How to: Banana Bread

So you may be thinking, 'What the hell? I thought this was a fashion/beauty blog'. But due to my obsession with the Great British Bake Off, I have been recently on a bit of a baking kick. Things I bake never really turn out right, and I usually buy the box kits of cake mix; but today I thought I would have a go at Banana Bread from scratch. It's super easy, tastes amazing and nothing actually went wrong! If you fancy a go, this is what you'll need:

285g of plain flour
1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda 
2 eggs
1/2 a tsp of salt
225g of caster sugar
3 or 4 ripe bananas 
110g butter
85ml milk
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Extra butter for greasing

First, I preheated the oven to 180C and mashed my bananas in a mixing bowl. The recipe gave some complicated way of combining the ingredients, I just chucked it all in and mixed it with a fork. It's best not to blend it as it's nice to bite into chunks of banana when it is finished. I then greased a Pyrex dish with butter and poured in the mixture. The recipe told me I needed to bake the bread for an hour, however it took almost 2 hours. When you can stick a knife through the center and it comes out clean, it's done. 

I hope this random blog post inspires someone to give baking a go!

Love Ruby.  

Haulin' #2 - Korres

I thought I would share a little beauty haul from Duty Free at Corfu airport seen as I haven't blogged in a while. I was pretty set on getting a perfume while browsing the selection in Duty Free, but none of them were that cheaper than on the high street. However, I came across a little counter of Korres products, never actually making the connection that its a Greek brand (being produced in Athens). When in Greece, do as the Greeks do and all that. I thought I'd get a little selection of their products to try out and review. I bought:

1. Korres Almond & Linseed Hair Mask For Dry/Damaged Hair 125ml

2. Korres Exfoliating Body Scrubs 150ml in Watermelon

3. Korres Showergel 250ml in Coconut Milk

4. Korres Moisturising Body Milk 200ml in Mint Tea

5. Korres Milk Protein Cleansing Wipes

All of this came to 38.50 euro, about £32. Considering from ASOS all of this would have totaled £46.50 it was a pretty good deal..

Love Ruby.

Last Week #1 - Greece

I thought I'd write a quick post about my holiday to Corfu, Greece last week. I haven't been on a family holiday since 2010 - only a crazy holiday to Ibiza earlier this year - so it was nice to get away somewhere quiet and relaxing. We stayed in a small seaside town called Agios Gordios where we've visited twice before. Despite the fact that I was the youngest person holidaying there by about 40 years, it was lovely to just have some peace and quiet, and an excuse to do absolutely nothing for 7 days. 

Love Ruby.

Haulin' #1

American Apparel Black Denim Circle Skirt - £42

Nike Air Max 1 Anthracite Black Club Pink - £94.99

Topshop Mom Jeans Black - £40

It was my last day of my week in London at the London College of Fashion, so I thought I'd give myself a pat on the back for surviving it by buying some stuff in Oxford Street. 

I've wanted a black skater skirt for a while, and pondered over the cheaper alternative from Missguided for a mere £14.99. But I thought I would go for quality over a cheaper price as I would wear it to death during winter with thick black tights and Chelsea boots. American Apparel have a huge selection of skater skirts, not cheap but really good quality. The only access I have to American Apparel is via Asos or their website as there is no stores in Essex, meaning I couldn't feel or try it on before I bought it. So I took the opportunity being in London to snatch it up. 

I wanted to get a pair of black trainers for winter, as I think white trainers against black tights can look a bit weird. I originally wanted the Nike Air Max in black leopard, but my friend Aimee and the shop assistant convinced me into getting the pair shown above. I'm really happy I chose these in the end, I've seen too many people in the leopard print pair. Plus Office's shitty returns policy on top of the price of the shoes means you don't want to be unsure of what you're buying.   

All the biggest and best stores are on Oxford St, particularly Topshop - it's huge and they have everything and more that is on the website. I have already worn my acid wash Mom jeans to death, so I thought it would be worth adding the black pair to my wardrobe, especially with Autumn and Winter approaching. These are super comfy, and surprisingly flattering. Would 100% recommend them. 

Love Ruby.

Happy 80th Birthday Karl Lagerfeld - I think.

'I'm very much down to Earth, just not on this Earth'

According to the top search engines, Karl Lagerfeld is 80 years old today, being born on the 10^th of September 1933. However, it is actually a mystery when the fashion icon was born. It was his mother who created this confusion, plus the fact that interviews with Karl himself, and another with his spokeswoman, added the speculation that he could have been born in either 1935 or 1938. Karl explained: "My mother changed the date. It was easier to write a 3 or an 8," Whatever his age, the creative director genius at Chanel is clearly not fazed by the aging process saying "Everyone knows that I'm 100 years old… So it doesn't matter how old I am!" 

Here's a few strange facts about Karl Lagerfeld:

1. He used to be a bodybuilder in his youth.

2. He owns around 300 iPods, and has a nanny to monitor his playlists.

3. Karl changed his surname from Lagerfeldt to Lagerfeld.

4. He would like to marry his cat Choupette.

5. His own line of scented candles will be launched this coming October.

Love Ruby. 

Top 10 Trainers: Nike Air Max

This time last year, I wouldn't have been seen dead in a pair of trainers. But recently they have been my shoe of choice, so I thought I'd do a blog series of my Top 10 Trainers. Nike Air Max in particular are some of my favourites if not my favourite. I have 2 pairs so far, the ones in the picture above (Air Max 1 Anthracite Black Club Pink), and the Air Max 1 White Grey Snow Leopard - I would have more if they weren't so god damn expensive. Not only are they extremely comfortable, and fit like a glove, they just add that extra cool to any outfit. As long as you keep them in pristine condition, I also think that they a smarter type of trainer; paired with the right outfit they would look amazing on a night out. I am slightly OCD over mine; I won't wear them when it's raining outside and keep them in their boxes. I think if you are pondering over whether to buy a pair, sticking to either black, white or grey for a first pair is a good idea. They'll be timeless and can be paired with almost any outfit. I bought mine from office.co.uk, and if you're a student you'll get an extra 10% off.As soon as my student loan comes through, I will be buying another pair. Or two.

Love Ruby.

Fashion Journalism Short Course at the London College of Fashion

         

I recently enrolled on a 5 day intensive Fashion Journalism course at the London College of Fashion, and it turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life. I'm about to enter the last year of my degree in English Literature and Media Studies, but Fashion Journalism is my true passion. 

Because I had no real idea about the ins and outs of Fashion Journalism, I thought one of the short courses that LCF had to offer would be a great beginners introduction. The University of the Arts London is also acclaimed world wide, with graduates including John Galliano - meaning to show that you have studied there puts you at a great advantage. The course cost £525 - yes it's extortionate, but worth every penny. 

Paul Tierney the lecturer was absolutely amazing, being regularly commissioned by Vogue, Grazia and The Independent to name but a few. He gave us tips and tricks for fashion writing, and also essential information about getting yourself noticed in the fashion industry. 

We also took field trips to locations such as the V&A and Dover Street Market, which we later were given assignments to review. Being able to show my work to an accomplished fashion journalist was one of the best aspects of the course, to tell me where I am going right and where I was going wrong by someone who knows what they are talking about was essential for me.  

I am so happy that I took the plunge and attended the course. It has instilled in me that Fashion Journalism is what I what I want to do in the future, and I just can't wait to finish university to get some experience in the industry now. I would highly recommenced the LCF and UAL short courses to anyone that is interested in fashion, it will be one of the best decisions you ever make!

Love Ruby.    

Marc Jacobs Honey Competition

Being the Instagram addict that I am, I couldn't help but catch wind of Marc Jacobs advertising campaign for their new fragrance Honey. The concept is that you would photograph on Intsagram a place that you love which is your 'MJ Honey Spot', and use the hashtag #MJHoneyspots. I captured a picture of myself on my cousins boat looking out over the river in my village on a sunny August day. I never win anything, so when I received a comment on my photo from the Marc Jacobs Fragrances Instagram @marcjacobsfragrances to say that they loved my photo and I had won a prize, I was in total shock. I conversed with a lovely lady from their team by email, and even though it was the ligit Marc Jacobs Instagram with 11k followers, I was dubious to whether they would actually send me anything. A week later, and what do you know? I had a big parcel through the post containing the 50ml Marc Jacobs Honey perfume, and a beautiful cream and gold enamel Marc by Marc Jacobs bangle.  

Honey by Marc Jacobs is described as a 'sunny delicious floral - energetic and alluring, with a sparkling, golden touch. The perfect mix of brightness and warmth. The fragrance energizes with the freshness of green pear brightened with a splash of fruity punch and juicy mandarin. At the heart of the fragrance is orange blossom, a note of sparkling femininity that mingles with nectars of honeysuckle and peach. Honey, vanilla and smooth woods dry down to a warm, golden base.' I honestly love it. Not only does it smell amazing and summery, the bottle is beautiful. I also own Lola and Daisy by Marc Jacobs, and am yet to find one of his fragrances that I don't love. The 50ml bottle retails for £50.

The bangle was also an added surprise which I slipped on my wrist instantly after opening the package. The photo shown isn't the exact one they sent me, mine has a hinge which opens and closes the bangle, with the letters only outlined in gold. The Marc by Marc Jacobs cream enamel bangle retails for £50 and can be found at Harrods.com. Why don't you try your own #MJHoneyspots photo?

Thank you Marc Jacobs!

Love Ruby.

Is your 'it' bag still doing it for you?

     When Hong Kong’s wealthiest women need quick cash, and their it bags are no longer doing it for them, the Yes Lady Finance Company is the place to go. The Hong Kong based company offers quick-fix loans, but instead of the sky high interest rates of your average loan shark, the luxury-obsessed population can now use their designer bags as collateral. Yes Lady Finance Company accepts handbags from Gucci, Chanel, Hermes and Louis Vuitton – commonly found in the wardrobes of the wealthy in Hong Kong.

     One of the most alluring aspects of this concept is the elimination of lengthy loan procedures, with an online application process taking less than 5 minutes. Ms. Wong who uses Yes Lady Finance Co. for her son’s schooling says "I don't want to go through all the complicated application procedures in the banks". But what if these luxury items are no longer a luxury to you, then why not? “I don’t feel any loss when I take some of them [designer bags] as collateral for loans” says office worker Angel Yam, a regular of Yes Lady Finance Co. 

     And what if they decide keep the cash and ditch the bag? Well Yes Lady Finance will still be quids in, there is a huge market throughout the world for pre-owned designer bags; the classics retain their retail value and special editions or rare prints and skins can even increase in value over time. At the age of 17, I bought my first designer bag pre-owned, a Louis Vuitton Speedy 25 Monogram; despite the fact that it sits lonely on top of my wardrobe inch-deep in dust, the nostalgia that the bag encompasses for me means that the concept of a handbag backed loan would not be for me. 

     However, according to The Wall Street Journal, most of Yes Lady Finance’s clients are able to pay back their loan in the allotted 4 months and are reunited with their beloved Birkin. 

Love Ruby.