Happy (Belated) Halloween Wishes...

Hey Bloggers,

Long time no speak! I hope you're all doing wonderful and enjoying autumn so far?

So major apologies on the lack of blog posts this past year, guilty as charged. Yep, my new year's resolution for 2017 will definitely include checking in on here more often. I mean sure, sometimes other stuff takes over, but I like to remember it like this... When life gives you lemons, make lemonade ;) 🍋

One of the reasons I created Paint Me Up in the first place was to have a platform to call my own. A place to share the stuff I dig with others. So here's to rekindling my passion for blogging and getting back on track! 🍸

Moving onto today's musings... I hope everyone had a kick-ass Halloween and enjoyed the spooky festivities as much as I did. Hands down, Halloween weekend '16 rocked, and I cannot wait to go even crazier come next October! 🎃

What did you all dress up as this year? I would love to see some party pictures from you guys and gals, along with plenty of spook-tastic costumes to boot.

Here are a few choice snaps I collected to celebrate my fave calendar occasion, Halloween. Once you're done browsing today's post, I hope you'll come away feeling inspired and ready to enjoy the fireworks this evening!

Until next time my lovelies...

Dawn 💋

Halloween 2016:

Jack O' Lantern Spotting in Manchester City Centre, Post-Carpenter Gig! \m/

Michael Myers and 'Dead by Dawn' the Ghostie...

The Pumpkin sees all! :3

My Guy made a corpse and hung it from a nearby tree... standard scaring tactics which went down a storm with the local kids! ;)

Our creepy Halloween bookshelf display...

Pumpkin Carving is always fun!

Pretty Day of the Dead Wall Decoration

Did I mention I have a sweet tooth? ;)

... and it wouldn't be Halloween without one final cupcake treat - thank you Patisserie Valerie!

Note: All Photography by Myself (Dawn)

Happy Easter Everyone!

Photo Credit: Pinterest. Effects & Font created by myself (Dawn)

Beyonce “Pretty Hurts”

Never a lady to shy away from starring in a controversial music video or two, Beyonce is back on top form with the newest track taken from her Visual album. “Pretty Hurts” is a powerful ballad which Bey sings beautifully, but the video definitely reveals her vulnerable side. 

Mrs. Carter’s character, Miss 3^rd War portrays the fast-paced ups and downs of beauty pageantry, showing off her first class acting skills in the process. Directed by Melina Matsoukas, the American director wanted to be able to capture what life is often like for young women, and how toxic beauty pageants can be. 

In light of her latest video, Beyonce has also recently launched a campaign entitled #WhatIsPretty. This campaign is inspiring for female fans in particular as it encourages them to upload either a photo or a video of themselves onto Instagram, to promote what the word ‘pretty’ means on a personal note.  

Happy Halloween 2013!

Hey Bloggers!

My apologies for being out of the blogosphere for a couple of months, I'm sure most of you will understand how hectic things can get around this time of year?!

Today's post is just a brief note on the Halloween holiday which is personally one of mine (and my sister's) favourite times of the year, simply because we are secretly goths at heart, haha! ;) Everything about Halloween screams excitement to me, from the sultry make-up looks and darker fashion trends to the seasonal treats and new flavours of coffee, it's all one big novelty. Me and my sister Faye will be spending our day in the Lake District this year, taking snap shots of the gorgeous scenery Windermere has to offer as well as sampling some of their finest luxury chocolates no doubt!

For me and my boyfriend the entire month of October is an excuse to watch all of those much loved horror classics by the likes of: John Carpenter, Wes Craven, George A. Romero and Hammer Horror to name a few. So tonight will be spent watching the original 'Halloween' movie, one of Carpenter's very best in my opinion. :)

Here is a song by the ever so decadent Marilyn Manson to get you all in the spooky mood... Happy Halloween everyone!

Fashion Icon: Nicki Minaj

As much as I don't rate her music all that much, Nicki Minaj is truly a style icon in her own right when it comes to pulling off quirky fashion trends.

Ever since she first burst onto the rap music scene back in 2010 with her debut album, appropriately entitled, 'Pink Friday', I have always noticed Nicki's individual sense of style and personality. It just goes to show that some celebrities can stand out from the crowd for any number of reasons... for Nicki Minaj, it's her striking charisma and Hawaiian looks that get my vote.

Nicknamed 'Harajuku Barbie', what I love about this lady's style is her ability to wear anything and everything, and wear it with confidence. For me, fashion is very much about making your own way and not following any one trend in particular. Fashion and beauty are so diverse in that they can transform a person's look entirely, and Nicki is the perfect role model for transforming her day to day look - I would definitely call her a style chameleon.

Although she may come across to some people as slightly O.T.T, I love her eccentric outfits and make-up choices, and I'm always eager to see what style she will come up with next!

Whether she is playing dress-up as a Punk on the cover of Marie Claire Magazine, amping up the neon factor whilst promoting her MAC Cosmetics campaign or wearing just about every type of wig there is, Nicki Minaj is certainly an inspiration to fashion followers and art lovers alike.

Note: All images are not taken by me.

Pretty in Punk! Vogue Editorial

I've always had a strong love affair with fashion editorials. Whether I find them in Vogue, Elle, Tank or Pop, the excitement of buying my favourite fashion magazines each month brings a feeling of joy and reminds me just how versatile trends really are.

Even when I used to plan and co-ordinate styling photo shoots whilst I was studying at uni, it was always a pleasure to see the progression of how an initial idea develops into a finished promotional campaign - I suppose this is how creative teams feel when they are out on location shooting for the world's leading fashion magazines.

In that spirit, whilst flicking through the glossy pages of last month's Vogue, I stumbled across an extremely creative editorial with a strong emphasis on PUNK. So naturally, as Punk is one of my all time favourite sub-cultures especially in terms of styling, I have included the full editorial spread from the last issue on my blog... enjoy!

Note: All images courtesy of Vogue May 2013 Issue.

Cinema Spotlight: The Great Gatsby

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of going to see 'The Great Gatsby' movie. Even though I didn't have a full knowledge of what the film was about I still wanted to go and watch it, especially after seeing lots of snippets and glamorous looking trailers. Now that I have watched the movie in full I can tell you that it was a fantastic, five-star rating love story. 

The movie starts off in retrospect with Toby Maguire looking back on his time spent partying as a young, free and ordinary guy living a whirlwind life of endless parties in the 1920's. The story builds up a sense mystery surrounding who rich socialite, Jay Gatsby actually is and whether or not he is just a myth. However, despite the many parties Gatsby throws it soon unfolds that this is all just a cover-up for his loneliness. His character development is fantastic particularly when we learn that all of the grand gestures and crazy social gatherings he hosted were designed to seek the attention of one woman, Gatsby's long-lost lover, Daisy. Now I won't spoil the ending of the movie for those who haven't seen it yet, but it's definitely got my vote!

Aside from starring Leo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire who both delivered outstanding acting performances, one of the primary reasons I went to see this movie was for the on-screen glamour. The movie boasted dazzling visual affects from start to finish and gave a life-like account of how people lived during the 1920's. The 1920's have always been one of my favourite historic time periods, particularly from a fashion stand point. The characters in this movie truly capture the elegance and the glamorous costumes people would wear on a daily basis as well as that essence of social status. 

Directed by the man behind Moulin Rouge - Bazz Luhrmann, it's no wonder the visuals are so stunning!

Some of the outfit highlights for me are noted in these cinematic pictures below...

Note: All images are not my own.