accessories

Monthly Roundup – August

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 2 Comments

I’ve taken screen shots from my Instagram to remind me, and show you what I’ve been up to this month.

Skincare and Haircare

I cut my curly hair using tips from Brad Mondo and tips from various natural hair vloggers to style my 2C curls.

I changed my contraception so got quite a few hormonal spots and this Body Shop Tea Tree, Skin Clearing Mattifying Toner was invaluable; as was The Ordinary, Lactic Acid which very gently and naturally exfoliates.

Now it’s the end of August and my skin has settled so I’m using Neal’s Yard Remedies Orange Flower Toner and Orange Flower Moisturiser everyday to keep my skin all glowy and nourished (along with the The Ordinary Lactic Acid twice a week).

Food, glorious food!

Me and my bloke spent our Tesco vouchers on Pizza Express (who will be going into liquidation next month apparently) and order two ‘new’ veggie pizzas and all of the salad.

To take advantage of the governments ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme we went to Ruyi Vegetarian Restaurant. Amazing!

I’ve gotten back into the fake meat brand Vivera and have been making simple stir-fries. Like these Vivera Shwarma Kebab strips with rice and pea and sweet corn and Jamaican Jerk BBQ sauce.

The hot weather made really reduced my appetite so these mezze/tapas style bowls were great to nibble on.

Style

I’ve had purchasing a Nirvana tee at the back of my mind for decades and this month I found an official pale pink one. Cute and grungy!

I got sick of buying summer shoes that were either too flat and bad for my shitty joints or too heavy or that flew off my feet going down stairs. I bit the bullet and bought Crocs. I actually think these look pretty bad-ass as they remind me of late 80’s/early 90’s street style. Here’s my full review of Crocs.

I still think the simplest thing to wear is a maxi dress. Hides a ton of sins and all you have to choose are shoes and then a jacket/cardigan for evening.

Lifestyle

In the crazy hot weather I’ve been wearing these sandals from Newlook, drinking Rockstar blueberry energy drink, using this light and fruity perfume from Eden and ( even with my limited concentration span) flew through My Sister The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite.

The households charity shop donations for the second quarter of the year: A crazy wide pair of linen trousers, a face scrub you have to mix from powder (I managed to spill the first pot everywhere), vest I’m now too big for, too small jeans, a teeny-tiny dress from Japan, shoes which I’ve had over a decade and worn out.

Tips on How Not To Be Constantly Late and a fun checklist to see How Basic Are You?

Listened to

80’s pop and bluesy rock.

Watched

Snowfall about the start of the crack epidemic in early 80’s LA, like a mixture of Breaking Bad, The Getdown and The Wire.

Canada’s Drag Race, love Priyanka!

Galdem (on BBC iPlayer) about women making it in the UK grime scene.

Read

My Sister The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite.

Don’t forget to like, comment or subscribe! Xxx

🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

Can Crocs Be Comfy and Stylish?

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 10 Comments

Over the years I’ve bought gladiator sandals which are practical and stylish but tough on my hypermobile ankle and knee joints as the soles are so uncushioned and as such, they don’t have any arch support, which I really need. I’ve tried Birkenstock type sandals but the soles are so heavy (not great for chronic-fatigue) and they fly off as soon as I pick up any speed. Then there’s mules and sliders, which stay on but seem to be designed for people with really flat, tiny feet and I struggle to actually slide my feet in all the way.

So Crocs it is!

Crocs have galaxy prints, iridescent, graphic 90’s prints and animal print which are pretty alternative but my brain would melt-down trying to team those with, well anything else in my wardrobe really.

So what’s an urban-goth girl to do? I bought a black pair to go out in and a cheap(er) bright pair for around the house as slippers.

The classic style came with six free Jibbitz so I chose that offer for my main one’s. I was surprised to see silver punky studs, a gold bee charm, pretty jewel charms, sparkly rainbow Pride charms and a collaboration with Liberty X London.

Surprisingly bad-ass for a pair of plastic sandals!

The Good

  • Really comfy even when my feet are have loads of water retention (pictured)
  • They stay on my feet, when walking at full speed (thanks to the bar at the back)
  • The bar can swing over to the front so they slip on easily and they still don’t feel loose
  • Great arch support
  • The insole is textured so that it grips
  • Seven vents around the front for air flow
  • They are so light I actually forgot I was wearing them

  • The Bad

    The website is so busy, it’s easy to miss styles that you might have liked.

    Crocs have moved on from just selling expensive, brightly coloured shoes with plastic cartoon badges on, although that is incredibly kawaii! 😊

    🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

    How Basic Are You? Just for fun :o)

    / Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 1 Comment
    • You own a Hydroflask or Waterbottle #
    • You buy pretty stationary #
    • You never use it #
    • You wear scrunchies #
    • You have an avatar of yourself and change it’s outfits regularly #
    • You have had a yoga/fitness instructor/physio “change your life” #
    • You buy so many scented candles #
    • But rarely light them #
    • You have a favourite nut milk #
    • You LOVE Riverdale #
    • You plan events by making Pinterest/mood boards
    • You have lots of retro and vintage ‘inspired’ things but they are all new #
    • You have an astrology/arrow/love heart/infinity tattoo
    • You ‘do’ brunch #
    • You take group photos and put retro filters on them #
    • You love Taylor Swift
    • You own a Nutri Bulit/blender/juicer #
    • You’ve said “I seriously need to detox!” #
    • You’ve gone to Glasto/Coachella
    • You explain that you’re “weird and so ditzy”
    • You watch Love Actually/Bridget Jones/The Holiday every Christmas
    • You love oversized jumpers with tiny shorts/leggings #
    • Your favourite season is Autumn/fall
    • You put Christmas/Halloween decorations up asap #
    • You’ve posted throw back photos of holidays saying “Take me back…” #
    • You’ve bought a book because a celeb recommended it #
    • You watch Love Island
    • You use the words ‘literally’ and ‘basically’ way too much #
    • You love iced lattes or mochas #
    • You live in Ugg’s, Tivas, Crocs or ‘Berkies’ #
    • You’ve been a ‘sexy’ version of something for Halloween #
    • You’ve watched Keeping Up With The Kardashians deliberately #
    • You’ve made your own denim shorts/halter top #
    • You love the (younger) royal family #
    • You love “a cheeky Nando’s”/Visit to Chipotle
    • You’ve made a TikTok/Insta story in baggy joggers but full makeup
    • You feel so much better when you’ve had your nails ‘done’
    • Your ‘reasonable’ amount of plushies/teddies is taking over your space #
    • You call everyone hon/chick/babes/sweetie whether they like it or not #
    • You do quizes like this #

    This is inspired by a quiz from Buzzfeed. I’ve changed it to incorporate a more UK based audience and added and removed a few things. Here are Freddie and Kelsey, two US influencers, taking it themselves for As/Is channel.

    What did you score? I got 29/40, which doesn’t really surprise me!

     

    Monthly Round Up – July

    / Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 3 Comments

    Style

    I’ve mostly been wearing this combo or these pants with the-dye tops. I’m all about clashing prints this summer.

    I bought these adorable and very unique Freda Kahlo earrings by Wilderness from Sour Cherry, who are located in Afflecks and they also have an online shop.

    I’ve been wearing this outfit (shrug, maxi dress, black gladiator sandals) the few times we’ve been out and about.

    I posted about Items of Clothing That Seem Ideal in Theory but…

    Hated my heavy, long fringe in the heat so gave myself a short choppy one instead.

    Food

    After reading that Pizza Express will be slowly closing branches permanently from September my Bloke used up his Tesco points and treated us to a meal. We thought it crap that the rocket didn’t come with the mozzarella and tomato so we ordered that as well. We also ordered three 14″ pizzas which were amazing. A spicy, smokey one with aubergine, peppers and humus (added after cooking); a slightly sweet one with sultanas, black olives and red onion and a cheesy one with garlic.

    I tried Aldi’s No Steak Bake which had the loveliest flakey pastry and a mince sauce that was so rich it would have suited a Spag Bol better!

    Did a comprehensive Cupboard and Fridge Shop at Ocado (didn’t realise they have Follow Your Heart Cheese unfortunately). It’s all gluten and dairy free apart from the pepperoni which has milk in the flavouring.

    We visited V Revolution. I had this cheese burger with bacon, slaw and onion rings. My bloke had the burger between two doughnuts which he said was very tasty and not as weird as you’d think. Okay…!?

    I’ve started putting chilli (fresh, or oil, or sauce), spring onion and crushed roasted peanuts on everything. So refreshing for summer!

    Skincare and Makeup

    If I Could Only Use One Skincare Product this is what I chose and explained why.

    I blogged about my Lifestyle Tips for Maintaining Healthy Skin.

    Unpopular Opinions – Makeup Tag was surprisingly fun to join in with. Spotted on Just Geeking By.

    Lifestyle

    I posted 20 Tips for Living a Greener, More Sustainable Lifestyle

    Another tag which I find by the lovely Heather over at Just Geeking By was The 90’s Tag I was a teen in the 90’s so this was so much fun!

    The last tag I joined in with was The Daily Gratitude Tag – Home Sweet Home

    TV

    Limitless – a spin off from the film staring Bradley Cooper. A guy who’s on pills which expand his mind consults for the FBI. Light and entertaining.

    Preacher – About a preacher, a con-woman and a vampire ft. God and a murderous Saint. Totally nuts!

    Films

    The Avengers films – Never get bored of these.

    Captain America – Kinda boring.

    Mortal Engines – Film Set in the future most cities will have morphed into huge machines which move around and swallow smaller cities to survive but not all cities are as ruthless as this. Two young people fight to find justice and fairness. Based on the Mortal Engines Quartet books by Philip Reeve.

    Super 8 – A film incredibly similar to Stranger Things before that series was created.

    Youtube

    Brad Mondo – Very honest, funny, sweet hairdresser who reacts to people doing their own hair and also does tutorials.

    Music

    Kate Bush album Hounds of Love; Fun Loving Criminals album Scooby Snacks; Lady Ice (fellow Mancunian) single No Silence; Nadia Rose single Skwod.

    If there’s anything you want to ask me or to tell me, please leave a comment, I love reading them and replying to you!

    🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

    Lightning Bolt Earrings by Sour Cherry

    / Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 6 Comments

    Around four years ago I lost one of a pair of sparkly, lightning bolt earrings. I was gutted. I’ve been looking for affordable and funky replacements since. Ive just found these £12 at Sour Cherry!

    They dangle around and constantly catch the light so they are really difficult to photograph when being worn, but you can get an idea of the length and size here. They are quite sturdy but so light because they are made of resin. They are available in eight other colours with two mini versions.

    Check out the Frida Kahlo earrings I bought from Sour Cherry earlier.

    🖤⚡️Chrissie⚡️🖤

    Frida Kahlo Beaded Earrings from Sour Cherry

    / Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 8 Comments

    I bought these gorgeous Frida Kahlo earrings from an independent shop called Sour Cherry (which also stocks handmade jewellery by Wilderness). The jewellery is designed and hand made by Kayleigh, Katy and Ana and the designs are quirky-cute! You can visit Sour Cherry online as well as visiting the shop in Afflecks, Oldham/Tib/Church Street, Manchester.

    Such thoughtful packaging ^_^

    They’ve stated that they will not be restocking these so you better get them while stocks last!

    🖤🍒Chrissie🍒🖤

    You Know Those Items That Seem Perfect in Theory…?

    / Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 5 Comments

    Here’s a dress that was perfect on paper for nights out but just didn’t work for me in reality.

    THE GOOD

    1) It flattered my tummy 🤰🏻

    2) It was above the knee

    3) It was strappy

    4) It had a low neck 🍈🍈

    5) Very cool print 👻

    THE BAD

    1) It was actually too big on the bodice even laced at its tightest so it felt like it was wearing me!

    2) The neckline managed to bury any hint of cleavage (quite a feat!) 🙅🏻‍♀️

    3) The thick skirt sat stiffly on my knees, so I’d have preferred flirty, black netting that length instead. Cyndi Lauper/Gwen Stefani style

    4) The grey tone drained all of the colour out of me 🧟‍♀️

    I actually felt pressured to wear it because I’d been told that I looked ‘classy’ and ‘grown up’ and ‘so fancy!’ and I’d been looking for a dress so long. But as soon as my Bloke saw me in it he said “Great dress but it’s not you is?” “No it’s really not!” I was so relieved he’d recognised that.

    LESSON LEARNED

    Always trust your instincts, and wear what makes you feel, like your most confident and true self. Never feel that you have to do it justice. Return it, gift it, donate it to charity, sell it on Poshmark, just don’t put up with it!

    What items have you bought that you thought would look great but just didn’t work and why?

    🖤🍒Chrissie🍒🖤

    The 90’s Blog Tag

    / Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 6 Comments

    I knew I had to join in with this tag when I voted for it on Heather of Just Geeking By‘s Twitter poll. Great idea to let your readers vote, Heather!

    Favourite TV Show

    Queer as Folk, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, My So Called Life and Footballers Wives. Lots of box sets on VHS. I was a teen for the majority of the 90’s so I’d love anything that was ‘cool’ or ‘mint’.

    Favourite 90’s Song

    One cassette single I remember being played on repeat for an entire six week school holiday is Trouble by Shampoo about two girls in their late teens missing the night bus home.

    What’s Going On by Four Non Blondes, Stay by Shakespeare Sister, then later a load of Happy Hardcore, Gangsters Paradise by Coolio and Breathe by The Prodigy.

    Favourite TV Add

    It has to be the famous Guinness beer surfer advert with the awesome track Phat Planet by Leftfield.

    NSYNC or Backstreet Boys

    In the UK it was Take That or East 17 (I preferred the latter but new all the words to every TT song) and then later Oasis V’s Blur (I went with Blur as I realised Liam Gallagher was/is a bit of dick. Alex James from Blur seems to be a bit of a snobby tw@tt though so, whatever).

    Did You Collect Anything Back Then

    Garfield stickers and shag bands (skinny rubber bracelets and if one broke it was meant to be a sign you’d get a shag soon – they were not intuitive AT ALL).

    How Many Tamagotchis Did You Go Through

    Two. A cute little dinosaur which turned into to a Tetradactyl and flew off the screen! I couldn’t be arsed with second and kept loosing it but people kept passing it on until it’d get back to me!

    Favourite Video Game and Console

    Sega Megadrive and Sonic the Hedgehog or Streets of Rage.

    Favourite Cereal/Free Toy

    There was one cereal that gave out big Casper (the film about the friendly ghost) stickers which glowed in the dark.

    Who Was Your 90’s Crush Growing Up

    Mel Gibson – don’t judge, he was fit in the Leathal Weapon Films! Oh, and Christian Slater and Bruce Willis.

    What Was Your Fave Disney Channel Movie

    We were too poor to afford a Sky dish.

    Disney, Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network

    I watched Sky at my mates after school. No idea what channel/network it was on. Pinky and the Brain, Anamaniacs, Rugrats, Hey Arnold, Sharky and George and Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Sister Sister.

    Weirdest Fashion Trend

    I know people think 90’s style was cool and alternative but in a rough high school that was considered weird. Halley Hanson sailing jackets. Why were a bunch of scally’s wanting those!?

    What Were Your Fave Toys You Would Play With

    A little Boglin (I made mine all punky with loads of piercings), a giant slinky, those smiley sunflowers with arms and legs you won at the fair and ‘plushies’ when they were just called ‘soft toys’.

    Fave Early Morning or Saturday Show

    Before school the nation would watch The Big Breakfast with Chris Evans, Johnny Vaun, Denise Van Outten and Paula Yates (and that chemistry laden interview with Micheal Hutchens from INXS). Live and Kicking was on a Saturday with Philip Scofield and a young John Barrowman as the Hollywood reporter.

    Favourite McDonalds Happymeal Toy

    I was grossed out by the texture of dead animal until I was 14 and even then only liked chicken nuggets but I do remember getting a mate (who’d just started working there) to pinch me a rare Rugrats chunky blue watch, haha!

    Favourite Book

    I hate horror films so naturally I progressed from Sweet Valley High to POINT HORROR! Teachers Pet and Freeze Tag were wicked!

    What Would You Watch When You Got Home From School

    Blue Peter (the days of Matt Baker trying boxer-size or Connie Huq jumping out of planes SAS style), then while eating our tea on our knee, would be the The Simpsons and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air with my Mam and Dad.

    What Is The One Thing From The 90’s You Wish Were Available Today

    My posse of around 12 mates, which included friends of friends that I was (nearly) always happy to see. They never singled me out as ‘the weird one’ even though I struggled so much with what I now realise is Dyspraxia, Autism and Hypermobilty Syndrome. They never asked how I could somehow be ditzy and witty or adventurous and clumsy all at the same time, they were just accepting and patient. I met some of them a few years back and they have changed…a lot -_-

    Tag Your All It!

    Anyone who wants to join in with this tag please do, seriously please, I love reading these things.

    This has been so much fun and has really challenged my memory, seeing as I drunk copious amounts of alcohol every Friday night through most of my teens, I think I did rather well!

    Which answers do you relate to….?

    🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤

    Pyjama-style Fashion

    / Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 2 Comments

    As seen on catwalks and in glossy magazines over the past several years, pyjama-style fashion is sticking around. It’s cool how items which look like PJ’s separately, can also look surprisingly smart when you put them together right.

    I should have rolled the sleeves up for the first one though.

    Shirt – Missguided

    Cami – Boohoo

    Palazzo Pants – Matalan

    Sandals – Newlook

    Earrings – Forage

    Hair Clips – Claire’s

    Scrunchy – Claire’s

    I’d love to know, in these strange times have you managed to pull off wearing actual PJ’s outside and how did that go?

    🖤✨Chrissie ✨🖤

    Your Fave STYLE Photo’s from the Last 6 Months

    / Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 3 Comments

    Here’s another part of this little series and today it’s my style posts and photo’s which got the most likes on my Instagram and on this blog. The previous one was Food and the one before that was Lifestyle.

    (Clockwise)

    Outfit – EMP

    Bag – Lumiliu

    Top – charity shop, originally Boohoo; skirt and sandals – Newlook

    Boots – Koi

    Camo tee – my blokes, originally Army and Navy; trousers – Newlook

    Biker Jacket – vintage

    Boots – Newlook; Batwings – Koi; Tie dye tee – Brave Girl Official on Ebay Moomin tee – EMP; cardigan my Mams.

    Which are your faves and what would you pair with some of these? I’m always up for suggestions!

    🖤✨Chrissie✨🖤