Channel 4, The Unusual Suspects & Unicorns

Recent hijinks in London apart from my birthday celebrations include a Channel 4 networking event called The Unusual Suspects at their HQ in Scotland Yard...

*James bond theme tune*

Not really. It is very nearby though! The night consisted of a panel session and some good old fashioned networking and I loved every minute of it! I got to hear and meet some really inspirational people from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 corporations and get an insight into what it's like to work in media & broadcasting - in a nutshell, lots of fun but bloody hard work!

Hello to Colin, Simon and Grivas from C4, Simon, Don Kong and Isma from the Beeb and Marsha and Luke from ITV. Lovely to meet you all! Also giving a shoutout to my fellow Commercial Marketeers, Katie and Kieran :)

In other news...
I had my first mince pie and broke in my new Topshop Unicorn Jeans. Ace.

xoxo

Birthday Big Eats 2012 :)

Birthday grub at Bill's, Covent Garden

Curry beef hotpot at Paddyfields, Oxford

Pasta and pizza at Bella Italia - Carb heaven!


What food have you been enjoying lately? Be sure to keep warm this winter with lots of good grub :)

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

GEISHA GETS HER HAIR CUT ft. Klassi Hair, Chiswick

As you can observe from the picture below, my hair was getting rather straggly and shapeless as a result of a terrible hair cut I'd had in the summer where the hairdresser had a rather interesting approach to his cutting technique (two words: Fruit Ninja).

I decided to give an independent hair salon, Klassi Hair in Chiswick, a try as I was fed up of using chain salons and always being disappointed by their inability to understand Asian hair.

     

What a pleasant surprise! Astonished by their sparkling interior, chilled ambience and friendly vibes, I had a relaxing hair massage & wash followed by a chat with Joong, my lovely hair guru, about what I wanted...

What I wanted was a little trim to make everything the same sort of length to achieve a neat, tidy and healthy result and Joong, with his Korean background, understood exactly what to do with my slightly wavy asian hair and generally lacklustre locks.

A casual request for a cuppa brought forth this tray of goodies, beautifully presented and carefully thought out. Two types of biscuits?! This is my kinda salon.

Et voila! The finished result.

The necklace featured in both pictures is a birthday present that I have been wearing non-stop (obviously). It's a gorgeous and simple necklace with a "Z" charm from Links of London.

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I'm so happy and relieved to have finally found my perfect hairdresser! If you fancy a change from your usual hairdresser or are on the lookout for someone new, I'd definitely recommend Klassi Hair. The name may be slightly naff but the service is great and I'm so pleased with my haircut.

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

Cranberries and Merlot (ft. Bimba & Lola)

Birthday present #1

Looking forward to freezing my way through winter for the sake of sartorial perfection.



(images from Bimba & Lola website)

Which winter coat has stolen your heart this season?

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

FOOD: These are a few of my favourite things!

I absolutely ADORE eating and think that a lovely meal out is such a nice way to catch up with people and have a generally jolly good time. The way to my heart is truly through my stomach - I still feel all warm and fuzzy thinking about a perfectly chargrilled steak that my boyfriend once cooked me on the barbeque on a warm Summer evening... Yes, well anyway! I think the evidence is clear...

EXHIBIT A

Mac 'n' Cheese goodness at Bill's

EXHIBIT B

Spicy fried fish and delicate sushi at a random Korean joint in New Maldon. There are tons of Korean restaurants around here and you really can't go wrong with any of them!

EXHIBIT C

A mouthwatering feast of a meal at Phoenix Palace, our favourite posh Chinese.

These are all in London - What are YOUR favourite places to eat in your hometown/home city? Leave me recommendations please! If I'm ever in your part of the country/world then I'll definitely check them out :)

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

Superhero Underpants ft. Bjorn Borg (Oo-er)

It's so cold right now in London and I'm trying to shake off my shivers and sniffles by breaking out these bad boys from Bjorn Borg. Bright orange, blue and white with a go-faster "NL" down the side, these cute mini-shorts were an impulse summer purchase in sunny Amsterdam and I had forgotten all about them until now. Just what the doctor ordered! ;)

REVIEW: Rimmel London Nail Polish - 030 Double Decker Red

 

 

 

Stranded at my boyfriend's house with a choice of two polishes and no basecoat or topcoat. I decided to go with the cheerful red rather than the more gothic No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Glitter Bomb (Limited edition Christmas 2011 - dark purple polish shot through with violet & magenta glitters).

It is a true, glossy, pillar-box (double decker!) bright red, although it leans a tiny bit more orange than blue. It's very flattering on my nails and is just sophisticated enough to be worn during this frosty weather. I don't know about you but I find myself putting away all my bright polishes for Winter!

The polish is fairly runny but glides easily over the nail with no streaks or uneven patches - a really nice formula. The brush is a regular sized brush but it seems to fan out slightly upon application, making it easier to achieve a full coat of polish. With regards to lasting power, I applied two quick coats and it's wearing off a bit at the tips but there are no major chips and I think that this would last amazingly with a cheeky coat of Seche Vite.

Have you been wearing dark colours on your nails recently? 
Or have you bucked the dark winter colours trend and gone fluoro orange? :)

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

Sparkly 'n' slouchy knitwear ft. H&M

Picked up this sparkly, slouchy and snuggly jumper in H&M for a paltry £15 and have been wearing it non-stop. It's super warm and cosy and goes with everything! I haven't shown my face in a while so here's a picture of me enjoying my jumper :) It makes me feel all Christmassy and festive (rather than just freezing and miserable) and I would recommend it to anyone. In fact, H&M have an amazing range of affordable knitwear at the moment so if you're looking for an extra layer of warmth after majorly underestimating the weather again (it happens to the best of us) then get your shivering self into an H&M, pronto!
  What winter woollies have you all been wearing?

Love,
Geisha
xoxo

Lazy weekend beauty shop ft. MUA, Sukin and MaxFactor

A few bits and bobs that I picked up whilst shopping today.



Reviews after a week of testing:
MUA Undressed eyeshadow palette
A sneaky dupe of a certain famous eyeshadow palette but only costs 4 quid (on offer at the moment for £3)! The shadows and soft and pigmented and the colours are super flattering. Definitely worth the investment as all you need for your neutral eyeshadow needs are this palette and a black eyeliner. Love this!
MaxFactor FaceFinity 3-in-1 Foundation in 55 Beige
I think I like this! Although the shade I chose is a bit dark for me, who knew I would be the lightest shade on offer? The texture is very much a liquid-to-powder formulation and it dries fairly matte but also somehow luminous. The foundation looks quite light when you blend it in at first but it oxidises a little on the skin once its all on. I think that the lasting power is fairly good, the undertones are quite pink (I find this with most MaxFactor foundations) and the coverage is medium. Overall, a nice foundation that'd suit most skin types - although those with an oily skin might add a bit of powder to combat unwanted shine!
Sukin Organic Facial Moisturiser
Yummy! Rich and emoillient with a strong scent of vanilla marshmallows (suits me). I like how this is organic as my skin is really picky and sensitive and I'd like to think that this Australian brand is being kind to my skin. I'll put in the official description too for your information:
This daily moisturiser provides fast absorbing, deeply penetrating hydration that softens and soothes skin. A lightweight cream which combines a delicate infusion of aloe vera, horsetail, nettle and burdock to soothe with skin healing rose hip, wheat germ, jojoba and avocado oil to promote healthy skin.
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What beauty goodies have you picked up recently?

Love,  Geisha xoxo

LOVES: Music - Food - Lifestyle - Shopping

1. MUSIC: Safe & Sound - Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars

A beautiful atmospheric song perfect for closing your eyes and relaxing to.



2. LIFESTYLE: Treasure yourself

I've been watching a lot of videos of Miranda Kerr recently and I've been inspired by her positive and calm attitude to life and by her wholesome beauty - Definitely one of my favourite models. I can't wait until I can order this book from Amazon (not in stock ATM) but it's available from the KORA website too.

In this busy day and age, it's easy to forget to just treasure yourself so take this as a reminder to keep up a healthy and nurturing attitude and to make time to refocus and renew yourself.

3. FOOD: Avocado on toast

I've been treating myself with a LOT of avocado toast - one of my favourite indulgent lunches/snacks. I roughly chop my avocado and add lemon juice, grainy mustard, salt and pepper and (optional) a bit of chopped tomato or coriander if you're feeling in a salsa sort of mood. Spread generously on buttered toast and enjoy :)

4. SHOPPING: Online!

Nothing better than the amazing choice of online shops that the internet has to offer if you're feeling too weak to browse in person. I happily took advantage of the Motel Rocks website whilst bedridden and picked up this Zena Bodycon Mini Dress in Gothic Placement Print (runs a size small)...

and these go-with-anything Donella High Waist Skinny Pants in Black (run true to size)

What have you been loving recently?

Love,

Geisha

xoxo

Burberry Prorsum Womenswear S/S 2013

Just watched the highlights video and thought it was worth sharing. 

Burberry really pushes the boat out with their online presence and this is my way of applauding their efforts :)

The roof opening up at the beginning - spellbinding.

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Punchy colours ruled the day and it was a breath of fresh air - fuchsia and garnet, metallic green and purple, yellow alligator accents, bright blue bags, lipstick red and sunflower yellow shoes.

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Cara Delevigne and Liu Wen...  ❤

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Loved the perspex see-through bags - I've always adored their kitschy appeal (disregarding any safety issues of people being able to see all the contents of your bag).

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What was Andy Murray doing on the front row? SIGH. I know he's a winner but so irrelevant.

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What do you think of the show? Magical, non?

Love,

Geisha

x x x

Susie Bubble's Blogger Yard Sale 2012

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The month was August (again),

the sun was shining (again)

and the satay was irresistible (again)...

What else could it be but...

Susie Bubble's Blogger Yard Sale 2012!

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y a r d s a l e # 2

I was so excited to be invited back to Susie's yard to set up shop alongside a plethora of blogging superstars! This yard sale was a repeat of our first yard sale in August 2010 and was similarly packed full of stylishly dressed shoppers browsing the rails in the sunshine. I did feel a bit like the shy little kid in the corner of the playground at first but we all ended up wandering around and chatting so much that there was often confusion amongst the yard sale goers as to who they needed to pay... Oops :)

Jen of Style East* and Kristabel of I Want You To Know


Hedwig of The Northern Light manning her stall.

Milly Blue's acoustic set (being photographed by an adorable little boy!)

Steve of Style Salvage rustling up some mean chicken satay.


My darling sister representing team Geisha Rock with her gooey delicious homemade brownies...

The best ever marketing campaign for my blog!

A rare moment where some satay was actually still left - it kept getting gobbled up!

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Two happy customers.

Susie's amazing Balenciaga pants waiting for a lucky new owner.

My gorgeous trio of friends who stopped by to give their support. Love you guys!

Alexxsia of My Labyrinth and Jacqueline of Platform Princess.

Jen of Style Crusader who I was so excited to meet as I ADORE her blog and her laid-back style.

Nathan of The Provoker. Wearing a Givenchy sharktooth necklace, JC platform studded creepers AND a forest green PS11?! This guy is the real deal :) and he's a real sweetheart too.

Kit of Style Slicker and Me!

Shini of Park & Cube and Charlie May of Girl a la Mode (who is showing her collection this LFW!)

Hedwig in her D&G booties - aren't they gorgeous?!

Our amazing host, Susie of Style Bubble.

My top is from Forever 21, the dress underneath is Topshop, my espadrilles are Havaianas and I bought my boater hat whilst punting in Oxford.

t h a n k y o u s

A huge huge HUGE thank you to Susie for letting us all invade her yard and for being the most gracious host in the world, providing us all with delicious satay and equally delicious bargains!

Thank you to Shini, Louisa, Kit, Jen and Hedwig for being such all-round awesome people and for inviting me along on a much-needed coffee break.

& Thank you so much to everyone who came. It was so lovely to meet you all and I hope that you enjoy all your purchases :) If you're reading this now, please say hi in the comments and leave your blog addy (if you have one) for me to check out!