the f work

FORMALS.

So lately i have had a few questions about formals what to wear, how to accessorize, spray tan or no tan and where to get your make up done ect.. so i have decided to give you my opinion on what i have done in the past and what i would do in the future if another formal did arise.

I love formals they are so exciting but there can also be a huge amount of pressure on the girl to look amazing. Its pretty easy for a guy all they need is a suit and tie/bow tie a pair of nice shoes and a bit of gel through there hair and they are done.. if only it was that easy for us!! We have to think about the hair style up or down curly or straight, bun or pony as well as make up styles natural or smokey eye, red lippy? lip gloss? I haven't even started on the dress shoes and accessories!! Even writing this is making me stressed out. So in this post im going to give you some tips into making your formal experience as stress free as possible.

Start of by making a check list eg.

• Dress
• Hair
• Make up
• Shoes
• Bag
• Spry tan

These are the 6 key things that you will need, once you have booked/bought these things tick them off it makes you feel in control and organized. Formals can be expensive so i recommend using shoes/clutches/bags that you or your friends already have and trying to match them to your outfit this will save you a lot of money especially if you are on a budget!

For this formal I had my make up done at Gorgeous in David Jones, they always do an amazing job and you can bring in photos to help them get an idea of what you want, it only costs around $60 which is a lot cheaper than other stores such as Mac. I had my hair done at Masci Hair & Spa and i was so lucky that i had it done for free as i had a voucher from previously helping them out. My mum made my dress and the material was only $50. I used La tan spray which was around $14 and the shoes and bag i already had. So overall this formal cost me $124.

Below are some photo from that formal: 

 

I love a simple and elegant look for a formal and am a fan of long dress's! A long dress give a more formal vibe as you never really get the chance to wear a long dress at many other occasions. For most of the formals i went to i went long, but again its up to you! I found that the year 11 formal was more chilled out and girls went both long and shot but at year 12 formals most people went long!

The next photos are from a formal where i went for a more different look:

I was so nervous about wearing this dress because it was so different, i borrowed it off a friend who got it from a brand in Byron Bay called My Sunday feeling, it was an amazing dress and i felt like a princess in it. I did my makeup myself and my auntie did my hair and i borrowed shoes from a friend, so the only thing i paid for was the spray tan which was around $30! So ask around or even pay someone half price to borrow there dress it can make your formal experience so much cheaper!!

These next photos were of my first ever formal! I was so excited and wanted my dress to look amazing so i got it made and based it on a Blake Lively dress. I got the material for around $70 and my mums friend made the dress for me, i went to a few fittings and was sooooo happy with the outcome! My auntie did my hair and i did my own makeup! I got a spray tan ($30) and used shoes and a bag that i already had! So again this formal was pretty cheap!

 

   

 I don't want to bore you so ill only do one more!

For this formal i went white and i didn't want to look too much like a deb or i was getting married so i accessorized it up by a huge gold necklace that i borrowed from a friend that helped balance the whole look out. My mum made my dress with the material only costing me $70-$80, the shoes i borrowed from a friend, i got my hair done by my auntie and my makeup done by Gorgeous. So again if you ask around and make connections formals can become a lot cheaper.. below are some photos from that night:

 So over all my tips are to make connections with people and if you like something why not ask them where they got it from or if you can borrow it, epically accessories! If you can do it yourself just do it, watch videos on YouTube on how to do formal hair/makeup as you can do that kind of stuff easy!! And lastly less is more, go simple and elegant rather than getting your tits, ass and legs out pick one and don't get a dress from Gasp. Please.

But mostly remember formals are so fun and shouldn't be too stressful so enjoy yourself and wear what you feel comfortable and confident in!

Hope this helps for the girls who have asked me and feel free to contact me with any questions.

Ruby xxx

art

 Yago Hortal.

#artlife

Yago Hortal is one of my favorite artists, his paintings are so interesting and abstract and so different to many artists that i have seen. His thick, dimensional brushstrokes of fluorescent acrylic paint create paintings that appear 3D and ready to jump off the canvas.. his use of colour is also so amazing!

 The detail and energetic use of colour in his paintings are why i was drawn to Yago Hortals work, the paintings seam to just jump off whatever surface he has used. His technique is based in the investigation of the paint matter, he builds his own tools and to try and discover different application methods working between the floor and the wall.

 

 

Above are some examples of his work some of which you may recognize from my instagram @rubymackenzie as i have expressed my interest in his work before. Yago Hortal also lives and works in Berlin so when travel there (hopefully when im 22) we will get married and have beautiful art babies and live by the sea.. a girl can dreammmmm!

Get around him

Ruby xxx

http://yagohortal.com/

yum

#foodporn

So im pretty fucking obsessed with food as my friends and instagram followers would know, so ive decided to share with you a very very very simple recipe that tastes so good, it was also very popular on my insta and that is Chocolate chip cookies. These cookies go in about a day in my house, and everyone who tries them goes back for seconds!

The photo below is off my insta (@rubymackenzie) and is the batch of yummy cookies that i made.

Recipe:

So pretty much all you need is:

• 150g softened butter
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cups plain flour
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate bits
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate bits

Step one -

Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick paper. Beat 150g softened butter, 1/2 cup caster sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and well combined. Beat in 1 egg.

Step two -  Stir in 1 3/4 cups plain flour in two batches. Stir in 1/2 cup dark choc bits and 1/2 cup milk choc bits until evenly distributed. Spoon tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on the lined trays. Press down slightly.

Step three - Bake for 15-18 minutes or until light golden and cooked.

MY TIPS: Make sure you sift the flower and other ingredients so there are no lumps and remember when rolling the balls make sure they are distributed evenly and not put too close together, because once i put them too close together and came out with i giant cookie.. not good!

HOW EASY IS THAT!!!

nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom

Hope you enjoy and let me know if you try it out!

Ruby xxx

number three

DENIM X2

The 80s/90s is where it all began.. it was the vintage era and it is slowly making a come back. Double denim is no longer seen as a double no-no and has started to appear on cat walks and on many blogs around the world. Vintage is in and denim is about as vintage as it gets so retailers such as sportsgirl, minkpink and even country road have started introducing pieces in the collections.

 

MY RE-MAKE OF THE DOUBLE DENIM LOOK

-photography Catherine Mackenzie  

-model me (Ruby)

I dug through my wardrobe and pulled out a few pieces of denim that i thought would work well layered together. The skirt is a darker blue that my sister found at the camberwell market for around $15, and top is minkpink and was around $25 and the jacket/jumper was just lying around the house so these outfits are cheap and easy to create. I topped off the look with a dark maroon lippy, sun glass's and converses.

 

The double denim in the 80s/90s was out of this world cool, but personally i wouldn't be walking down the street in what they used to wear.. but hopefully this can give you more of an idea of how to rock the denim on denim look.

Again always love hearing feedback  

Ruby xxx

Black

Second Post.  

I swear its always in fashion, every show there is always a black statement piece. Its a mysterious yet sexy colour that can make you look from drab to fab! It is an essential colour in both women and mens wardrobes and tonight im in a black mood so here we go..

Almost every girl i know owns a little black dress (i know i own at least three or four) and when your having one of those shitty nights where nothing looks good on, you always have that one black dress that you know is slimming and that you feel comfortable yet sexy in. If you don't have a dress like this girls then get on it!!! Personally i don't think black is emo i think it is elegant and sophisticated and the more black the better.

Black looks good on all shapes and sizes as well as different skin tones, in the pictures to the side the women have a more pale look but to be honest anyone can pull off a black look. Its the colour that goes with every colour of the rainbow and is never out of fashion, even in summer black bikinis are a major hit!

 Its safe to say im a fan of black lippy, black shoes, black chokers, black nails and black clothes separate orrr all in one.. just go for it especially with winter coming up it is the perfect colour to mix with all the camo you will be buying this season..

BLACK IT UP BITCHES.

Also just wanted to say thanks so much for you support with almost 450 views from yesterday, much love and would love to here your feedback vie

via http://rubymackenzie.tumblr.com/

 

or 

my instagram @rubymackenzie

 

Love ruby xxx

Number one

Hello fellow bloggers! ^_^

My names Ruby im 18 and have finally gotten my act together in making this blog!

So that is me above, and ill tell you a bit about myself.. im just out of school and am currently doing marketing at uni but i have always had a passion for fashion and through this blog i hope to express my style and share it with you all. I also have a Tumblr account which is http://rubymackenzie.tumblr.com/ 

that i up date regularly.

I also have a major passion for food as growing up i have had an amazing chance to experience different food cultures and have always been taught to appreciate food. My mum is an amazing cook and i try and take after her and try new things. I am also a vegetarian. 

This is blog is just an experiment.. ill see where it takes me and i hope you will follow my blogging journey.

Ruby xxx