Jewelry Loves

Michael Kors tortoise watch, £219
Cz earrings, $25
Links of london jewelry, $590
Hermes silver jewelry, $820
Links of London sterling silver jewelry, $225
Links of London freshwater pearl jewelry, $1,000
Yves Saint Laurent engraved jewelry, $250

Kate Moss is Marie Antoinette

April 2012 issue of US Vogue

Diorette

Possibly some of the most beautiful jewelry ever?

Piling 'em On

(Image via mystylefest)

(Image via theblondesalad)

(Images via Refinery29)

(Images via Refinery29)

Here's what I have on my wrist today. (shambala, skull and mini Please Return to Tiffany&Co bracelets).

What's on your stack?

Haircare Routine & Tips

Hey guys! Here are some of my haircare tips and the products I use, even though it's pretty standard.

Just a bit of background for my hair. I have normal hair, not to oily, not too dry. Although during the winter it can get a bit dry. As you can see, I have quite long hair (it's still wet in the photo) - I've been growing it out for a about 3 years now. Before that, I had a bob so it's been a long time coming! In the past, I've bleached, permed, and straightened the crap out of my hair so I would say it was quite damaged. Some highlights are still visible but I've decided to leave it alone for a while - and it's made a world of difference. So...

Tip no. 1: If you want nice hair, leave it as is. And most of the time, you look best when your hair is in its natural state anyways! (even though maintenance is of course necessary)

I don't any particular type of shampoo or conditioner, which relates to the next tip...

Tip no. 2: Switch up your shampoo and conditioner as often as possible as to avoid product build up. I usually keep 2 sets of shampoo/conditioner in my shower so I can switch it up frequently. I usually use one set one week and another set the next.

Also...

Tip no. 3: If you like using really luxurious shampoos/conditioners (i.e. ones for damaged hair) then the build up can really weight down your hair. I like to submerge my hair completely on days when I take baths bath and then rinse. This way, all the product is sure to come out.

I used to use hair masks regularly but I've kind of been too lazy to do so recently. But I do find it helpful to...

Tip no. 4: Once you've washed your hair, condition your hair and leave it in until you've done other shower-y things (wash face, body, shave, etc...)

So once you're done washing...

Tip no. 4: Let your hair air dry (but don't fall asleep with wet hair as it can cause dandruff) Unnecessary heat is always no good.

Tip no. 5: When I sleep, I like to flip my hair back, so I'm not sleeping on it, but I also find it makes it gets greasy a bit slower. I wash my hair every other day.

So here are some products I use when my hair is drying:

The products on the left is the V05 Miracle Concentrate and I use this every time after I've washed my hair. It's basically argan oil and an affordable alternative to moroccan oil (around £5 at Boots). I only use one pump and really concentrate it on my roots.

The one on the right is the Aussie Miracle Hair insurance. This is a conditioning spray and I use it on days when I feel like I really need more moisture or on the occasion I do blow-dry my hair

Well I guess that's it! I'm still working on having really nice, untangley hair but it's been a work in progress. Do you have any hair tips or hair products that you love?

A Room of One's Own

Everyone deserves a space that they feel completely comfortable in. Have you created yours?

Floral on Floral

Floral for spring can be made unique.

Olivia Palmero pairing floral trousers with leopard print pumps. (image via thecovetable)

One of my favourite fashion bloggers - Chicmuse. I love the contrast of the two prints.

Another loved fashion blogger - Chiara from theblondesalad. She mixes floral with leather.

Don't know if I'm brave enough to wear floral on floral just yet...but it can definitely look amazing!

My Top Beauty Tips and Tricks

Here are some beauty tips that I've found to have worked. They might not work for everyone but if you try it out, make sure to let me know!

1. Let your foundation set. (for liquid foundations) If you wear powder on a daily basis, try applying your foundation, doing your eye makeup and then powder your face. I think that it's important to give your foundation time to work into your skin and when it does come time to powder, the liquid and powder won't mix and look cakey. The powder is supposed to sit on top.
2. Avoid panda eyes. I hate when mascara travels to your bottom lid, giving the look of panda eyes. To avoid this, I use waterproof mascara on my bottom lashes (I don't do so for my top lashes because it's too much of a hassle removing it) then I swab some power on a q-tip and run in on my bottom lash line. This makes it so that your mascara (or eye liner) can't stick to the skin.
3. Make the most of your skincare. This might sound tedious, but try to wait around 2 - minutes between using your products when it comes to skincare - this is especially important for serums. You need to give it time to sink into your skin. Toner, serum, eye cream, and moisturiser all do different things, so applying them one after the other would mix them together and lessens their effectiveness.
4. Use an oil-based eye remover. Ever since I discovered oil based makeup removers, I haven't gone back to any kind. It just melts off the makeup and doesn't tug at the skin. Even if you have oily skin, it's okay to add some moisture and you're washing it off anyways. Every night, I use Shu Uemura's cleaning oil (on a cotton pad) to remove my eye makeup. Since it's quite expensive, I usually only use it for the eyes and one pump is enough.
5. Use 2 mascaras. If you love dramatic lashes like I do, then try layering a lengthening mascara and a volumising mascara. This might sound like overkill, but for everyday, I like to cake on the mascara and forget everything else. Although some mascaras are good for both, you can get maximum effect by letting each forumla do its job. I would recommend letting the first coat dry before applying the second. And of course apply more sparingly then you would normally since it can easily get too clumpy.

The Camerons and the Obamas

A few days ago the US Pres. and first lady hosted a lavish state dinner for British PM and his wife. Both Michelle and Samantha looked stunning. I love how they both wore blue as well.

(Images courtesy of MrsO)

Michelle wore Marchesa by Georgina Chapman and Tom Binns pearls. The layering of the pearls is just so beautiful!

Samantha wore Alessandra Rich with shoes from Next (go high street!) I think her gown is really reflective of her personal style. It's very unique and she looks amazing - albeit a little dressed down in comparison to the other female guests.

Two other looks that I loved

Anna Wintour in Chanel

Georgina Chapman looking impeccable in Marchesa, of course

DIY Studding

Relating back to my post from a few days ago - my studs finally came in the mail! I got these from a great site called Studs and Punks.

The quality of the studs are good; quite heavy duty and should last a long time. As they should be because they are a bit pricey for just a pack of ten. But they seem reusable and are nickel so they shouldn't rust.

My inspiration mainly comes from Alexa Chung's look.

I know my studs are very different because I purchased different studs but I liked how simple yet edgy her shirt is. I knew I wanted to stud a lighter colour shirt because black would make it too punk-y (even though there's nothing wrong with that). I got this top from H&M for around 7 quid.

I first placed the studs on the area where I think it should go. Knowing that they may droop a little - depending on the material of the shirt. I would not recommend silk or anything thin for these studs. I used a pencil and dotted the places where I wanted to place them. I like them a bit spaced out.

I just used my normal scissors to punch out the holes - just big enough for the screw-side to poke through. They should have a tight fit. Then I just screwed them in! (this part was a bit difficult as they were a bit tight) It's that simple :)

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Have you treated yourself to flowers recently?

I'm going out soon to get flowers and freshen up my room! xo

(Images via weheartit, sarahlonde)

KONY 2012: My Opinions

The Kony 2012 movement has taken the internet by storm in the past few days. Amidst all of strong reactions, I couldn't help but be sceptical. I just wanted to share by opinions about the whole thing - please don't be offended if I don't share the same views. I am not claiming to be an expert on the topic by any means. Also, I would also love to hear what you think!

First, I just want to say that I think Invisible Children is a great organisation and their cause is a very important one. Although there exists some controversy regarding where their donations are going, I haven't read anything actually sinister going on there.

What I am sceptical about ever since I watched the video for the first time is the 'viral' approach that they took. The issue with that is - and I'm sure is what did happen in most cases - people stumble upon such a video on youtube and are touched by it. They then post it on Facebook and a few hundred people see it and then post it on their own wall. (As a side note, Facebook itself is not, in my opinion, an appropriate forum for political discussion. Facebook is not reality. The things that everyone posts of Facebook does not reflect who they are. It reflects the person that they would like others to perceive them as.) But how many of those people actually took the time out to really understand the situation in Uganda? Civil wars in Africa are a lot more complex than finding one man (who is no longer in Uganda and hasn't been for 6 years). This is not to say that bringing him down wouldn't help, but the premise of viral campaigning almost takes the implications out of the issue. And with celebrities 'tweeting' about it, of course if becomes a sensation. It is, in a way, a fad - which is not helped by the fact that you can buy bracelets, which are part of an action kit.

The issue of legitimacy brings me back to my next point, which is the awareness that already exists for the issue. In the video, it details how the UN has been wanting to bring Kony to justice for years. This, in itself, brings to light the complexity of the issue. International resolve to end drafting of child soldiers existed long before this video but there existed obstacles. It creatively, and effectively, brings the issue into light. But it is unrealistic to think for a second that the US government did not know about Kony. The reason lack of action prior to the end of last year simple comes down to state interest. There is none. Now, with public pressure, Obama sent 100 troops into Uganda to train local foces. This is a step in the right direction. But the approach as been thwarted. It shouldn't just be about arresting Kony, it should be about domestic reform and restructure the regime in Uganda as a whole. In order to sensationalise the issue, a 'villain' of sorts is created.

Lastly, there is agenda setting. I feel uncomfortable with the idea of having viral videos establish the international political agenda in the future. What about child soldiers in other countries like Somalia and the Republic of Congo (and this is not limited to just Africa). What about female genital mutilation in Africa? Who is to say that this cause should garner more attention than another? The specificity of the campaign is based on the agenda of Invisible Children only.

I am not in any way undermining the severity of the issue of child soldiers and its importance in the realm of international relations. I am simply unsure as to the methods that have been used to raise awareness for the issue. Overall, I really admire their activism and don't doubt for a second their intentions. It's great that a precedent has been established regarding the possible future of international political activism and I do believe that this is, obviously, better than apathy. But I think that the nature of viral campaigning can have negative repercussions for agenda setting in the future and should be reconsidered.

Book Recommendations: Kazuo Ishiguro

Kazuo Ishiguro is one of my favourite authors (as you can see from the above photo)

He's very well known already but I thought that I'd share some of his less known works. I haven't read all of his books - I think I have two more. All of the ones I've read have been immensely enjoyable. Here are my two cents!

A Pale View of Hills (1982) - A very short book but enjoyable nonetheless. It's about a woman living in the UK reflecting on her life back in Japan. Since it is his earliest work, I do feel that it's a bit different from the later, more popular ones. It 's still good, and has the same overarching themes of the later works (loneliness, lost identity, alienation from society, etc.) I found it to be kind of like a thriller. Not to give anything away, but the ending is quite controversial.

The Remains of the Day (1989) - My favourite! If you love dialogue from classica, modern writers of the early 20th century (like D.H. Lawrence) then you'll just love this book. Like many of his works, it's not plot-diven - not to say it's not interesting - but the dialogue is just impeccable. The 1993 movie adaptation, which is also amazing, was very well-received so many people are familiar with the plot (about a butler). I really can't recommend this one enough!

The Unconsoled (1995) - This one is difficult to explain because it is quite abstractive. I don't know if I could recommend this one if you're just starting out with this books because from the reviews I read, people either loved it or hated it. I liked it because I'm a fan of the author but it was a bit difficult to get through at times.

When We Were Orphans (2000) - I would say this is the most plot-driven book of all of these. The story is very engaging - it's about a detective who's trying to figure out the mystery surrounding the disappearance of his parents. It takes place in the UK and Shanghai so it's a bit different. In a way though, because it is a thriller and more action-filled, it loses a bit of its depth in comparison to the other works.

Never Let Me Go (2005) - Everyone probably knows about this one because of the movie adaptation starring Keira Knightly, Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield. I liked how he experimented with a new genre once again. It's a dystrophic novel but the themes that he usually uses are still evident.

Which author can you not get enough of? What have you read recently? If you've read any of these books, I would love to hear what you think!

One of my favourite books of all time!

A new way to wear lipstick?

I don't wear lipstick on a daily basis because it requires touch ups and can look a little too made up for going to class. This isn't revolutionary by any means but I think it makes lipstick a bit more approachable!

I've been using a lip tint to achieve this look but I think any rosy pink lipstick would do the job (preferably one without or with very little shimmer)

This is a Jane Iredale Lip and Cheek stain that I got in my February Joliebox.

First, I carry the foundation to the lip-line. Not to mute it out completely but just make it a bit less visible. Then I apply the tint to the middle section of my lips and smudge it out. I think it gives a nice effect and adds a bit of color :)

Age of Slimane

(graziauk)

A good friend of mine introduced me to Hedi Slimane (former Dior Homme designer) a few years back. Ever since, I've been following his website religiously. I love his photography.

He's just been appointed as the replacement for Stefano Pilati at YSL. I'm really exicted! He's definitely going to bring something special to the brand.

Here's a sample of some of his work:

Collar Crazy

Everything collar-related has been very trendy in recent seasons. There are so many variations to this trend (tips, studded, sequin) - and is easily adaptable to fit your style. Also a great DIY project :)

As a side note, I'm loving how club collars are making a comeback!

(via thesatorialist)

Everyday Eye Makeup

This is the look I've been wearing lately. It's about as simple as it gets but I think it makes a normal day feel a little more special. I wear some variation of this look on a daily basis - with very minor differences. If you guys are interested then I will definitely post the others :)

• Mac Prep+Prime Eye as a base.
• MAC All That Glitters all over the lid just above the crease. Blend

• Line with Topshop Kohl (deep shimmery brown colour) and smudged out with a q-tip to give the illusion of thicker lashes.
• Top the liner with MAC Woodwinked to set.
• MAC Naked Lunch as a highlight.

• Line bottom lash line with MAC Technakohl Liner in Going for Gold (limited edition).
• Curl Lashes, apply Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara. (I like to just leave the bottom lashes because it makes the look less dramatic)

Hope you enjoyed!

Daydreaming...Paris in Spring