{mally powell}

on learning to live lightly

Home
  • Home
  • Archives
  • Profile
  • Subscribe

About

Recent Posts

  • Day 122 - inglorious isolation diaries
  • Day 114 - Inglorious isolation diaries
  • Day 76 - Inglorious isolation diaries
  • Day 54 - Inglorious isolation diaries
  • Day 40 - Inglorious isolation diaries
  • Day 37 - Inglorious isolation diaries
  • Day 29 - Inglorious isolation diaries
  • Day 20 - inglorious isolation diaries
  • Day 16 - Inglorious isolation diaries
  • Day 15 - Inglorious isolation diaries

Archives

  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • April 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • September 2018

More...

Categories

  • 100 days healthier
  • 101 things - seizing the day
  • 2014 - year of Nurture
  • All About Me lists
  • all the pretty things
  • Books
  • Current Affairs
  • energy express
  • family
  • fashion
  • Feminism
  • Food and Drink
  • Friends
  • Get happy
  • Grief is a funny bugger
  • Grumblerants
  • happy lists
  • Happy little things
  • Inglorious isolation
  • Inglorious isolation 2020
  • Life
  • loveliness
  • make and do
  • Mighty life
  • Project Feel Good
  • Project nifty thrifty
  • shopping
  • simple things
  • Thinking aloud
  • wish list
  • work
Subscribe to this blog's feed

BearFaced cheek - a grumble

There is currently a meme on my Facebook stream in which women friends nominate each other to post a self portrait without makeup in the interests of raising awareness of breast cancer. Setting aside the questionable usefulness of the exercise without any attendant links or relevant information*, it raised my hackles in the same way as another well-intentioned initiative - the BBC Children In Need BearFaced campaign did last year.

The idea of the BearFaced campaign is that women are sponsored to go without make up for a day. It is supported by beautiful portraits shot by Rankin of 'bare faced' celebrities (many of whom seem to be to be wearing plenty of 'natural' make up, and all shown bare fleshed as well as faced).

These are both noble causes and raising awareness and cash is great BUT (here comes the grumble...) when did the idea of a woman leaving the house or showing a picture of herself without make up become so shocking that it merits an 'aren't you brave - Go girl!' pat on the back? Let alone actual sponsorship! Is it really equivalent to running a marathon, or even sitting in a bath of baked beans? Given that most sponsored endeavours demand a feat of endurance or public ridicule, which camp does this fall into?

Imagine a similar campaign targetted at men... I can't. It would be a nonsense because men haven't been told that they need cosmetic assistance to make their appearance socially acceptable.

Several of my friends posted that they wouldn't be taking part in the Facebook meme, mainly because of the spurious value of the exercise but also because 'it would put you off your breakfast'. A joke, I know, but I can't help thinking it's based in very real insecurites. I have known people with facial scarring who wouldn't answer the door without their make up on, which I can understand. These friends, however, are beautiful, interesting, accomplished women but seem to feel the same pressure to put on a mask to face the world.

In a society where there is an ongoing debate about the social and feminist implications of the veil, it seems that this approach to cosmetics - apparently accepted as the norm - touches on similar issues about the role of women and the acceptability of their bodies.

I'm not anti make up - like most women I have bought and used it since I hit my teens (though I don't wear it every day - not when applying it is going to eat into my sleeping time!) - but the implications of these campaigns bothers me.

* it has evolved and most friends are now including information on how to make a £3 donation to Cancer Research UK by texting BEAT to 70099. The charity did not initiate the meme but have apparently enjoyed something of a windfall as a result.

20 March 2014 in Current Affairs, fashion, Grumblerants, Life, Project Feel Good | Permalink | Comments (0)

aren't friends the best?

Kit 240

This gorgeous scarf is a gift from a wonderful friend - who somehow knew that they were my colours. And that it would go perfectly with a fave cosy cardi. I love it! Unfortunately it's from Adolfo Dominguez. I say unfortunately because I was blissfully unaware of this particular store until I was presented with the beautiful bag containing this little beauty... and now a whole new world of temptation has opened up just in time for Project Nifty Thrify (PNT)!

As a key part of PNT I have sworn off clothing purchases until the spring. By which time I need to have lost a stone (14lbs); given I'm going to be so trim there's no point buying more clothes now right? Exactly. A pair of ankle boots and some new black ballet pumps are the only exceptions, though my budget is small, so I need to choose them carefully!

Any tips?

11 October 2010 in fashion, Friends, Project nifty thrifty, shopping | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

one day...

  OliverbonasEmilyfrock

I love nursing Kit, really I do. And I am so very grateful that, by and large, feeding has gone well for us. It does, however, present certain sartorial challenges, or at least limitations. I love this dress, for instance, but (setting aside the fact that my engorged bosom would look frankly frightening snugly clad in cerise) can you imagine trying to breastfeed in it?

Perhaps next summer...

Dress and image from oliverbonas.com

09 June 2010 in family, fashion, shopping, wish list | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Oh Orla...

And while I'm on the subject of clothes-I-don't-need-and-can't-afford-but-want-oh-so-badly, I give you Orla Kiely's Spring collection. Namely, this beautiful cardi (I can't lie to you, I have a serious cardi habit*). 

Orlacardi

Its so sunny! So graphic! So - and maybe this is just me? - Olive Oyl!
Oliveoyl

UPDATE: Arse, I've just discovered the bed linen: I want to live in this bedroom please. Can I move in now, please?

* While I'm confessing I should admit that my Orla habit is also pretty fierce, though by necessity reserved for her fabulous sample sales!

(Cardigan image copyright Orla Kiely, Olive Oyl created by Elzie Segar)

24 February 2009 in fashion, shopping | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

dreaming of summer

Lobster and Swan has done it again - who knew that Joules (in my mind the preserve of neat 4x4 driving surburbanites) would come up with the perfect 50s fantasy summer dress? Although on reflection perhaps 50s fantasies and neat surburbanites are not so very incongruous after all...

To get back to the point, these are rather lovely:

Joulesfrocks

But this - the blue, the neckline, the fitted bodice, the full skirt - this may be my personal Doris Day fantasy in frock form. Wouldn't it look cute with these? And what wouldn't I give to have the shapely, tanned calves to do it justice barefoot in the park...

Joulesperfectbluefrock

Incidentally, there is also a rather nice wrap dress that could easily become a wardrobe staple. If only I hadn't sworn off clothing purchases...

(All images copyright Joules Clothing Ltd)

24 February 2009 in fashion, shopping | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

shoooooooooooooooooooes

Thanks to my newest blog-crush Lobster and Swan I've just discovered that Topshop has some absolutely beeyootiful shoes this season. Check out these lovelies:

Topshopjazz
Jazz
Topshopsahara Sahara

And possibly my favourite of all (though its a close call with those pink fringed beauties)
Topshopjasmine

And here's me with two lusciously blue bargains from the recent Toast sale burning a hole in my wardrobe and without a pair of blue mid-heeled shoes to my name...

(all images copyright Topshop, all shoes £60 or less)

20 February 2009 in fashion, shopping | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

  • {mally powell}
  • Powered by Typepad