The Glamour Games
Dear Readers,
This is the article that was published yesterday in Manic Magazine's latest issue. I'm not the most athletic person on the planet, but I do enjoy watching the Olympics! My favourite disciples are synchronized swimming and gymnastics, which are yours? I'll upload a link to the article in the PRESS section once the issue is made available online. See you soon!
-B
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Two hundred and five
nations. Thirty-one competition venues.
Five hundred thousand spectators per day. Twenty six different sports. All is
set as stylish London hosts this year’s edition of the Olympic Games
for the third time in the British capital’s history!
The Olympic Games have never
attracted so much attention from the fashion industry. Could this fashion
interest be attributed to the fact that London may be this year’s Olympics
host, but let’s keep in mind that the city is, first and foremost, a widely
loved fashion capital. With designers flocking to imprint their names on the
athletes’ kits and fashion royalty like Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Rosie
Huntington Whiteley confirming their attendance to the Games’ closing ceremony,
the Games are looking more stylish than ever! London is officially a sartorial
battlefield.
At the very forefront of this
year’s Glamour Games is British fashion designer Stella McCartney. The fashion
god is sponsoring Great Britain’s official Olympic kits as well as a separate
collection for the athletes to wear off the field at the very much discussed
Olympic Village. The kits, designed by Stella but produced by German sportswear
giant Adidas, is sleek and tight-fitting. The numbers are impressive to say the
least: a total of nine hundred British athletes shall be sporting nearly six
hundred different items! It definitely takes no genius to notice the prominent
Union Flag motif, with red and blue being the predominant colours of the
British kits. Stella confesses her love for the British flag, describing it as
an ‘emblem’ and ‘one of the most beautiful flags in the world’. McCartney’s
interpretation of the flag is modern, with red being shifted to the kit is trim
and two shades of blue making up the flag instead. Red and blue, confirms the
designer, are the colours of a couple of other nations’ flags, so the Union
Jack motif helps to make the British Olympiads easily identifiable and, most
importantly, look like ‘one voice, one nation’.
The British designer, very
excited for the Games themselves, declares that she placed equal emphasis on
both form and function during the design process. Making the athletes look good
was as important as ensuring that the kit maximised their performance. British
athletes appreciated the interplay between the two aspects, admitting that not
only do they have confidence in the technology of their kits, but they are also
sure that if they look good, they’ll perform better!
Italian fashion label Armani must
ring a bell to most of you. Giorgio Armani shall be waving the Italian flag at
the London Olympics, having designed a collection of more than fifty items,
including trolleys, portable wardrobes, shoes, bermudas and tracksuits for the
Italian athletes participating in the Games. Unlike McCartney, Armani did not
opt for the colours of the Italian flag, choosing to go for nation’s
traditional competition colours, namely white and midnight blue. In a very
patriotic nature, Armani’s designs include words from the Italian national
anthem, the Mameli hymn, written on the insides of garments like jackets, polo
shirts and sweatshirts. Armani declares to be more than honoured to have been
chosen for the task, saying that this was a sign of recognition for this work.
The kits of the Italian national
sailing team were trusted to fashion front-runners Prada. Having previously
sponsored four America’s Cup campaigns, Prada seemed like a natural choice. The
label is not only behind the athletes’ uniforms, but it also took care of the uniforms
of all technical staff members! Uniforms are blue, slim-fitting and feature a
prominent Prada logo on the kit is sleeves. President of the Italian Sailing
Federation, Carlo Croce, says that he is more than proud to have Prada on the
team. He believes the fashion label became synonymous with the sport and also
mentions that their previous sponsoring experiences have granted the brand with
priceless knowledge of racing apparel, especially in terms of textile research,
manufacturing techniques and fittings.
Ralph Lauren unveiled his two Olympic
collections exactly a hundred days before the start of the Games in London. The
eight hundred members of the American Olympic team were spoilt with a
collection for the closing parade and yet another one for the Olympic Village.
The garments created for the closing parade have an evident tennis club vibe to
them. Women shall sport white button-up blouses and knee-length skirts, whereas
the men’s white button-up shirt shall be accompanied by a sleek pair of white pleat
trousers. In order to stick to the colours of the American flag, Lauren added a
silk stripe belt in a stunning red, white and navy pattern as well as a
matching scarf for the ladies. The collection also includes a selection of
re-issued Ralph Lauren numbers from the thirties and forties and accessories
like tote bags, hats, towels and sunglasses. The American designer also worked
on collections for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the 2008 Summer
Olympics in Beijing, making his Olympics 2012 collections the third of their
kind.
On a much smaller scale, another
Olympics collection that garnered significant attention is the one designed for
the Jamaican team by Cedella Marley, daughter of reggae king Bob Marley, in
collaboration with Puma. During the
launch of the collection, Cedella Marley explained how her father was always
incredibly influential as a father but also as a musician. The collection does,
in fact, pay tribute to the singer, with song lyrics embroidered on the inner
part of garment collars as well as Bob Marley patches attached to some of the
jackets.
With the enthusiasm spreading to
a number of high-street fashion brands, including River Island amongst many
others, we cannot help but wonder why the fashion industry is putting so much
effort into this year’s edition of the Olympic Games. River Island teamed up
with sportswear sponsor Adidas to create the ‘Team GB’ collection in the iconic
hues of red, white and blue. On their part, Adidas also worked with the British
Fashion Council on a student design competition. The winner, Alexandra Gardner
from Nottingham Trent University, saw her Olympics themed collection launched
in Adidas stores in mid-May!
Undoubtedly, as these same designers remarked,
the Games are an excellent outlet for some good natured patriotism, however we
cannot deny that the event has an enormous audience as well as formidable media
coverage. Four million event followers are bound to bring significant
commercial potential and income, so it is more than understandable to see
designers wanting to leave their mark on the Games. It is a good move. The
Olympics are good business.
Will the same unprecedented
fashion hype surround the Games four years from now? Who knows? The only thing
I am sure about is that I never saw myself as an Olympiad, but now that
designer-wear is involved, I might actually give it a thought...
What I Bought From Brussels!
Since I had some extra time on my hands yesterday, I figured that filming a Brussels haul would be an ideal way to close my Brussels-themed posts. Shopping in the Belgian capital is very rewarding (hah, I can't believe I just said that!) because there's something for everyone and the shops are so fun to spend time (and money) in! As you might assume, I was overly excited about visiting Forever 21 for the very first time in my entire life. I actually made a few purchases there! Anyway, I don't want to spoil this video for all of you. Sit down, grab a cold drink and let me know what you think about the things I bought. Another haul should be up by next week with purchases I made from Malta and from a handful of online websites, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
-B
Street Friday
In today's selection of street style photos, I bring you a handsome man who can play with texture, two ladies wearing something I'd probably never be brave enough to try and a gorgeous young woman clad in a trench coat. Remember me telling you I'm obsessed with trench coats? Here's a reminder!
-B
Lemons
There are days where I'm particularly glad to slump myself in this little chair that I have in front of my computer. Today was one of those days! I'm currently in a very awkward and busy phase called 'collecting all the loose ends': a fancy name I coined to describe how I'm trying to catch up on all the projects I've been postponing due to other commitments. Shame, I haven't got nowhere hear replying to all my blog emails. I'm on it though!
During these restless busy warm Summer days, it's really tempting to grab the maxi skirt that lies physically closest to me and just chuck it on with a top and leave the house! I decided to give in today and go for a floaty chiffon skirt I bought from Stradivarius during the January sales. To think I only paid €4.99 for this skirt! It was one of those items that were ridiculously priced during the final sale days and I was lucky enough to bag it for myself.
Whilst I try to find time to film a haul of things I bought in Brussels, here's one of the garments I bought from Pimkie. The black bandeau top was reduced to €3 during the sale! It's so practical and versatile and so were the other colours of the same number. Pity that this was the only one in my size left, I would have definitely stocked up on at least four more.
My hair is a mess. I might wash it tonight before hopefully managing to wind down in front of the latest PLL episode. I uploaded this OOTD to my YouTube channel and LookBook should you want to check them out.
OUTFIT | Skirt: Stradivarius - Bandeau Top: Pimkie - Belt: Peacocks - Slingbacks: Market
-B
Boffism for Oasap.com
When my collaboration with online fashion website Oasap.com was confirmed, I can't deny feeling an immediate sentiment of excitement. Oasap offers an impressive number of garments and accessories that cater for different style types, most of which are well placed in the 'affordable' category. To add to that, international shipping is free of charge. Thankfully, you won't have to pay a fortune for your inexpensive order to arrive on your doorstep. Bless.
The dress I picked from Oasap's new arrivals is a stunning yellow waisted dress with a pearl-embellished bodice and a pleated bottom. The fabric, chiffon if I'm not mistaken, drapes very nicely giving a highly flattering silhouette. The dress also comes in a minty blue colour, but I opted for this shade because I don't really own too many yellow pieces at the moment. I also think yellow is more wearable as we transition into Autumn, so I really see myself wearing this dress with a pair of purple tights when Summer draws to an end.
I highly encourage you to visit www.oasap.com, especially since *cough* you also receive a 20% discount on your first order *cough*. Let me know whether you order anything!
-B
Totally Trenched
If you currently live in Malta - or any other country 'enjoying' this sweltering Summer temperatures - I'm sure you're going to find this post slightly out of context. However, you all know that in fashion we always look ahead and since I'm quite bored of Summer already, I figured there's no harm in musing about what I intend to wear come Autumn.
Whether I was strolling down the shops in Rue Neuve or trying to make sure the coffee shop attendant served me the right type of coffee, I increasingly found myself surrounded by people wearing trench coats during my short stay in Brussels. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that every other person donned one of these British-inspired pieces of outerwear. I've seen so many different options in front of my very eyes, that I couldn't help myself: I needed to try and buy one for myself as soon as possible. The message I seemed to be receiving was that 'in Brussels, no trench coat, no party!'.
Trench coats are incredibly versatile and practical especially during the colder months where we have to brave the elements whilst pretending to look good as we get soaked in the rain. You know that happened to all of us...
Even though trench coats come in a variety of colours - and patterns too! Ever seen a polka dot trench? - my personal trench coat of choice would be the classic tan or brown one. Not only does that colour remind me of the oh-so-coveted Burberry trenches, but it's also highly wearable given that it's in one of the neutral colours of the spectrum.
Even though trench coats come in a variety of colours - and patterns too! Ever seen a polka dot trench? - my personal trench coat of choice would be the classic tan or brown one. Not only does that colour remind me of the oh-so-coveted Burberry trenches, but it's also highly wearable given that it's in one of the neutral colours of the spectrum.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm officially obsessed with trenches. Let the heavens pour!
-B
What's in my Brussels make-up bag?
My hotel room in Brussels was very well lit thanks to a huge standing lamp that sat exactly beside the window sill. The environment was way too ideal for a 'what's in my make-up bag?' post, so I decided to go ahead and shoot a photo of the make-up I took with me on my trip.
I'm sure you all know by now that in terms of make-up, I tend to be on the 'natural' and 'minimal' side of the scale. In fact, there's nothing too exotic or exciting in this photo as you well may see for yourselves. I was abroad for only four days, two of which I planned to spend 'emotionally preparing' for my exam and sitting for the exam itself. I guess that gave me yet another reason to only take a few basics: I can't sit for an exam in blue eye-liner can I?
Starting off from base and face products. Even though I never use foundation, I still packed my Essence Clear & Matt foundation in shade 02. What I applied on my face was my Essence Pure Skin Natural Cover tinted moisturiser in 'light skin' and it provided with more than enough coverage paired with my Essence Coverstick and 3-in-1 concealers! My powder of choice was Catrice's Prime and Fine Translucent Powder and I also took my Essence Eyeshadow Base to make sure my oily eyelids were under control!
I didn't really use my Essence bronzer but I used one of my most versatile blushes: none other than the Essence Limited Edition blush in 'No Better Way To Sky'. I may have mentioned this before but I'm also reducing on my eyeliner use as of late. I still took my Essence liquid liners but I made sure to take my most natural-looking liner too. It's actually a brown Essence Long-Lasting liner which I've been reaching for really often! Another product I didn't use was my Essence Quattro eyeshadow palette in 'To Die For'. The idea was to add some light brown shadow on my crease for definition, but that never happened due to a bout of make-up laziness!
Can you tell I'm a lipstick person? I'm sure you can. I took four different lipstick shades, two of which are by Catrice. I always suggest packing a nude lipstick, which in my case was Catrice's 'The Nuder The Better', because even if you purchase new clothing when away (especially the very colourful kind!) you're sure to have a neutral lipstick to match. I can't really go anywhere without my Catrice 'Lobster Love' red lipstick and my HEMA glossy lipstick in shade 30. Finally, one of my most recent make-up purchases, namely Rimmel's 'In Vogue', also made the cut. I think it was my most worn lipstick during my four day trip!
My former foundation brush met my hotel's rubbish bin a couple of minutes after my arrival - I replaced it with a new brush that is not in this photo though! - so in terms of brushes the only ones left were my Essence blush brush, a Maybelline fluffy eyeshadow brush and Catrice's Smokey Eye brush.
I don't understand why I don't simply take three or four products with me because that's all I use in reality. Oh well...
-B
Celebratory Shopping
Being on my own in Brussels, it was rather tasking for me to shoot photos for OOTD posts. These traditional and overly used self-photos in mirrors come in handy when there's no one who can point the camera at you to snap your outfit.
On the day after the exam, the weather actually wasn't that bad and there were even regular spells of sunshine. As I'm sure you're not surprised to hear, my post-exam celebration was a day devoted to shopping. I started off at Chausee d'Ixelles: a rather small shopping area I could get to on foot. After raiding those shops, it was time for me to head to Rue Neuve - I like to call it Brussels' Oxford Street! - and needless to say, my bank account could have done without that trip!
I wanted to wear something comfortable so this is what I picked for the day. I hope you're not too bored of seeing my Zara breton top because I do wear it more often than anything else! I paired this top with a plain pair of black capri pants and a scarf I bought from Peacocks some 3 years ago! My shoes aren't visible in the picture, but I can tell you I was wearing a standard pair of brown brogues (which I destroyed by the end of the day...)
I'm looking forward to share the day's finds with you in a haul video. Very soon, promise!
OUTFIT | Top: Zara - Pants: New Look - Scarf: Peacocks
-B
Boffism goes to Brussels!
At this very moment yesterday I was on an Air Malta flight from Brussels heading down home after spending 4 days in what I like to call 'the land of rain and chocolates'. There's not too much fashion in this post - saved that for later - but I just wanted to share this with you anyway. This is, in essence, a personal blog and when a big change happens in my life it is inevitably reflected over here. Thankfully, this change is of the good kind.
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| let's go! |
You might know that I was in Brussels to sit for an exam that, if successful, would allow me to work as an interpreter at the European Institutions. This wasn't my first try at it though. I never really addressed the matter on my blog because I never thought it was relevant enough. I sat for the exam last year but I froze a few seconds after its commencement. In all honesty, the days in the run-up to the exam were filled with an almost Thomas Hardy style negativity and a sense of apocalyptic doom I could have easily done without. It was a mixture of things that conjured up the perfect recipe for disaster: getting my biggest phobia as the exam's subject, not being quite sure about whether I really wanted to give up on my other plans to become an interpreter and focussing solely on what could go wrong during the exam in the last two weeks. All I knew and all that mattered was that I felt nothing when I failed. Not even the slightest regret or sign of disappointment. I actually felt better. I felt like I had just removed a burden off my shoulders.
I find myself in complete agreement with all those who think that this is hardly the reaction you should have after working so hard for an entire year. After mulling over what caused this feeling for entire weeks - months, actually - I was ready to admit that I was shit scared of what the exam's positive outcome would bring with it. Becoming an interpreter meant growing up, having a job, being too busy to think about your dreams. I dream too much and I'm never ready to give up on my dreams, no matter how unattainable they might seem. Deep inside I kept fearing that one day when I'm fifty years old, I'll be frustrated because I had settled for the 'obvious' option instead of trying my luck at what I really wanted to do: work in fashion.
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| coffee in the morning... |
Since these exams can only be sat for once every year, around June or July, I had an entire year in front of me to answer that haunting 'what if I give my dreams a chance?' question. Needless to say, all those around me thought I was making the biggest mistake of my life but I was intent on doing my thing (hoping they were wrong obviously!). The odds were in my favour and everything went according to plan. Things went even better than I thought they would and there were days where I'd be walking down the street and I'd smile like an idiot because I was living my dreams. Happiness became the order of the day and I was glad those surrounding me were seeing it too. Up to this very day, I find it difficult to accept what I've done over the past months.
As time went by I realised it was time to answer an important question, namely 'was I willing to try the exam again?'. I swore to myself that I wouldn't even think about it unless I was sure of it. Being the disgustingly organised person that I am, I drew up a list of pros and cons and my final answer was 'yes'. I could be Lara the interpreter and Boffism the blogger at the same time. I actually liked the sound of it and for the first time I felt excited about the possibility of merging the two together (and working in a city that is only a couple of hours away from Paris).
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| destroying study material after exam was over! |
My exam was last Tuesday at the European Parliament in Brussels. Fear? None. Not even a single milligram. I might have cheated a bit in that I left Lara outside and took mega-confident Boffism inside. That's the great thing about having two identities (lol!) I guess. Everything went smoothly and even though I went to Brussels on my own by plane (please note that, amongst others, flying is was one of my biggest fears) it just felt right from beginning to end. I left Malta with a purpose and by some weird coincidence my favourite song played on the radio on my way to the airport!
So, I'm now an interpreter in the Maltese booth! I still can't believe it and I have no idea what's going to happen in the coming weeks. Knowing me, I'll become fully aware of what it means on a random day where I'm doing something completely unrelated to the matter. All I know is that I'm so looking forward to whatever it is that's waiting! The joy I feel reminds me of that excitement I feel whenever I get fan mail, a collaboration request or an event invite on my Boffism email. I think it all stems from the knowledge that I don't have to give up on any of the two paths because at the end of the day I can make them walk hand in hand.
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| Brussels' main shopping district: Rue Neuve |
Why did I write this post? Well, to speak to those dreamers like me who panic at the mere thought of 'giving up because your dreams sound ridiculous'. Don't rush into things you're not sure you want to do because it won't work out. You know it won't. Questions are there to be answered and 'what if?' is no exception.
For people like us, 'growing up' is a very hard pill to swallow. I like to think of my dreams as the water that makes it go down more easily.
I vlogged my trip for my YouTube Channel and I'm currently editing it so please bear with me! It should be up very soon. There are more Brussels related posts in the pipeline as well.
Here's to change, to 'growing up' when the time is right and to dreams!
I did this.
-B
Effortless Street
I come bearing a couple of inspirational street style shots I encountered lately. Tumblr is such an amazing place for street shots, and I'm really tempted to get Pinterest too because I heard it's just as fabulous. Argh, the least thing I need is another social networking profile to attend to. Hard times.
-B
The Esoteric Print
Do you like Tim Burton? I love him so much that I end up adding items to my wardrobe just because they remind of this particular genius. A few weeks ago, I went fabric shopping and my eyes fell on this particular silky fabric with some obscure Germanic language inscription on it. I studied German for five years, but my skills are nowhere near good enough to understand what the writing actually says. I just decided that this must be some esoteric chant that would fit in nicely in a Tim Burton movie opening scene with a husky-voiced narrator. Can you understand what's written?
-B
Recent Summer Buys
Until I find time to sit down and film a haul, I want to share with you some pieces that I bought recently. With the sales constantly tempting me to make way too many purchases, I think I managed to bag myself a few bargains and a handful of things I've been lusting after for a while.
Starting off with this River Island dress, a total impulse buy. When I received a sale notification email a couple of weeks ago, I rushed to the RI website to try and snatch myself a good find. My choice fell on this dress because as the temperature got higher, I became increasingly aware that I needed more dresses in my wardrobe if I wanted to live through this heatwave. I divided shipping costs with my sister since she also placed an order, so this dress was around 16 euro in total. I love the colour and the waisted detail, but I was mostly drawn to the little hoop accents on the neckline and the pockets!
Unlike many of you, I was an ASOS virgin until three weeks ago. I always wanted to buy something from the very raved website, but I never got round to doing so. I was browsing through the sales section sometime ago and I noticed this Vero Moda midi dress in a gorgeous carousel print. Midi-dresses are one of my latest obsessions and since carousels tend to remind me of Paris, I knew I had to add this dress to my collection! I'm not too keen on the slit at the side, but I'll learn to live with that.
My favourite recent purchase is also from ASOS. Gingham print! I love gingham! I associate it with picnics, kitchen curtains and other random things you might not want to know about. Point is, I wanted this pair of gingham print high-waisted trousers as soon as I lay my eyes on them. After pressing the 'add to bag' button and proceeding to pay for my order, I logged into Tumblr and coincidentally stumbled on a picture of Paloma Faith wearing the exact same pair of pants. We must be sisters from different misters. It's kinda freaky.
I promise a haul very, very soon. I should be punished for not being able to film one lately.
-B
Dolce & Gabbana Bambino
Come on Vogue, let your body mooooove to the music! Oh, excuse me, you just caught me dancing in front of the mirror singing Madonna's iconic tune. On to more serious matters...
Whenever I share a photo of a stylish child on Facebook or Tumblr - secretly wishing that one of my potential future children looks exactly like that - I sort of feel like half of my followers think I'm a paedophile. I'm not. I swear. I just love children dressed up in mega-stylish frocks and suits looking like miniature adults. Possibly the only thing that excites me more than buying clothes for myself, is buying clothes for my future children (not that there are any planned in the near future, of course).
This strange sense of excitement was the feeling I had when I read about the new and upcoming Dolce & Gabbana Bambino clothing line: a selection of garments for the little ones. Yes, I said 'awhh' too. Since the idea of family is one of the brand's most important values, many argued that it was only time until they launched a clothing line for children.
The line definitely doesn't lack that vibe of luxury so synonymous with the Italian designer label, yet what I love most is how child-appropriate the designs are. I'm aware that I just said that I like children looking like miniature adults, but I meant that in a cute way. There's nothing I hate more than children being forced to look and wear extremely revealing or obnoxious 'adult' clothing! Not even adults should wear that kind of thing!
Undoubtedly, the collection's baptismal frocks are set to become a coveted 'must-have' for those parents who are lucky enough to clad their young ones in designer garments.
-B
How I Wear: Lace Shorts
A few days ago, I received a question about what I'd pair with a pair of lace shorts. I love lace shorts. They can be worn in Summer and in Winter with a pair of black tights! Even though finding the perfect pair of lace shorts may be slightly difficult - I find it's difficult to find one that flatters your body at the first try - the versatility and wearability of the garment more is than compensatory! The following are some styling ideas that came to mind when I asked myself, 'how would I wear lace shorts?'
Lace and Sheer
Lace shorts fall under the 'playful' and 'flirty' categories, so I couldn't really pass a lace shorts and sheer shirt combination could I? Cream lace shorts, in particular, are of the softer colour kind, so they work perfectly with pastels! In this set, I paired a cream lace pair of shorts with a sheer mint shirt. As I always do when I got for 'softness', I go for brown instead of black for shoes and bag. The dainty gold watch adds a hint of metallic and a little extra detail.
Lace and Leather
Black lace shorts can be toughened up when added to a leather jacket. This set is not what I'd go for personally (even if I might dare choose it once, just for kicks!), but I love it on other people so I decided to include it anyway. I've always been pro texture mixing, and the combination of intricate lace and harsh leather is one mix I appreciate in particular!
Lace and Floral
Lace shorts come in a variety of colours. I admit I like cream and black ones best, but earth-toned ones are also amongst the ones I fancy! When I saw this pair of rust shorts on Polyvore, I immediately searched for a floral top to match with it! The resulting look, very nature-inspired, verges on the Bohemian and is something that I'd see Florence Welch sporting to a festival! If, however, you want to spice things up a bit, you can opt for a darker shade of lipstick and that should do the trick!
-B
Non-Clogging Cosmetics: Base
Lately I've been writing quite a bit about make-up and beauty, so I apologise if you're really not into these type of posts. However, as you might remember me saying from a few posts ago, I'm trying to improve on that front at the moment. Hence why I've been trying new products and getting rid of those which weren't exactly helping me to have crystal clear skin.
In this first post from this new 'non-clogging cosmetics' series focusses on base make-up products. Both of these products are oil-free and void of any other potentially clogging ingredients. If you have oily or clogging prone skin, you should read on.
The first product is Essence's Natural Cover Moisturiser from the Pure Skin Range. I'm aware that this tinted moisturiser was raved about endless times before already, but since it's a little miracle in a bottle I'm going to mention it yet again. Essence's Pure Skin range is anti-bacterial and completely oil-free. Not only are you avoiding any clogging ingredients when applying it to your face, but its antibacterial properties are working on those imperfections you might have already and preventing new ones! Lightweight, mattifying and natural: this antibacterial tinted moisturiser is synonymous with the word 'lifesaver'. Needless to say, the product comes in two different shades: light and dark!
Just as worthy of fancy flattery is Catrice's Prime and Fine Translucent Loose Powder. I was planning on keeping this for later use, but when I found out my MaxFactor powder had clogging ingredients I had to start using it! In all honesty, I wasn't expecting it to work the wonders it does. I love how matte my face looks just after applying it. Sometimes powders mattify the skin to perfection but dry the life out of it. Thank the heavens, this doesn't. I'll definitely re-purchase this product when I hit pan!
Any recommendations? Leave them below.
-B
Pool Time
A few months back, I was more than convinced that come Summer, my blog would be full with lovely Summery pictures of pool times, beaches and the like. Reality is, however, I haven't had too many of those as yet (due to many reasons!). Current circumstances disallow me from unleashing my inner mermaid, so I'm making the most of the little water-related time I get.
This weekend I was at MedAsia Playa for an afternoon by the pool. I love this place even though it tends to be really crowded during the weekend. Oh well, you can't have it all can you? It was a much needed (and highly deserved) break from all the things I have on my mind right now. *dramatic sigh*
-B
First Impressions: Australian Bodycare Tea Tree Oil Products
Where skin products are concerned, I always feel like the way review them after a mere week might be different from the opinion you might have after a while. Your skin needs time to adapt to a new skin regime, so skin products might perform differently at first. This is why this review is more of 'first impressions' write-up rather than a full-fledged post about a product I've been using religiously.
The Australian BodyCare skin care range is based on Tea-Tree Oil and, as you can see, my purchases include a facial wash cleanser (that comes with a pump) and a facial cream (fancy for 'moisturiser'). The facial cleanser is meant to remove excess oil on the skin and I guess that it does do that. After a week of use, I can't say it removed all the skin imperfections as it claims to do. What I'm assuming is that it's extracting the impurities from beneath my first skin layer, so maybe in the coming weeks the situation gets slightly better!
The moisturiser, suitable for all skin types, was a bit disappointing as far as I'm concerned. I have to admit I was looking for another ABC moisturiser, namely the one for combination skin, but since it wasn't stocked at my local pharmacy I had to settle for this one instead! The product description emphasises the cream's long-lasting moisture properties, something which I fully confirm, but it also claims to be non-greasy. I'm not too much convinced with the latter as yet.
As I said, these are only my first impressions of the products after a single week of use. My skin tends to take a while to settle down with new products, so I predict a higher rating a few weeks time. Let me know how you found these products if you've ever used them!
-B
Chanel Couture Fall 2012
Whenever we are lucky enough to admire Karl Lagerfeld's work in a Chanel collection, I always feel obliged to share the masterpiece with you all. I knew it would be good as soon as I read tweets that the Grand Palais, host of the Chanel Couture Fall 2012 show, was decorated with white wicker chairs and little macaroons. I mean, really, how can that ever go wrong?
The couture collection, brilliantly dubbed 'New Vintage', is a revival of classic Chanel fabrics and silhouettes with more modern details. Karl confessed that this collection draws pieces from Chanel's past but also includes aspects which highlight the maison's current skills and abilities. The star-studded front row, including Clemence Poesy and Alexa Chung, as well as fashion nobodies comme moi on Twitter, were witness to a very 'soft' collection of light greys, pinks and the typically Chanel black and white ensembles. The embroidery, which looked like tweed at first glance, took almost 3000 hours to finish and skirts were generally cut on the bias creating a flared A-line effect.
My personal favourites were probably the powdery pink coloured designs but I feel like the pilgrim-inspired looks also deserve to, at least, share the spotlight. The evening dresses made out of the most beautiful chiffon and tulle are set to be a hit come Fall, so watch out, you might spot them on a handful of red-carpet starlets sooner than you know it!
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Rimmel's 'In Vogue'
I wasn't planning on buying any new lipsticks, but I was at a pharmacy earlier this week and I stumbled across a Rimmel stand. After eyeing it seductively, I drew closer and fixed my eyes on the lipsticks shelves thinking, 'no Lara, you don't need any new lipsticks'. Three seconds later, I was swatching like a madwoman and as soon as I tried Rimmel's 'In Vogue' (038), I knew I had to reach for my purse and pay those €3.69 at the cash till.
Apart from having a heavenly fruity smell, this vibrant pink lipstick exceeded my expectations with regard to its pigmentation. Case in point, when I swatched this lipstick for this post on that random little piece of lined notepad paper, my lips were still fully coloured as if nothing had happened. The texture is quite matte but not too matte, if you know what I mean. I own a couple of bright pink lipsticks, but nothing is quite like 'In Vogue'. Most of my other pink shades are almost neon and much more glossy than this one. Various bloggers mention Rimmel lipsticks in their posts regularly, most ranking them second to MAC lipsticks, and praise the range of colours available. Given that I love 'In Vogue' and my staple blue undertone red shade called 'Diva Red', I know I'm going to purchase another colour in the near future.
I might have been attracted to this lipstick because of the word 'Vogue' in its name, but that has nothing to do with the way it performed right?
-B
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