If the shoe fits ... stick to that store ! 

Yes, I know, it's been a hot minute since my last post ! But don't worry, i'm still a shopaholic so I still have lots to blog about !! Posts are coming ! 

Most of you will know by now that my ultimate weakness (addiction) is shoes! I have spent quite a small fortune on shoes over the last few years and as a result have 3 shoe "towers" + a bottom layer in my wardrobe + a few boxes under the bed . All heels. I need help. 

My favourite shoe store to shop in has most definitely been Kurt Geiger . It's a bit pricey but the shoes are fab-u-lous and they fit my very small feet properly. 

This year , Zara have managed to convert me to checking their collection out first ! Before looking in Kurt Geiger! 

I have purchased 4 pairs of sandals in Zara since January 2013 !!! 

They are definitely cheaper than Kurt Geiger, they fit, they're very pretty and super COMFORTABLE !  

It all started with the Emerald Green Sandals in January... I tried them on in the shop and they felt very comfortable. However, they always feel fine in the store because you  WANT THEM so bad that your mind tells you "yes, really comfy, wow, never had such a comfortable pair before, I can definitely walk in these"... and then you get home and realise you were TRICKED !!  

£49.99

So I got them, took them home and tested them out for dancing in. I had a Battle in Italy coming up so that would be the big test. I went  to Italy to compete, new shoes packed and I WON. Verdict: they WERKED for me !!! 

Shortly after, I decided it would be missing an opportunity if I didn't buy the same ones in Black!! Because, how often do you find perfect Battle shoes ?? Shoes that look great AND that you can Dance FULL OUT in ???!! Exactly !! 

So I returned to Zara and got the 2nd  pair !

I guess if the shoe fits, buy it in every colour ? ;) 

When I think that I got both pairs for £100 and most Kurt Geiger shoes I like are around that price for 1 pair ... I say: WERK !!  And I guarantee you that I CAN perform, battle, shop and walk in them ! 

The next Zara Shoe purchase was the "Oh So Cute and Classy" orange pair that I blogged about in my "Back in the Habit" post. 

£29.99

£29.99 ??? Bargain for these. I've had so many compliments; every time I wear them, I get a nice comment. I've worn them with skirts, jeans and shorts ! I've worn them to a wedding, dinner and the museum. Matching handbag et Voilà! LOVE them SO much.

Vintage Jacket from Episode (that I intend to Blog about); Grey t-shirt from Ginatricot; Shorts from H&M Mens; Sunglasses from Camden; Earrings from Primark; Handbag from Italy AND the SHOES from ZARA ! 

                                      

The 4th pair is a Silver pair ! I had been looking at them for a while and then I got them in the sale !

£24.99

I have worn these a few times already with a black jumpsuit and silver earrings and with some black and white trousers. I think they're very summery and quite fun ! I'm planning a little shoot in them so stay tuned ! 

It's been good for me to change shoe store and go for a cheaper option that i'm still 100% satisfied with ! Once you find a store that sell things that fit, look good, feel good and have a decent price tag : don't let go ! 

So Zara, what you got for next season ? Mademoiselle Ginger wants to know ! 

Much love and shoes,

à bientôt,

Mlle Ginger

  

Hair- ccesories 

Hey readers! I have been drawn to hair accessories lately and I thought I'd Blog about them because I find they finish off my outfits perfectly. 'Hair' me out. 

Carrie (Bradshaw) once confronted Burger about the Scrunchie - if you're lost, you should watch more 'Sex and the City' - and told him no New York City gal would wear a Scrunchie because it's a Fashion Faux Pas. Well i'm about to reveal something shocking: I love a Scrunchie !! 

I started wearing some of my mother's 80's hair 'things' with  my vintage shirts a little over a year ago. 

She doesn't throw anything away ... lucky for me ! 

This is a picture of me in Sweden for a Waacking Battle featuring the 'real' 80's Bow from my mom's collection. WERK.  

After that bow came the BIG BLACK Scrunchie from Claire's and then the BIG RED Scrunchie at Christmas.

My Scrunchie obsession grew ... so I asked one of my very talented friends to make me some Scrunchies with my "Woman" logo on them !!!

They finish off my 80's outfits per - fe- ctly and you can spot them from a mile away: 

Italy

Battle 

I won! 

The Scrunchie is in ! It's not going anywhere ! However, I have a new Head - ccesorie friend ... 

... the Headband! It's my BFF right about now! 

In these pictures, I teamed it up with the Scrunchie to provide the ultimate 80's look! 

This shoot was put together to promote my new 'wErk Now - wOrk Later' t-shirt collection (email me to get yours posted now ! ) and I had to look super 80's DOPE! Mission accomplished. 

So scrunchies, bows, headbands .... Hats you ask? Done ! 

 

So what's the point of this post? Go get a Hair - ccesorie and have some fun with it ! 

Much love and shoes, 

à bientôt, 

Mlle Ginger

Get the Look 

Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while since my last post but i've been busy filming my new Waacking Dance Video (amongst multiple other things) ! Yes, if you did not know, i'm a Dancer and Waacking is the style I live for. 

For this Video project, I really wanted to create a mirror effect between the origins of Waacking and my persona. 

Waacking was inspired by silent films and old Black and White movies; I used this to show my dramatic side and French character. Waacking was born to Disco music: the Disco energy would reflect my fierce and passionate side. 

I used 2 outfits + Hair and Make- Up combos, 2 locations and a colour contrast to create the illusion.  

Let's check out the clothes .... 

Look 1: 1930's B & W Parisian

The first thing I did was look up pictures to understand the shape of the outfit and get the accessories right. 

Once I had all my images lined up I created my version:  

•  Blazer: Vintage "Grand Mère Glamour " 
• Pencil Skirt: Topshop  (tube skirt) 
• Shoes: Kurt Geiger

Accessories : 

• Hat: a precious Camden find in the Stables Market
• Pearl Earrings : Claire's accessories 
• Pearl Necklace: Camden market. 
• Gloves : Vintage "Grand Mère Glamour" 

• Bag : Vintage "Grand Mère Glamour "
• The Cinderella Belt : Vintage online Etsy 
• Brooch (hidden here) : Vintage 

The Belt and Hat are what made this outfit personal: the detail of the gold shoes along the belt +  the dramatic hat...  my outfit was complete! 

I needed this outfit to have all the "parts" so that it really looked like I was at a Bistrot having a coffee. The Bag and Gloves are the key to that "realness" I think because if you were going to a Caffe you would have a handbag and in the 30's ... gloves !! 

Look 2:  Disco 

The Disco outfit was easier to put together but it had to somehow be linked to the 1930's "ensemble" for the transitions from one era to the other to be smooth. I consequently decided to stick to Black + Silver sequins : the Disco version of Black & White!

• Sequin Butterfly Top: Vintage, Episode 
• Trousers : Episode 
• Shoes: Zara 

Accessories: 

• Earrings: Aldo 
• Bracelet: Kurt Geiger
• Belt: Vintage, Episode

This outfit is simple but effective ! Sequins: check, big 80's belt: check, fierce shoes: check !! 

So without further a do, here it is! Feel free to share and subscribe if you like it !

Much love and shoes, 

à bientôt, 

Mlle Ginger

Back in the Habit !

"Ahhhhhhh yea .... Summer summer summer time " - yes the sunshine is here ! I love it and I hope it's not going away because I have a heap of spring/ summer shoes that need to be worn ! 

Every year summer fashion hits the high street and every year we go out and buy a load of "stuff". Personally, I usually overload on summer shoes. But the truth is we Londoners don't really get to wear our summer wardrobes much because the sun never sticks around; so consequently our summer gear is still fresh the following year but we buy more anyway because it's in the nature of the women of today to shop! Right?!! 

So as the sunshine came out this week the order of my shoe boxes got flipped around. Yes the sandals, wedges and bright courts made their way from the floor to the top of the stack and the boots have creeped back to the bottom. 2 pairs of summer shoes have been worn in 2 days. Score . 

This spring has been no exception in that i've already gone and purchased a summer shoe (oops). Orange is my favourite colour so when I see shoes this pretty how am I suppose to resist?? These lovely ladies are from Zara and priced at £30 only !! Totally worth it. 

I have worn them twice already: once to a wedding with a navy and white pencil skirt + shirt ensemble and once to a casual dinner with jeans. 

They look even better in real life - trust me!  

The strap ensures I won't slip out when i'm running across the street (at the green man of course) and the closed front means they are appropriate for spring. So even if it's not really hot and sunny I can still wear them. I also just love the idea of a smart shoe that is NOT open toe but not a boring court shoe either.... don't you? 

A couple of "old" pairs of summer shoes that I can't wait to wear are my Habits and Kan Kans. I've had them for a while (at least 3 summers) and I can safely say they are my all time favourite pairs of summer shoes and as far as my Habits are concerned they are in my top 5 favourite shoes of all time - all seasons in!!  

The Kurt Geiger, Carvela Habits £120 

I love them so .... 

I remember how excited I was when I went to buy them. They were completely different to my other shoes because these were my first pair of "Carrie shoes" : shoes that literally make heads turn every time they are worn ... (I'm referring to Carrie from "Sex and the City" obviously) 

Yes the price is high but they still remain in my top 5 favourite shoes of all time and I wear them every year...   

They have a rope ankle tie that can be done up in many ways and an amazing pink heel that will give any outfit a little extra spice! I tend to wear these on a casual day to brighten up grey or denim, to and from work, to a quick coffee or just to the hairdressers. I basically wear them with my "i'm not even trying" look and they ALWAYS get attention and ALWAYS make me feel like I can Rule the World. They're a TREAT on my FEET every time. 

The Kurt Geiger, Carvela Kan Kan £120 

Yes another pricey pair but look : how pretty ?!  I do remember getting these on sale but I can't remember how much I paid...                             

If you don't like colour then stay away from these but if you're like me and you love a bright outfit (especially in the sun) these are perfect! 

My Kan Kans are my version of a "nude" shoe because I can wear them with everything and I've always preferred a statement shoe to a "nude" anyway . 

I also really enjoy matching a handbag and earrings to these  because you have OPTIONS: pink, blue, purple, turquoise, orange and yellow. Yay! Gotta love a fun outfit ! 

I adore the wedge. It's not your typical wedge and that's kool- especially the last few summers where wedges have been everywhere.  

These beauties are smart looking enough to be worn in the evening with a dress; do you know any other wedges that can do that? Do ya ? ;) 

To sum this up, my summer shoes are twitching in their boxes and i'm sure yours are too, so please sunshine don't go away ! 

Much love and shoes, 

à bientôt, 

Mlle Ginger 

PURPLE . 

A few years ago Melodie Briere did my make-up for a photo shoot (so far no new news, especially if you have just read my latest post "Fix my Face! ") and she gave me a Purple Lip.I LOVED it. 

I have never really been a lipstick fan. It dries my lips out and I don't have any patience for re-applying. Setting those two things aside, the purple lip was really nice and it went really well with my orange hair. I've looked out for a purple lipstick since but have never come across a shade that I like enough to "buy n try".  

Recently, I went to MAC make-up store with my friend Minx and I saw a gorgeous purple lipstick. I really liked the colour and wanted it instantly but the price tag put me off (£14 I think). 

Minx is a lipstick kinda girl and she has reviewed some lipsticks in her blog before so when she said this one wouldn't dry my lips out I had to trust her. Minx was on a mission to convince me to purchase this Purple and to be honest I really wanted it so she didn't need to work that hard but the extra "push" helped me give into the price tag. 

I now own a MAC Amplified Creme Lipstick in Violetta and I LOVE it. I have already worn it for a shoot and can't wait to wear it again. It did not dry my lips out and it looks really good with my orange hair ! Mission accomplished I say ! 

Here it is on: 

Photography + Hair + Make- up by Melodie Briere. 

This has definitely made me feel like I want to be a little more Lipstick adventurous ! Melodie can tell me what shade will go with my look and Minx can tell me what brands will keep my Lips happy ;) 

Check out a Lipstick review by Minx on her blog: http://modedelaminx.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/tips-for-lips-lickable-lipchitz/. 




Much love and shoes,                              

à bientôt,

Mlle Ginger 

Fix my Face! 

I love a photo shoot . I love being artistic and bringing an idea to life with clothes, hair, make-up, a camera etc . When I want to shoot, the first person I call is my make-up artist and best friend Mélodie Brière. She is a genius of make-up and has recently started getting behind the lens and shooting herself ! 

I think it's time to share with you some of the work she has done with me and other dancers from the underground scene.
I've given all the shots names and gone from the oldest to the most recent captions. Enjoy ! 

"The Chanel Headshot" 

All make-up used is Chanel - French stuff on a French face ;) 

Make- Up by Melodie 
Photography: JY 

 "The Shoe Shoot"  



Photography: Melodie Briere

Hair and Make-up: Melodie Briere

Styling and Concept : Mlle Ginger

" Kleio Pin- Up "

Photography: Melodie Briere

Hair & Make- Up : Melodie Briere

" Turbo got gold "

Photography: Melodie Briere

Make-up: Melodie Briere     

BGIRL ROXY  

"You Snooze You Loose" 

Make-up + Photography + concept by Melodie Briere 

" P*fect Vogue "

When Sofiabulous and Anna Ninja came to London for Waack Date, Melodie and I thought getting a shoot in was necessary ! 

www.mademoiselleginger.com/waack-date

Hair & Make-up + Photography + concept by Melodie Briere

"Ninja Pain "       

Anna Ninja Werkin' it ! 

Hair & Make- up + Photography+ concept by Melodie Briere          

                                              

"Waack Date Stripes"   

The most recent shoot we did together :

Hair & Make-up + Photography

by Melodie Briere   

Styling by Mlle Ginger                                                                                              

This is just the beginning so stand back and watch out because Melodie is here to stay and she means business ! All things Powered by Melo are Lion Fierce ! 

Much love and shoes, 

à bientôt, 

Mlle Ginger