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Sunday, January 26, 2014

On mixing prints – polka dots and animal print

Gone are the days when I could wear the outfit you see below in January. Right now Bucharest is a winter wonderland and it’s still snowing, so my long boots and thick coats will be used after all. 

I’m happy I got to wear this dress before winter was unleashed upon us – you know how much I love my polkadots print!:))) I have rarely seen something covered in circles that I didn’t want immediately. As much as chocolate, this is a sure thing with me.


My sister, on the other hand, has always been into animal print, she’s not proud of it, but it’s true! It’s her kryptonite! She does insist she only likes “classy” animal prints, but we all know her Balkanic genes are the ones to blame and she can’t think straight when it comes to any such prints. I'm not saying I've never been guilty of this particular sin either! :))) I would, but you probably remember this one time, not to mention this other time and even that moment in time!:)))

So there’s not surprise I went for the dress and she chose the blazer and here I am, mixing prints like there’s no tomorrow! Polkadots and animal print do seem like a great combination to me, not to mention, pretty safe – it’s like mixing stripes with florals – you just know it’s going to work from the start.

These photos were taken by Costin under duress – it was pretty cold and I was especially annoyed with the wind that was messing up my hair (not that it needs any help in that department). And yes, I’m not over bows in my hair yet – they've really been distracting everybody from the crazy eyes!:))))

  I’m wearing:
ankle boots / botine western - Asos
  polka dots dress / rochie buline - DressLily (here)
  bag/ geanta - random brand
  animal print blazer / sacou animal print - DressLily (similar here and here)
  earrings / cercei - Asos
  long gloves, rings / manusi lungi, inele - random brand
hair bow /funda par - made it myself
 

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Valentine’s Day Giveaway (CLOSED)


 Here's a very fast giveaway for all of you! One lucky winner gets to win this super cute, cut out, black dress in their size.

All you have to do for a chance to win is (all 3 conditions are mandatory): 
Please follow all the steps, otherwise your entry will not be valid:
 
  ♥ LIKE  Pop Culture&Fashion Magic on Facebook 
  ♥ Add a comment on the product page using your Facebook account to show your love for the dress
   ♥ Don't forget to leave your email in a comment bellow this article + the link to your comment on their site.


For extra chances to win you can also (these are not mandatory and each one will count as an extra entry):
 ♥ Share the giveaway on facebook with a @Pop Culture&Fashion Magic tag
♥ Follow Pop Culture&Fashion Magic via Bloglovin, Twitter, GFC, Tumblr, Instagram, Google+ and/or Pinterest  (mention which of them in a comment so that I can check and count them as extra entries).

 The giveaway ends January 25th 2014. The winner will be sorted out randomly. This is an international giveaway – anybody can join in!

The Winner

 I  want to thank you all for taking the time to enter this giveaway! I have to rely on the Gods of chance to choose the winner. This is the list I made with all the entries (the mandatory one and the extra entries):

  …and the winner is...  
   No. 8 - that's Cherry Ann! Congratulations! 


Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Alex and Sierra

I wanted to write something about Alex&Sierra for quite a while now. They were the main reason I watched this season of X Factor USA (them, Lily Mccloud and Carlitos Olivero that is) and I was supper happy my favorites actually won for a change. I thought Alex and Sierra were absolutely adorable and very talented starting with the very first audition and rutted for them ever since.

The fact that I find them cute is not a small thing either, as I’m not into mushy love stories or feelings for that matter. :))) I’m a total freak that way! My sister has to chase me all over the house for a hug and the words “let’s talk about our feelings” give me the chills.

That being said, I can’t deny Alex and Sierra are incredibly talented, have an amazing stage presence and chemistry. Not to mention they are both attractive and major goofballs. These two have known each other since high school and even though “they kind of dated then”, as Sierra puts it, it was nothing serious. They are together for two years now and they seem happy and very much in love.



Just look at this – you just can’t fake affection like that! Alex&Sierra’s rendition of Toxic by Britney Spears it’s too awesome for words!

Sierra is not only mesmerizingly beautiful, but she is also a brainiac, she was an A+ student, received lots of honors, was top of her class, she plays the piano and took dance classes since she was 2. Pretty amazing, huh? Alex seems to have been relying  more on his looks and charisma though, considering that after 5 years of Spanish he only knows one sentence in Spanish (Sierra did all of his Spanish homework in college). 

They also auditioned for American Idol and while Sierra didn’t get a yes from the judges, Alex made it through to Hollywood week. I can’t believe that someone heard them and didn’t think they were good enough. I bet you feel pretty silly right now, American Idol?!:))))


Apparently they were the viewers favorites since the beginning  - Simon Cowell revealed in an interview following the finale,  that Alex and Sierra were first in the voting every single week of the competition.

People called them the new Sony and Cher, but in my opinion they are something unique that can’t be compared with anything else, they seem genuine and fresh and I hope they will last and make it in the cutthroat music industry.


They do well in the fashion department as well: Sienna is a bombshell, she can pull off an evening dress like no other and can rock a boohoo outfit quite effortlessly. Her hair is the stuff of fairytale - long, wavy, shiny, perfect – major hair envy alert! Alex on the other hand has the hipster nerd look all figured out and he can wear a hat better than most.

They are now working on releasing they debut album, after they revealed on Instagram that they were signed to Columbia Records. Can’t wait to put my hands on that baby!


Meanwhile you can listen to the original covers they performed during the show, some of them were better than the original songs. Their rendition of Say something” by A Great Big World – it’s so beautifully hunting – no wonder it became number 1 on iTunes, making Alex&Sierra the first X Factor contestants to achieve that.

Photos and gifs: 1, 2.

I really hope that fame and success won’t change them much because they are just perfect the way they are now!

Have you heard of them? Any thoughts on the subject?

 Facebook / Bloglovin / Instagram / Pinterest / Tumblr / Twitter



Sunday, January 12, 2014

Yellow trench with over the knee boots


Firstly, I want to give a shout-out to the lovely reader I meet at Paul the day I wore this outfit (I’m sorry I didn’t get your name). Thank you so much for approaching me and saying hello – you made my day!


Secondly, let’s take a minute and talk about my yellow trench! One of my favorite things in the world is a good trench. I have lots of them but they are either navy, black or beige so I was super excited when I got this one in bright yellow. It can almost be worn as a dress because it has this beautiful lace overlay and a matching belt. It’s also shorter than my usual winter or fall coats! Scored!!!

I went a bit crazy with color and taught I might as well pull a Pretty Woman (again) on everybody with the over the knee velvet boots. Unfortunately the boots are a total nightmare because they keep on sliding down so I can’t wear them too long without losing my mind and patience (there’s already too little of those :)))).

Other than that I’m having a bow in my hair fixation that I might be a bit too old for right now, but what the heel, it looks cute so it’s happening!

  I’m wearing:
over the knee boots / cizme peste genunchi - random brand
  yellow lace trench / trench galben - 6ks (here)
  bag/ geanta - Debenhams
  dress / rochie - here
rings, earrings / inele, cercei - here and here
  dotted tights / ciorapi - New Look
hair bow /funda par - made it myself
 

Thursday, January 9, 2014

How to wear a full skirt

Here you have a little something I had on just before the New Year for a weekend day out with my girlfriends. Funny enough, this is actually a going back to basics outfit for me – the kind of get up that I love the most, wear quite a lot and that’s representative for my style.

And it’s all about the skirt and flattering silhouettes. I could have as well named it: How to trick people into thinking you’re much thinner than you actually are? And after all the great food I ate on Christmas, I needed all the help I could get.

 
This emerald skirt it’s amazing – I love the length (a perfect midi) and the fullness of it it’s pure poetry (an it’s all in the fabric an pleats, it doesn’t have a petticoat so it’s super light). I’m going to get it in other colors too since it was quite affordable. 

The trick with a great full skirt is being the perfect size on your middle – if so it will make you look like you have a super small waist. Another thing with midi, voluminous skirts, is to wear them with heels – the shorter you are, the higher the shoes you put on should be – this way your legs will look long and svelte.

I wore mine with a fitted shirt (a reasonable tight top will balance the bottom part wonderfully) and a ladylike necklace with an emerald stone. As you can see, I was on an emerald streak since I even changed the brooch that holds my fur collar together with one that had a green stone included.

And since we are here, let me give you one more piece of unsolicited advice: put a fur on it! Everything looks better with a bit of fur and red lips. It doesn’t really matter what you’re wearing, it’s going to look classier with a fur number thrown on top.

Just to revise what we have learned today on how to wear a full skirt like there’s nobody’s business:
  • Pair voluminous skirts with fitted tops
  • Wear high heel - the shorter you are, the higher they should be
  • The waist band of a full skirt should have a perfect fit on your waistline
  • Use a special piece of jewelry to finish up the look: a statement necklace, big earrings
  • Don’t forget the accessories: long gloves, a fur collar, a nice bag
 I’m wearing:
ankle boots / botine - BB Up
  emerald skirt / fusta - green, red, pink, purple, neon
  long gloves / manusi lungi - random brand
shirt / camasa - Topshop (old)
fur collar, brooch/ guler blana, brosa - vintage
  necklace / colier - choies (here)
  tassel bag /geanta - Debenhams
leather jacket / geaca piele  - H&M
 

Sunday, January 5, 2014

HBO’s Girls season 3 premiere countdown


I’m super excited that Girls’ season 3 premiere on January 12, it’s just a few days away and it’s going to be a double episode. I really need my weekly doze of Girls' humor again.

Just like one of my friends said, Girls is the worst TV show that I can’t stop watching! Well, that might be a bit harsh, I actually love it (a lot) but it does occasionally get on my nerves too. 

Back in January 2013 HBO renewed the Girls TV series for a third season and the show continues to have that revolting intriguing quality about it. 

It got a lot of positive reviews from critics who liked the humor, the unfiltered nature of the situations and its audacity. Girls is written and directed by Lena Dunham. She also stars in the series as one of the main characters.

After her 2010 movie, Tiny Furniture, where she played Aura, a version of herself, stuck in a post-college funk (her real mother, the visual artist Laurie Simmons, played her mother in the movie and her real sister, Grace, played her sister in the movie), received a lot of positive reviews, she got the opportunity to do an HBO pilot. And that’s how HBO’s Girls was born.


One of Hannah's many funny quotes!
 
The first season created quite a stir - people loved it or loved to hate it, some even called it a cult show. At the same time it was criticized for not having any black characters. People were upset that in a neighborhood as Brooklyn, the most statistically diverse place in the U.S, the show included an all-white cast. Lena Dunham responded by promising that in the future she would “do better,” and that was not intentional because she was simply writing “people she knows.”

Another problem was the debate about its nepotism as the main actors have a privileged life even outside the TV show, many of them have famous parents in real life: aside Dunham’s pedigree as the daughter of feminist artist Laurie Simmons, Jemima Kirke is the daughter of Bad Company drummer, Simon Kirke, Allison Williams is the daughter of NBC Nightly News anchor, Brian Williams and Zosia Mamet is the daughter of playwright, essayist, screenwriter and film director David Mamet and actress Lindsay Crouse. 


I guess we can call Girls the poor version of “Sex and the City”, with unsuccessful, unglamorous, depressed, borderline crazy and terrible at life in general girls. Dunham herself admitted that Girls was inspired by “Sex and the City” but reflects a part of the population that was not included in it or other TV shows like Gossip Girl: “There was this whole in between space that hadn't really been addressed". The funny things is that part that is poorly represented in TV shows and movies it's actually most of us!


 Say that again! I might even have more than 3 or 4 really great folk albums in me!

I have to call out Judd Apatow, one of Dunham’s collaborators after he said that Girls would provide men with an insight into "realistic females". So just to clear the air: Dude, are you crazy? 

Believe me, “realistic females” are not like that. Just a few examples on the top of my head - when I’m sad I don’t go to my girlfriend’s house and just because she is taking a bath, I decide to join her and cry like crazy in her bath tube…with her…naked!!! Oh no, that only happens in movies! 

Or the fact that Hannah goes to visit her parents with her stuff in a black bin bag. Trust me, no sane person would  ever do that as the constant bickering that you would get from your mother for shamming her in front of everybody (aka people in the airport, that she doesn’t even know), would put the fear of God into you and always prevent you to do so. 

Never have I went on a drug binge just because I had a writer’s block, lack of inspiration and thought to myself: nothing like a bit of cocaine to sparkle my imagination! So please, spare me the supposedly groundbreaking portrayal of young women speech that the Girls TV show is supposed to do. The show is great but we have to admit it's based on a mix of crazy stuff and the occasional reality dose with a lot of funny in between and the "realistic females" are anything but down to earth.

Maybe it’s the fact that I’m older now and wiser, if I may say so myself, but I can’t relate to some of the things this girls are going through and I can’t even remember a time when I could. Not even in my early twenties was I so screwed up. And as a side note – I’m far from having things all figured up myself!

Maybe his appeal comes just from that, watching and realizing that you are not that broke. I repeat, the show is great, but that’s not because of its realism, not at all!

That's how you treat a girl! Take  a cue from Adam!:))))

Adam and Hannah (Adam Driver and Lena Dunham) are weirdly great together, I really love this odd couple! It's comforting to see any weirdo has a match out there!

This is what I always say to anybody that has any complaint about me (especially my parents): I could be a drug addict. Do you realize how lucky you are?

Basically the show is all about a group of friends: self-involved aspiring writer Hannah, (Lena Dunham), beauty queen, uptight and dependable Marnie (Allison Williams), bohemian and chaotic Jessa (Jemima Kirke), girlish and naive Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) and their messy life. 

One can say these women never really dealt with real problems before and they are just whining about the fact that they have to be responsible for themselves and their own actions. The refreshing part is that we get to see life as a mix of many humiliations and rare triumphs which, let's be honest, it's in fact pretty accurate even if hard to admit. This is a totally new kind of escapism we have here!


One of the more relatable of Hannah's quotes - girls often feel that,
 they just don't say it that clearly!:)))

The  thing that this show really points out is the fact that these girls are, visually speaking, real persons and not the 1%. It really is a new approach when, in this industry obsessed with perfection and full of anorexic, Barbie type girls, a woman that doesn’t have a perfect body, shows it all without shame.

Lena Dunham puts her body, quite deliberately, in the spotlight. She is not shy about filming herself nude, in weird and unflattering positions. And even though these scenes shouldn’t shock, they do, and not because it’s the first movie where naked women are heavily featured, it’s because we live in a world were it’s acceptable only for women with perfect bodies to expose themselves like that.  

I feel the same - I relay do think I may be the voice of my generation!:)))

Most of the show is inspired by Dunham's real-life experiences, like the fact that she was cut off financially by her parents, her struggle to become a writer and the whole making bad decisions process. Girls does have a lot of merit to it. Except the parts were they go overboard with the whole trying to figure out life, with good intentions but bad outcomes, it’s actually very relatable. I can definitely see myself better in this flawed anti-heroines than I ever could in all the too good to be true characters before. Also it’s easier to relate to some of this stories compared with many of the stories I’ve been seeing about what it means to be a young woman in today's world. 

Lena looks nothing like the lead characters on TV and she is inspiringly unconcerned about showing her non perfect body for everyone to see. We get to see women that look less than glamorous most of the time, just like real human do. I also like the fact that the characters are flawed and even unlikable, because let’s face it, that’s how we are, we can’t be one dimensional, good or bad, all the time.

Some light breakfast small talk!

Just as a fun fact, Dunham not only gained world wide popularity and a Golden Globe for Best Comedy or Musical in 2013 for Girls, but she also received a $3.6 million book deal. That’s not half bad, right?

When it comes to the fashion I’m sure that, while watching Girls, you are constantly thinking: "What  the f*** is Hannah wearing? And why would someone ever wear that?" Well, it’s not as bad as you may think because that’s the whole idea: her clothes are meant to be unflattering. Apparently it’s important for Dunham for the awkward look to exist: "Yeah. We will do a thing sometimes where we'll, like, all fit clothes with Spanx so that they're kinda, like, fit right. And then I'll remove the Spanx so they're kinda like rumpled up. Yeah, I think it's important. I think it's a part of who she is."

The show's unique looks are achieved by shopping at vintage boutiques in New York, including Brooklyn Flea and even Geminola who is owned by the mother of Jemima Kirke.


Just so you know, Girls is the kind of show that is highly addictive (don’t say I didn’t warn you!), you will either think: “How can a good TV show feel so bad?” or “How can a bad TV show feel so good?” The end result is you are going to be watching, with or against your better judgment. Girls it’s the kind of show that gets a reaction out of you – you’ll be anything but bored. 

Towards the end, season 2 was getting a bit darker, but I just loved the romantic and hopeful end of the season and I’m looking forward to things getting happier in season 3! And according to the two trailers I've seen, released before Girl's season 3 premiere, things will get back to their hilarious, messy, neurotic self, just like we like them:

 Photos and gifs: 1, 2.

Who else is watching Girls? Do you like it? Why is that? Do you find it relatable?
 


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