Style Tips -- 26th May 2008
[ 26 May 2008 ]
Learn some choice French phrases!
Compile a list of people you’d like to know or meet, & start making contact!
Next time you buy a magazine, rip out every page that contains an advertisement. Marvel at the huge stack of advertising, & the minimal amount of content. Ask yourself, is the value of the content worth what you’ve just paid to be advertised to? Make your future magazine purchases accordingly.
Change your skin tone. (& I mean that in a strictly non-Michael Jackson way!) If you pride yourself on your golden tone, lay off the UV for a while & see if you can learn to appreciate a paler pallor. If you’re usually ghostly & fair, try a spray tan & see how it changes how you feel, what you wear & how you look.
Spend time alone, in a park, with a pair of glamorous sunglasses & a good book. (Take snacks.)
Swear off television & movies for a week, & decide to become a producer rather than a consumer.
Buy yourself a pair of fabulous, extravagant heels. Go on. Just do it!
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala
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With the magazine advertisng tip, make sure not to buy VOGUE – fabulous as it is, you will find yourself utterly surrrounded by paper!
Those shoes are to die forrrrr.
I couldn’t bring my step to change my skin tone. I love being ghostly : ) I like the idea of buying new shoes though heehee
I want new shoes, I may have to attempt to fake tan soon. Hmmm…
Any tips on magazines to get that have the least amount of advertising in them?
Alexa — It drives me crazy to have to flick through 15 pages to get to even a table of contents! Argh!
Jami — Unfortunately, making money from advertising is the business model of practically every magazine out there. So, no, I would have no idea. It’s really more a case of giving the content an evaluation & working out what you’re happy to pay for. There are a lot of magazines where the advertising isn’t even that obvious (advertorial, etc.), so you have to be pretty onto it. Hint: “beauty editor’s picks” are seldom, if ever, anything but paid content.
I definitely say thumbs-up to the extravagant pair of heels — I got super lucky a few months ago, I’d spotted a pair of Diesel heels that I feel head over heels (heh) in love with, but chickened out. I returned to the store about three months later, and they were still there! In my size, marked down by something like %50! FATE! They remain my most favourite shoes ever.
I keep chickening out on trying a tan. I’ve been so determined to make a statement about pale skin being okay, but I do wonder how I’d look tan… Thanks for pointing out that it can be just a fun whim.
Compile a list of people you’d like to know or meet, & start making contact!
mm, kay. People I want to meet: Takashi Murakami, Madonna and Gala Darling. When are you coming to South America? Buenos Aires is really beautiful in september (actually I don’t live there, but I plan to visit the city for a month in september or so – and I’m pretty sure you’ll love it! ;)
I like the shoes.
I wrote weekly resolutions this week and was wondering…aren’t you writing yours anymore? Or just not posting them here?
Oh, those French phrases are so funny. Next time my dad implores me to fix the computer for the hundredth time I’ll just exclaim, “Faites-le vous-même!” haha.
Man, I wish I could wear heels again. I have an entire closet full that I can’t go out in because of my stupid knee.
Oh well. I think I will add my own to the list: I’m dyeing my hair red, from light brown, because I can, dangit. I want to be noticed.
Style tips make me happy! I too love my ghostly look, but I’ll definately look into the heels.
Thanks Gala, that’s just what I needed.
Especially the spending time alone tip. I haven’t done that in an age.
I have some shoe ogling to do tomorrow!
i’m dying my hair purpley-red for the prom! :]
and i just bought some new shoes: they’re Keds but they are heels, and they’re soo comfy.
i need to buy some sandals cause its almost SUMMERSUMMERSUMMERSUMMER in new yorkkkk! :D
Gala, my dear, you’ve really got me into Flickr in the last few months…do you have any ideas for what to do with the beautiful photographs I find, or any recommendations of great artists/photographers I should check out? It’d be much appreciated! :)
Keep up the good work,
Cosette x
I agree about the paleness thing! I am pale with freckles and was made fun of for years but now show it off. About buying yourself some fabulous shoes, there are tons of giveaways to enter to get the goodies without spending a ton. I put one link by my name on this comment or check out www.bdbinvite.com/lucky/
I always do no.3 with Readers Digest. Makes it much better to read after I’ve got rid of the ads !
My favourite of the bunch, Gala, is:
‘Swear off television & movies for a week, & decide to become a producer rather than a consumer.’
I couldn’t agree with you more. I used to watch a lot of tv, but since I began my blog and became an active user of Flickr and Twitter, I watch it less and less. I feel as though I’ve entered a golden age of creativity, and I just can’t give that up for some mindless soap opera viewing!
I love those phrases – I may end up using some and telling people they mean something different…
awesome post. i’m inspired!
I’ve found that magazines without all the advertising STILL don’t even have the substance that my favourite glossy fashion magazines full of adverts do! The adverts go on my wall anyway.
Teehee pretty much the best French phrase site everrrr.
Oh, Gala. J’aime tu, tu es tres belle et ton cheveux c’est ma couleur favorit!
Oui, je parle le francais. Ma favorit classe c’est francais, en fait.
I think you should learn french, like totally. It’s a gorgeous language.
I love these! I feel so inspired. :)
Hey Gala!
Great tips! I normally try to speak the little French I know with my friend Alekz but the phrases page you linked to is just hilarious XDD.
Yeah, I want to buy new shoes now!
Kisses.
I’d really like to meet David Lynch.
Gala you’ve been hanging out with so many amazing people in NY – how did you do it? Did you start small and your network grew organically to include these people buoyed by the success of your blog?
Or did you just sit down like I just have and thought hmm David Lynch… I wonder who he knows?
Sara — You should do it. I got a spray tan (so not my style) & LOVED it. galadarling.com/article/...
danieli — You’re so cute :D
Ronise — I haven’t done them for a while, because… well, a number of reasons really.
1. NYC has been so hectic that I haven’t had time to do it.
2. A lot of what I do is personal or business-related & I don’t know that that has any place in a public forum… & it seems silly to “make up” other resolutions just to make the numbers.
3. I felt like it was losing its impact, no one was really that wild about it, including me. So why do it?
You are, of course, very welcome to continue making your own lists!
cosette — Hmmm, good question! Maybe I will do a post about artists I lurve!
amypalko — I love some TV shows, but I have never really been a big TV/movie watcher. I guess sometimes it seems like there are a lot of people who only ever watch from afar, & don’t participate much. You know, they read blogs & books & watch movies & go to concerts but never create anything of their own, or never get involved in a dialogue, or anything like that. I think that it’s important to feel like you’re putting something out there — it’s good for your self-esteem & it also makes you much happier!
Kelsey — I learned it for years in school :> French & German! Went on school trips to Europe & everything. It was so much fun to learn languages, & it makes me really sad that I rarely have a chance to practice!
steph — Hmm! Hard to say. I guess I feel that we all get back the energy we put out, & I am constantly (well, as much as possible) giving out a lot of energy & good stuff. This site is the best example of that. A lot of the amazing people I’ve met have approached me, & in fact most of that kind of thing is initiated by other people. But often I will think, oh yeah, I’d like to be friends with that person, & then the Universe just presents me with an opportunity to make that happen. You just have to have faith that it will happen!
I completely agree with you on magazines. That’s why I only ever flip through them when I’m at stores. Usually I forget to take pictures of the things I like.
Well I like you lots. Can I get to know you then? (laughs) Okay that does sound kinda creepy. . .Well, pretty creepy but yeah. But I’ve mostly decided that’s not possible considering hundreds of people are constantly filling your inbox and clamoring for your attention. You’re busy enough as it is!
Hmm. If I don’t watch tv or movies much and spend a lot of time, am I supposed to do the opposite or (gasp!) swear off the internet? Sadly, that’s a bit hard.
As for the heels. . .Yeah I’ve been lusting after these Aldo sandals. They’re unbelievably delicious. But I have to wait till I have more money to score them. (I just started my job, squee!)
Gala, I hate to admit but .. I have big feet! Not as in big, (I’m a dinky size four) but I have wide feet, so I cannot wear high heels unless I go for the expensive brands. I feel like Cinderella. :D
Hehe.
x Lucy
also, what laptop do you use? im looking for a good laptop atm and cant decide at all!! confusing reviews mixed with my love for shiny slash pink laptops just isnt working…. grrowl. any recommendations would be amazing! love, m xx
A couple years ago I could say “but I can never give up tv”! But now, all I watch is Americas Next Top Model and MTV Live (Canada’s TRL, but better than TRL) when I get home from school. I’m glad that I have taken up other interests (ever try climbing a school building in mini platform heels?), cause I don’t see why my dad wastes 20 bucks a month on something like that.
I love your style tips! Après avoir lu ton site-web, je suis toujours contente. :)
I have to say I don’t mind that Vogue is full of ads because for the most part they’re beautifully shot. As a photography student it find them inspiring and they’re really useful for my contextual notebooks :)
And it’s my birthday tomorrow so I think I will treat myself to some new shoes!
This is a fabulous list of things to do and consider. I must run off now and share these with my best friend. Thanks so much for always giving me a little something to think a little more about besides the hard hitting things to ponder. Making changes that are small in life that in their small ways make you feel better are some of the best things that you can do for yourself (speaking to myself here really) and being allowed to hear your take on the world is inspiring and fresh.
oh no…i wouldn’t rip my precious magazines…hehe
sometimes, the ads are as precious as the magazine itself..like the r. toledo (?) illustrations. :-) or the recent DVF ads. so art-ey hihi
I feel your pain Ali – I am sentanced to flat shoes for the time being, trapeze-accident, long story.
But I feel your pain.
Gala – it’s lovely to see you spouting the beauty of both tan and pale skin, being a pale person I’m sick of magazines telling me I need a tan, I look terrible with a tan.
LOL I love that site with the French phrases
“Ce restaurant n’est pas aussi bon que le McDonalds’
I picked French for an elective at Uni next semester. So excited!
Good style tips, Le Français est ma première langue..
Well Gala, you seem to have read my mind on tanning.
Yesterday I decided to try to tan outside because I seem to get a funny rash reaction to self-tanners-only I fell asleep.
Now my chest, arms, shoulders, and calves are nearly second degree burns. Owwie!
i hear you on the TV thing. what with youtube and DVD libraries and DVD recorders, i really don’t think there’s an excuse for sitting in front of a tv screen for hours every night. very little of what is shown on tv is worth watching, in my opinion! (but having said that i am guilty of spending too much time in front of a different screen, doing internet-y things).
also hear you on magazine advertising. i stopped buying magazines a couple of years ago and i feel much better for it. there’s always the library/online mags!
Oh man. I tried doing the ‘pale thing’ one summer and failed. This is probably ‘cause I live in FL, where you can’t go about in long sleeves and a parasol because you’d fry.
French is fun, but my group of chums are all Japanese/Korean language majors. It’s heaps fun having conversation ‘cause we all mix English with the other two intermittently. XD
Haha, but I love the MJ pallor! Uh…but I was already pretty pale to start with! ;)
hmmm they all sound good… maybe not the fake tan though….
however new shoes would be great even though my boyf just took me shopping and i got some new boots..
you can never have too many shoes though and he understands that which is brilliant.
xxx
Ha, I WISH I could change my skin color for kicks like all you fair-skinned beauties! I think it’s a bit harder for girls born with a dark complexion, there’s not much you can do except make yourself even darker. And that’s happened to me before unintentionally, after staying out in the sun too long. My cousins teased me and asked how they could possibly find me when it became dark. Grrrr.
Love the French site! I’m sure my friends will love it, since they take French and probably know exactly what they mean without the translation.
Ooh, so did you get new shoes at Barney’s?!
I love your recommendation to become a producer rather than a consumer. It seems we spend so much time on the net these days looking at all the wonderful things other people have done or made. I am about to log off now and go start work on a beautiful tulle skirt for a friend.
aziza x — I’m sure our paths will cross some day! The world is a small place :>
Lucy — It’s nice to have an excuse to only buy expensive brands! Though I find Louboutins are cut extremely narrow, which is very sad!
mini — I have a Macbook which I adore. I would recommend it to anyone!
Meg — Trapeze accident, eep! Hope you’re okay!
Tara — Oh no! Falling asleep in the sun is bad! I only advocate fake tanning, haha.
Trisha — You could buy crazy skin whitening products, like they sell in Asia… but I wouldn’t recommend it! & yes, white girls definitely have it easier when it comes to changing your skin colour. I had a (white) relative who spent so much time in the sun that I (as a child) thought she was African-American!
ansi — No, actually! I was really disappointed by their selection… but I was overwhelmed with glee at the Irregular Choice store in Soho!
super kawaii mama — Awesome, good for you cutie! Yeah, it is very easy to get complacent & just absorb other people’s output, but I wouldn’t say it’s very satisfying spiritually!
1. Love those shoes!
2. SPROUT Magazine is OUT NOW and there is no need to rip any advertising out because it’s all online! PLUS: the beauty editorial is not ‘paid for advertising’ just pretty products I think are worth a try. I have 3 prizepacks from INIKA to giveaway so please check it out! Also there is a SPROUT Love List that includes one of Gala’s iCiNG treats! www.sproutmagazine.net
xx
I love the one about ripping out ads in a magazine. It’s genius!
Well Gala, you are someone that I would like to know and/or meet. So ‘ello! I’m Jolene. Nice to meet you. Maybe one day we can get together for a cup of tea or something.
the picture of those shoes really does make one drool, doesn’t it? they’re absolutely gorgeous… especially the heel!
anyway, something’s come up recently in my life that hasn’t got as much to do with meeting you as it is to do with following in your footsteps. your recent trek to NYC & all the adventures you’ve had there have inspired me. i’ve always wanted to visit & stay in the city, and the other day i was spoken to about a possible internship there next summer! everything you’ve posted about your stay has gotten me very excited for the opportunity—and who knows, perhaps i WILL get to meet you if you’re living there permanently by then?
The tip of making a list of people you want to know and start contacting intrigues me because what if the people you want to get to know are famous or semi-famous, how do you get to know them? How can you stand out from all the crazy fans that want to know them? Ideas? Tips? Hints? thanks xo
as a fashion student and designer i try to stay away from magazines so i won’t get influenced, but yet at the same time, i can’t really keep myself away from them.
i buy a lot of japanese and european magazines mostly (even though they cost an arm and 4 legs here in new york). i also buy a couple of american mags that really show the best of fashion.
elle is a stupid magazine and is really just full of nonsense. and vogue, ah…vogue. a lot of advertisements, yes, but i think it’s still the best one america has to offer.
gala i love your weekly resolutions and i find them really inspiring. PLS KEEP DOIN THEM :(
This is the exact reason why i really love to read your blog! =) And the shoes are fabulous, i’ve once used them in a set in Polyvore.
How inspiring! I love the one about spending time alone. I love spending time alone. I think it really defines you and helps you to discover your self.
One of my ‘Things to do before I die’ is to spend one months wage on shoes! Ow!!
What if the magazine was solely bought for the adverts? A lot of the design/textiles/art students at my school use the advertisement pictures for inspiration boards, studies in their sketchbooks and just for good old plain cutting out and sticking in. :) Although I personally agree with you! Blogs are the way forward.
the magazine Adbusters has no advertising at all. It has mock advertisements of brands though. I think some times their opinions can be unfair, over the top and overly negative as true as they can be.
LOL, some of those French phrases were hilarious – “how much for the girl?” lol.
I’m with you on the magazine thing, I stopped buying them when i was 16 years old. Waste of money, i tell ya. You can read everything online nowadays anyway.
Darn! I wish I had found this page of French phrases before I went to Paris a week ago. Some of these would have been hilarious to use – especially:
“How many of your customers have died?”
“For dessert, what would you suggest to get the taste of the main course out of my mouth?”
As some of these phrases could have been used!
Also, I’ve been craving the need to go out shopping since seeing some stellar heels in Europe.
What a great post! It makes me smiling and I really like the magazine one… sounds great! I will try that!
My god, those shoes are FIERCE. And I just love this post. I want to do all of these things and more.
Inspiration Central.
My dad always takes a few minutes to tear out every ad in magazines. He tends to grumble disgustedly and mutter curses a lot, and it’s a pretty good show. Now I, of course, do the same thing—and gosh, it makes my Vogues a lot lighter!
As for heels, I’ll try to find a soul-stirring pair…I need something to get over my hopeless crush on the ripped-up tall Givenchy gladiators.
I am totally loving your site right now! I’m glad you’re having fun here in NYC- I’d love to meet up with you while you’re in town as you seem like exactly the kind of girl I love to be around- strong, motivated (and motivating)and fun.
love those tips!
Those french sentences are freaking hilarious !!!
I can’t stop laughing when I imagine someone saying “tu me pèles le jonc” with an english accent, that is a so retro and so gross sentence (it literally means “you’re stripping my dick’s skin”) ! It would seem so rude and cute and surreal in the same time ! :o D