How to pack a suitcase – thats under 25KG

So your summer holiday (or vacation if you’re one of my USA readers) is just around the corner and you’re counting down the days til you can catch some rays and sip some cocktails. There’s only one thing you’re not looking forward to – packing!
If you’re like 83% of women, your suitcase will weigh 24.8kg, but you will only wear 1kg of the clothes you packed…..Wait, so I won’t actually wear that sixth bikini? I won’t wear UGG’s in Thailand?!?! Or Louboutins?!?! Whaat??
So here’s my fashionista guide to packing under 25kg, and still looking like you stepped off a catwalk.

Mix and match your clothes before you go:
Way easier than you think! And works especially well for interrailing and backpacking where you will be lugging around your bag, but you want to still look stylish for your pictures. All you need are key items like denim cut off shorts, cotton skirts, and a maxi dress that can take you from day to night, and then you can mix and match them with crop tops, shirts and jackets. Same goes for shoes. Aim to bring just 4 pairs. I recommend bringing gladiators, a pair of cool trainers, and wedge heels with an ankle strap because they are easier to walk in and a lifesaver for swollen ankles. Here’s an example of one key item mixed and matched five different ways:

Makeup breakup
We all know that heart breaking feeling, that awful realisation….that your makeup has crumbled into a fine dust!! There’s usually no warning, you just open the compact and have the powder explode into your face, like a holiday ruining volcano!! But, you can prevent this unnataral disaster! Just put cotton wool over the powder to protect it and Selotape the lid! As an extra precaution, put everything in a ziplock bag so your clothes are protected if there is a makeup explosion.

Share the load
If like me, you cant live without your GHD, hairdryer and all the tools that go with it, but cant afford the weight in your case, then all you have to do is text your friends and ask if they’re bringing theirs. Once you know someone in your party has one, you can borrow from them, and they can borrow tools from you, simples…..you could even be a completely cute who’er, and get the twelve week blowdry before you go! Absolutely no chance your hair will frizz and all you need is a hairdryer. Especially good, if you are going somewhere humid and remote.

Vote for squeezielou blog in OOH LA LA magazine’s 2013 blog award!

OhhLALA magazine is Irelands Hottest new entry into the fashion and beauty scene and is taking the glossy market by storm….not only is it achingly cool ( sort of like Irelands answer to Vogue magazine), its 100% Irish, so you wont be doing that “eh how much is that in Euro? or “Do we have that shop here?” kinda thing!

Even better than that, they are giving you the chance to vote for your favourite Irish Fashion and Beauty blogs! So if you have a spare 20 seconds, please nominate this blog by sending this link http://squeezielou.wordpress.com/ to: blogawards@oohlalamagazine.ie

Want to know more about OohLaLa? Take a look here

Hottest IT nail colour Spring Summer 2013

This summer you all have my permission to go nude! On your nails of course! Springs hottest nail colour is nude! Kate Middleton is a big fan of the trend, and I can see why, it gives such a “barely there” classy, refined finish. Your nails but better! Super chic for nights on the tiles yet refined and ladylike enough to have that first meeting with your boyfriends parents….( There are some weirdo’s out there that think polish is for trampy chung’ones….like I said…weirdo’s)

My polish of choice at the moment is Essie “Sandy Bench” 13:00 euro in Boots Jervis street (they also sell in pharmacies, but not in my local one, woe is me!) I also highly recommend Mac nail lacquer in “Hangin Loose” and Bourjois so Laque in “Rose Lounge”. Kate Middleton wears all three, and on her wedding day she wore a blend of Essie “Allure” and Bourjois so Laque in “Rose lounge”…..if its fit for a future queen….

Seen at Topshop unique, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta and Chanel..to name but a few, this is nails chicest trend.

Rihanna designes second River Island Collection

After the phenomenal over night success of Rihanna’s first collection for River Island, they are now collaborating for another, high summer collection designed by the star on sale May 25th.

The star says of the collection: “I just wanted stuff that I wanted to wear because at the end of the day that’s what got me into designing – seeing things on the rack that were great, but that could have been a little more me. “Maybe they could have been a little longer or shorter, or have a little more sex appeal or a little less.I wanted to make clothes for fat days; stuff that I want to wear. I was being selfish. Hopefully, my friends and people who shop at River Island will have the same taste.”

And she’s right, the whole collection is very much her style coming through, and I can certainly see some lust worthy pieces! Like her previous collection, fears that you could only pull it off if you had Rihanna’s shapely figure will probably be unfounded this time around too. I’d say you could wear these clothes regardless of shape/size, if you incorporated pieces with your own style and wore it your own way.

There is allot of grumbling about the credibility of the collection. Many not believing she designed the collection entirely by herself, and that she probably just gave the design team a few directions and ideas of what she wanted, and then chose from what they came up with, maybe suggesting they add this or that to it…….elves and the shoe maker stylie……And that its a shameless marketing exercise…….I’m not going to disagree, it does seem that way, but hey, that doesn’t seem to have put anybody off! The previous collection sold out almost overnight, in every city, and the RI website crashed within minutes of the collection going on sale online. So they were obviously giving people what they wanted, and what’s the harm in that eh?

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti Chip Top Coat review

There’s nothing worse than waiting around for your nails to dry. Actually, no, there is: waiting an hour or more for your nails to dry- and then smudging them!!

So that’s why my prayers were answered when Sally Hansen “Insta-Dri anti chip TopCoat” came into my life. What is it? Its a clear topcoat for nails that “instantly” dries nail varnish! This baby looks like clear nail varnish, but is actually liquid acrylic, and all you do is paint nails as normal, wait thirty seconds, paint this on and in two minutes your nails will be dry, with a professional high gloss shine! Halleluiah!!

The only drawback of this baby is that it has deprived my family of the laughs they used to get watching me walking around our house when my nails were wet, like an ironing board avoiding land mines. Arms wide, fingers spread into a jazz hands kinda scenario. At only 5:89 for a big 13.3 ml bottle in Boots you can’t say fairer than that can you? They also have a 3-for-2 offer on Sally Hansen at the moment, so this could potentially pay for itself. An absolute must have for polish lovers. …But a big disappointment to fans of my weekly manicure drying show.

SS 13 Trends Part 3

White noise
The other end of the colour spectrum to neon, but equally daring is the all white tend. Seen at Victoria Beckham, Alexander Wang and Jill Sander this trend is white hot. Wear as crisp separates or in unstructured draped layers with flashes of neon accessories to look SS13 box fresh.

Stripes
Don’t worry, they won’t make you look fat – that’s just a myth. In fact they actually make you look slimmer. This is because stripes create a narrowing optical illusion. The eye can only focus on either the white or the colour- not both. If you don’t quite like black stripes seen on the Marc Jacobs catwalks, go for candy apple red, navy or blue-grey.

To school for cool
It’s never been hipper to be square! Being a teen geek was once something to hide from, now, all the cool girls are proudly flaunting their geekyness. Being best mates with the local librarians is now cooler that being on the guest list. Baggy sweatshirts in flattering hues with slogans like “Genius” “Dweeb” and “Dork” with collars peeking over are right on the money. But I do advise drawing the line at wearing glasses and pretending to be near sighted….people will think you are desperate to be cool, rather that desperately cool.

Pencil Skirts
A classic staple and sexy no matter what your shape! Great for creating the illusion of curves if you don’t have any, and for loving the ones you have, while tummy flattening. Wear them in clashing colourways and in on trend patterns. This is one trend you could really invest in because it never goes out.

Go Sheen
Let your light sheen with this trend! See what I did there? Seen at Jonathan Saunders, Christian Dior, Victor & Rolf Burberry Possum and Diane Von Furstenberg this trend is in every fashion insiders wardrobe. Pair it with a soft neutral separate for day and with sleek hair for night (aka no Cheryl Cole beehives….sorry.)

Spring trends 2013 Part 2

Dungarees
Once the preserve of twee 90’s children’s TV presenters, maternity camouflage, and suspect lezbos like Demi Moore. Now, THE must have item of every fashion insider. But this time around forget about it for camouflaging or house painting! SS 2013 dungarees are for demure hints of waist flashing, rear flattering, giving the illusion of cleavage and curves, and making guys want to unbutton the clasps! Guys see girls in dungarees and they “don’t know why” they find it sexy, but they do. We know that it’s for all the above.

Neon lips
Seen on the catwalks at Holly Fulton, Missoni, Giles, Jason Woo to name but a few. This trend is one of the hottest for SS 13. Wear hot pink and neon orange in matte finishe and you will be bang on trend. Not to mention wearing two universally brightening colours for skin that minimise dark circles. Night on the tiles? Reach for your neon lipstick and no one will be any the wiser!

Floral print trousers
This is a trend that is much like summer flowers themselves. They are biding their time before they bloom, appearing one by one, and then before you know it – in two months or so- they will be everywhere, in all their glory! SS 13 version is more chic than street ( you wont see Cher Lloyd in them) and they are great for laid back sophisticated summer drinks, smart casual work style, and family events. Keep the whole look simple, and chic by keeping your top half simple and clean in a crisp sheer shirt (below) and take it from day to night with a blazer….which brings me onto my next point.

Blazers
That old style staple, blazed their way down the SS13 catwalks at fashion week. This seasons blazers are loose and less structured in pastel shades. Great for lifting a casual look into a smarter more pulled together realm, while still maintaining the illusion of being casual. Great for when you don’t quite know the dress code of a daytime event, and for taking you from day to night.

60’s Geometric prints
Seen at Louis Vuitton the 60’s geometric print is one of fashions biggest trends! Expect to see it everywhere, along with the 60’s silhouette of higher necked tight mini dresses in block colours. Drop waist structured blazers, straight line mini’s and cigarette pants along with allot of candy coloured pastels.