~SHOES TO STUNT (and stud) IN~

I have neglected my deluxious updates for a while, due to my upcoming holiday to Marbella. Amongst working and catering to every need of my child, I have a desperate desire to create as many dresses as I can before the date to wear whilst I am out there! However, I have forced myself to write again because whilst shoe browsing I have viewed the most Deluxious shoes...

                                                           SAM EDELMAN Lorissa

The studded heels on the peep toe Lorissa's are truly Deluxious. The sping 2012 range has really inspired me to invest in a pair, I just can't choose between the nude, rose or Egyptians... it is just a shame that not all of the colours come bejazzled in gold and diamante studs!


                                                 CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN Pigalle

I have seen Rihanna in these on so many occassions and admired the beautiful point and grace of the shoe! In the latest Vogue they were featured so many times, I couldn't get away from them! They are calling me... but at the hefty price tag I am left looking at subs...

                                                             OFFICE SNAKES

Office KICK ASS COURT SNAKE LEATHER Shoes - Womens High Heels Shoes - Office Shoes

I recently found Office snakeskin stilletos with a similar point and shape as the Louboutins, but they were very tight fitting at the front. They do look amazing off the foot though...

                                                        SUPERFICIAL VINTAGE

I also had to purchase a beautiful pair of pale salmon patent finish vintage style heels from New Look. I try to avoid shops like this as the fit is often terrible, but the shoes are actually wearable (!) and the shape is really unique for what is on the high street at the moment. I love the lower heel and the pointed cut at the front. I will definitely be wearing these in Marbella, if not the less affordable beauties!!

~ART DECO-NOVEAU-RETRO~

                                                       "The Three Ladies" by Spitfire Design

I have a passion for Deluxious prints and fabrics, particularly those that have deco lines and elogantly poised divas angled against sunbeam backdrops. I also love the floral curves of swirling noveau and the sweeping and graceful style of the streamlined, superior women who grace noveau images. The 50's kitsch images of housewives are another favourite, as they are often portrayed just as glamourous as their hollywood, glamour-puss counterparts whose images were iconic at the time.

All three of these genres embrace strong, beautiful images of women. Although you can clearly see how the women have changed in time across each art form, from their social positioning to style, they all hold the same captivating femininity and attraction.

The beauty and strength these images represent, makes all of this art work a main feature in my humble abode.
I also love ancient Egypt, which is ironic as Art Deco stemmed from art work produced in Egypt at that time. Deco also stemmed from noveau, which would make sense!

For a bit of background info, Wikipedia helps:

"Art deco (/ˌɑrt ˈdɛkoʊ/), or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s^[1][2] and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era.^[3] The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and jewelry, as well as the visual arts such as painting, graphic arts and film...."

"At its best, art deco represented elegance, glamour, functionality and modernity. Art deco's linear symmetry was a distinct departure from the flowing asymmetrical organic curves of its predecessor style art nouveau; it embraced influences from many different styles of the early twentieth century, including neoclassical, constructivism, cubism, modernism and futurism^[5] and drew inspiration from ancient Egyptian and Aztec forms. Although many design movements have political or philosophical beginnings or intentions, art deco was purely decorative."

Deluxious Deco:

"Butterfly" by Carlos de Asumendi

I have gold biscuit tins bought recently from TK Maxx with images on the lid which are based on Carlos de Asumendi's paintings. They are absolutely beautiful and can be kept forever to store whatever you need to! The last one I bought was in the sale for £3.00! I love a bargain!

                                        "Sun all year round on the Cote d'Azur" by Roger Broders
This is another image that I have on a tin. My mum bought this for me from Cannes. I absolutely love it, the warmth, sunbeams, tropical flowers, beach and elongated lady worshipping the light! I even love the font that he has used and the near central position of the sun. Everything is pleasing to the eye and glorious!

                                                                      Art Deco Print

This is an image I found on Google when searching for Deco images. It's quite pschodelic, but the colours and shapes are wonderful and I love the peacock like patterns either side. The woman is so small in the picture, but she is still central to everything.

                                                  "Kestos Lingerie, Art Deco Advert, 1930s"
I love this image. You can purchase this for £5.99 at http://www.vinmag.com/. The illustration reminds me of a vintage Vogue pattern.

                                                                 Homemade deco blind                                             
I bought this deluxious printed fabric (cost about £7.00) from Ikea and made a blind with it. I love the monochrome effect with the intricate detail, curves and circles.

                                                                   Deco calender girls
I ripped these out of an old calender and framed them. As a trio they look fabulous, you can't see all three in the photo or the minute detail, but their clothes are sprinkled with glitter.

                                                                     

                                                                         Art Noveau

                                                               

  Flamboyant, flowing and free

These ladies represent the seasons, my parents used to have a hige mirror with similar images on. I would marvel at their beauty. They always look at peace, as if they are floating in love and purity. I like the way they are intertwined with nature.

Autumn Whitehurst image

Autumn Whitehurst, a digital illustrator in the USA, produces some deluxious images with a deco feel. These are some that are amazing.

      

Creeping in to the modern......

...Leading on to Kitsch retro women!


Swimming pin ups
I bought this print from Ikea and framed it. It was less than £10 and it is my favourite picture in the house. The vibrant colours and photo element of the fish, make the retro cut outs swimming look even more surreal. The costumes and poses are glamourous and the ladies look like they are having a ball!

Tea Ladies!
This is why I love Kitsch 50s ladies! They make house items sexy!

~~NATURAL CURLS~~

Deluxious hair is healthy hair, Deluxious hair is big and fierce! Curls are going to be big for 2012!

I embrace my curls and have taken inspiration from many beautiful celebrities heads in the past. I have now noticed that curls are being revived again in a big way! These are some Deluxious examples present and past, and below are a list of products that I have used and can swear by for beautiful curls. These products are mainly for afro-carribean hair, but some are for European. My hair type is a mixture of the two and I use any product that works. I have also recommended these products to people with European curly hair and afro curls; both have been impressed.

Little Mix girls- all rocking the big curls!

Little Mix are the newest girl group out and have been branded as a new type of style icon, representing normal girls of today. Each member has been given big, healthy looking hair after Jessie first auditioned with a beautiful set of curls. Her long, huge hair suits a wider face and looks edgier than the stereotypical straight 'WAG' celebrity image. 

                                                                       Rihanna in Red
Rihanna has recently been rocking afro curls and soft tonged ringlets, either way the look is more flamboyant than her straight weaves and it compliments her face because she has a long and weighty, luxurious fringe!

Kelis the Curl Queen

When Kelis came out she was funky, fresh and vibrant. Her hair was also a major contributer to that vibe. The multi-colours added definition and represented her refusal to be pigeon-holed. Kelis was more of an eye-catcher, inspiration and style icon with her big, natural hair... 

                                                         Carrie's timeless, sexy and effortless look

Carrie Bradshaw, style icon and protagonist of Sex in the City, set the pace for the tousled look. Carrie was featured with straight, pinned and curly looks, but her long and short blonde curls always looked the sassiest. Carrie was a real woman, who did not need to make a lot of effort with her hair on a daily basis to look sexy. She is best known for her deluxious shoes, bags and most importantly hair!

                                                     Fergie's curls add life to the darker look

Fergie often has blonde hair but as she has opted for a darker look here it has also been curled. Curls seem to take darker hair and make it look softer, the hair worn out and tumbling over the shoulders makes it look as though she has made little effort to look so beautiful.

Marsha Ambrosius looks softer and more feminine with her curls

Marsha has a really distict bone structure and since losing weight this has become more prominent. I find that a bonier face always looks better with big hair. Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) above, is also a good example of this. I find that I too have this bone structure and wearing curls helps to take the focus off a pointier chin or nose.

                                                       Alicia Keyes, always prefer natural

Alicia Keyes first came out with the braids, but when she transitioned in to womanhood the step up to big curls made her look more glamourous, beautiful and ladylike.

                                                            
                                                    Beautiful Naomie before she cut it all off!

At Naomie's most successful point in her career she was wearing deluxious, soft curls. M&S even put a curly wig on her to continue her life as their model after she shaved it off.

                                                     More curls of different shapes and sizes....

This last picture is of me with blonde curls. I use the below products to stop my hair from going dry or breaking. They also define and set the curls. I also always use a Denman brush after washing!

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