long for something that's meant to deliver instant gratification. I don't see anything that jumps out so I load more and wait again. It seems lots of users have not tagged their image because I see many labelled 'photo' which I imagine is a default tag. You can share an image or heart it to save it to your inspiration folder within the app which I tried and found easy and straightforward. I decide to look at the Articles tab and surprisingly, I find articles that have absolutely nothing to do with hair! There's one on cameras, an artist who creates illusions using wood, how to bake message into your cakes...then I see the filter for the articles and yes, it covers anything and everything. Is this meant to take the place of glossy magazines in the salon? Instead of being stuck with an old copy of Hello! to thumb through you read articles on a hairstyle app? Who knows! The My Style feature is where your activity such as saved photos and uploaded pics is organised. There's also a salon locator...still waiting for that to load as I write this... still waiting...I'm glazing over... My phone gave up and went to sleep. After waiting for two minutes I had to quit and start over. I fared no better after a second attempt and now I can't get into anything. Ok! We're back in. Finally. I want to see if I can filter the styles within the Fresh Pix pages so I can look for particular styles I'm interested in. You can't do this on the Image Community page so I'm not sure what the point of it would be unless it features newly added hairstyles? And I'm stuck staring at the swirly circle again. This is a simple app that could be thoroughly checked in just a few minutes so the download time is really frustrating. Ok, at least I'm able to filter styles now, this is where the app becomes useful to me. Or so I thought. I select 'Bangs' and it does nothing. So I try 'Long' and the same thing, nothing. Looking through the list I can see it doesn't have any kind of a colour category which would surely be an essential for people considering a new look? I tried to go back in three more times with no luck. Oh boy. If you were in the salon trying to show a photo from this app you would have one mighty frustrated hairstylist tapping her foot next to you. I bail on it, and I think you know what my final assessment will be. 

My overall impression: Slow loading times and being forced to quit - a third complaint mentioned several times in the reviews - makes it impossible to use this app. What a shame as it may have been useful in the salon. A thorough check of the filter function would hav confirmed that either way. 

The Bangstyle app is free (it would have to be) and is available for iPhone and Android here if you're still curious.

If you have tried and true suggestions for helpful alternatives please feel free to let us know! 

Watch Out!

 

Fancy having something in common with one of Coco Chanel's loves? An open face gold Breguet pocket watch that belonged to Paul Iribe will be auctioned on June 11 at Bonhams’ Fine Watches and Wristwatches Sale in London. Chanel met the illustrator and artist in Paris in the early Twenties, and the couple went on to create a jewellery collection commissioned by the International Guild of Diamond Merchants. The magic ended when Iribe collapsed and died while playing tennis at Chanel's French Riveira villa. If you're superstitious, maybe don't bid on this watch if you're a tennis player. 


Rose gold is the current colour story for precious metal accessories, offering a softer alternative to the usual yellow gold and silver. Michael Kors ladies watches represent a particularly extensive collection of styles done in the rose, my favourite of which is this salmon-faced design contrasted with a tortoiseshell bracelet; however, the blush tones are not limited to women. Michael Kors mens watches also feature the hue which gets a more masculine treatment, presenting as a warm bronze. 

This is the Dior VIII Grand Bal collection of watches from the 2011 AW season, inspired by Christian Dior's love of grand balls. It was produced in a limited edition of just 88 pieces in each of the five styles. The reason I'm featuring them now? I saw The Great Gatsby today and the designs on these faces - which oscillate as the watch keeps time - make me think of all that opulent and glittery art deco gorgeousness from the film. (By the way, if you haven't seen it yet, it's well worth a view on the big screen for the aesthetics alone.)

Ok, this one doesn't go on your wrist, but it is a creation borne out of an historic watchmaking partnership that was rekindled this year. This "retro-futurist" globe, called the Atmos clock, is the latest project between Hermès and Jaeger-LeCoultre. It boasts a hand-blown and carved enamel and crystal casing produced by Cristalleries the Saint-Louis, a subsidiary of Hermès, and was produced in a limited edition of 176, one for each year Hermès has existed. And unlike most clocks, you won't find it sitting silent and still on the mantel one day; the Atmos is a perpetual motion clock designed to last for 1000 years! 

Sources linked from photos

Why Your Next Sofa Should be a Corner Sofa

Sometimes the stresses of our day can get the better of us and there’s nothing worse than coming home to a lumpy, small sofa that you can barely sit on without feeling a spring trying to break free of the cushions. Relaxing when you get in is very important, as not only will it prepare you for bed, but the health benefits of unwinding after work are significant: you'll rid yourself of the tension of a long, stressful day and as a result you'll be able to better deal with what comes the next.

Having the means to relax at home is key - I have fallen into coma-like states on several occasions thanks to a comfy couch. Blissful comfort is just one of the advantages of investing in a corner sofa. Here are five other reasons that justify buying this accessible luxury piece of furniture:

Corner sofas can save you money

Although this may sound like a rather absurd claim, corner sofas can actually save you money. Instead of buying the conventional ‘two-sofas-and-an-armchair’ as per the traditional arrangement, a corner sofa can offer you the same seating capacity for much less than it would cost to buy all three. And thanks to online stores such as Hello Sofas selling corner settees cheaper than on the high street, you can look to save even more money.

Space-saving

Yes, a corner sofa is indeed a substantial piece of furniture, but because you don’t have to buy additional seating (our sofa, lounger and armchair look nice in our living room, but the only thing we actually sit on is the couch), you can actually end up with more room. And thanks to their unique shape, they fit perfectly within the corner of your living room, freeing up floor space.

Perfect for families

Thanks to their unique design, corner sofas work brilliantly for families. Put a large, comfy thing to lie on in a room and you will find that everyone gravitates toward it in the evenings and weekends, even the teenager who can only manage to communicate in grunts won't mind hanging out with the fam'. 

Fits any style of décor

Corner sofas offer unlimited choice, reflecting the style diversity of their smaller counterparts. From the heavy chunkiness of traditional furniture to the sleek lines of minimalist, you can find one to match your favourite décor. 

Ideal for relaxation

One of the most important benefits of a sofa is comfort. A corner sofa is quite possibly the most convenient type of furniture for your home and the one that will get the most use - it's your go-to place. Corner sofas are perfect for lying down and properly relaxing, and of course, if there is more than one of you needing a rest, they are simply great for sharing without compromising on comfort. Just try not to fall asleep.