summer hair 2012: braids, braids, braids

Ok so summer is half over, but my long-anticipated 9-day Italy trip (Positano, Capri, Bologna, Parma, Cinque Terre) is still 3 weeks away, so it is only now that I've started looking into summer hair. I didn't expect to write a post about this, which is why my image sources aren't as well kept as they should be, for this I apologise.

Braids have gotten me bad. My straight hair always falls too flat for my liking, especially after a dip in the sea, so they are perfect for giving it some texture. Half-ups are the best, as you can pair them up with a bun or pony tail, but when a photo opportunity presents itself, the hair tie comes off and you still have a girly do in place.

Dip-dyed hair is also a guilty pleasure of mine, though I think it looks much better with light coloured hair. Even so, I'm gonna give myself some multicoloured highlights, but probably not when I'm going to the beach.

Fabulous looking tute, if not a bit complicated, which is why...

... I'm going to try this instead!

I love these braids, even though the curls are a bit too much for me.

Another great kind of half-up do to try out.

I'm absolutely in love with the pony in the middle, if anyone knows of a tutorial, tell me!

Sources: Luxy Hair, Cute Girls Hairstyles, Pinterest

lana del rey's h&m full campaign

The pictures are here! First glimpse over at British Vogue. Lovely campaign, enough said!

florabotanica for trampires

Absolutely awful ad for Balenciaga's new fragrance. It's not just that Kristen Steward cheated on Robert Pattinson and ripped apart a family, she is a terrible actress, has terrible style and just looks terrible generally. I have  no idea why Balenciaga would cast her, someone somewhere obviously had a momentary lapse in judgement - seems to be a popular course of action to take these days.

lana del rey: vogue italia

This girl has retro glamour down to a T. She is stunning in this Vogue Italia photoshoot, I'm loving the platformed Mary-Janes, though the clothes are rather mediocre. Still, Lana Del Rey looks beautiful, especially when she smiles!

Girl crush moment, pardon me.

Vogue Italia

disney for fashion

All sorts of Disney x fashion crossovers keep cropping up these days.

When someone says I'm too old to watch Disney movies...

As the generation who grew up with all the classics - Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Pocahontas, Lion King (not fashionably relevant, I know...) - Disney definitely has some sort of lasting and nostalgic appeal. And when you put a fashion spin on the familiar cartoons, the chemistry is inevitable.

Jirka Väätäinen's absolutely stunning illustrations are more art than fashion. The smouldering sex appeal of the princesses, however, can be lifted out of any magazine. Jasmine is probably my favourite, and though I hated Tinkerbell in Peter Pan, I love Väätäinen's rendition.

http://jirkavinse.wordpress.com

A couple of days ago, I happened upon these fabulously original sketches of Disney princesses and villains by fashion design student 'Sashii-Kami'. The full compilation includes an astounding 26 characters, all immaculately designed to the very last detail. I love the hair on Rapunzel and Aurora here.

http://sashii-kami.deviantart.com

And today on Facebook, another random Disney sketch, not as pretty but proof that the trend is catching on.

Image source

Of course, unforgettable is the spread 'La Moda Animada' featuring the big names in fashion as Disney characters in Elle Spain in 2010, illustrated by Ulrich Schroder. Unfortunately I can't find any high resolution images, but this one featuring Karl Lagerfeld is simply genial.

Image source