RED Valentino Spring/Summer 2014

Retaining the timeless and elegant essence of Valentino, RED Valentino captures the beauty and grace of a more youthful and contemporary audience. RED Valentino dresses the 21st-century girl who lives out her daydreams in enchanting feminine ensembles, allowing her individuality and confidence to shine through. 

This Spring, RED Valentino treats us to a visual delight of romantic dresses in floral brocades, lime embroidered macramé, sweet pea printed georgettes, rose pink silks and mint faille. Mini peplum frocks are prettily layered over ankle cropped trousers. Fairytale forests illustrate Set 5, with tiny bow-decked t-shirts and dainty tulle ballerina skirts. 

Emanating from saccharine daytime pastels, the collection takes a midnight dip into dusky dark blues in Set 7. The ladylike silhouettes are delicately built upon flaired A-line skirts and endearing cropped cardigans that can be transitioned through seasons. Monochromes are mixed and matched in Set 8. This modern day fairytale is given a vampish chapter in slick leather and a few all black looks that have been beautifully texturized by lace ribboned-ruffles. Tiara headbands and metallic ballet bow flats embellish this picturesque collection.

This is the beguiling Spring/Summer 2014 range from RED Valentino.

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Set 4

Set 5

Set 6

Set 7

Set 8

Set 9

RED Valentino verifies that you can have your head in the clouds, with your feet still on the ground. Which of these sets catch your fancy?


*All images found via www.redvalentino.com

Numéro Tokyo - An Art Pop Editorial

Numéro Tokyo
April 2014

Grabs your easels and paint brushes, as this is going to be a very artistic start to Spring 2014. Numéro Tokyo have splashed the very striking Vlada Roslyakova on the cover of their April 2014 issue, in a colourful and modernistic Pop Art editorial. The Russian model is vividly painted across the pages of the magazine in a few of the seasons trendy art inspired outfits.

Vlada Roslyakova is dressed in a bejeweled black, red and canary yellow Prada mural-print shift dress, with a 60's mod bob and intensely lined cat-eyes for the magazines' impactful cover.

The Russian beauty wears an ombré orange organza dress that is layered in geometrically-cut tiers. Industrial caged PVC heels and blue leather gloves style her look.

Saint Laurent combines a flavourful mix of hot pink stripes with burnished leopard print in this snazzy mini, complete with metallic shimmer socks and white Versace heels.

Céline took a bold and very literal approach to Spring 2014's art trend, painting bright swirls of red and blue in this electric graffiti print top. The look is worn with a navy pleated asymmetrical Céline skirt and emerald green Casadei for Prabal Gurung satin shoes.

Bringing some neutral balance to this jazzy art pop editorial is this polished navy blue cropped Eisenhower jacket and tailored trousers with zip detailing, both by Stella McCartney. A golden yellow beaded Prada bra and black leather Giuseppe Zanotti booties style Vlada's outfit.

Vlada wears a look from one of Spring 2014's most distinctive and creative collections, Prada. Her pea green sports sweater is paired with a matching fur face-printed skirt and blue bejeweled rubber-soled sandals.

Chanel's rainbow pop art palette has been a favourite across the board of critics, stylists and fashion followers alike. Vlada wears a vivid digital printed dress, accented by a crochet lace neckline and hem.

As beautiful as any work of art, Valentino presents a red, black and blue embroidered dress, fitted with sheer mesh panels. Vlada also wears ultramarine blue Giorgio Armani heels with this look.

That television test screen from the 80's makes a comeback in a big way, printed on this quirky mini dress by Jeremy Scott. A Klein blue collarless Armani blazer and Linda Farrow test pattern boots are added to Vlada's outfit, along with zany TV screen sunglasses by I Still Love You NYC.

What are you thoughts on Spring 2014's Arty Fashion Palette?

Looks of the Week - 15/03/14

The weekly roundup of celebrity style, on and off the red carpet. 

The Coloured Coat Trend

Emmy Rossum adds a striking red coat and Bvlgari bag to vivify her greyscale printed mini. 
Elle Fanning brightens up her sheer cropped Christopher Kane shirt and skinny jeans with a lime green Topshop coat. A white Miu Miu bag and bejeweled heels complete her look.
Fearne Cotton is chicly pictured in a coral shaded coat and dark wash denim jeans, cutely paired with socks and mint lace-up heels.
January Jones styles the pink coat trend sophisticatedly with all white.


Distressed Denim

Bella Throne takes a stroll is a distressed pair of cropped denim jeans, styled with a lemon and lace embroidered sweater and monochrome ballet flats.
Miranda Kerr keeps her ripped Frame denim jeans refined with a navy blue Stella McCartney blazer and grey tee, a Louis Vuitton bag and bow-topped Miu Miu pumps.
Cara Santana looked modish in a colorfully printed floral shirt, adding a spring feel to her distressed denim skinnies, along with strappy sandals and a bright yellow clutch.


Blazing Up

Nicole Hilton shopped the Peter Pilotto for Target range and came up with this wonderfully vibrant yellow, blue and black graphic printed dress, given an edge with a leather biker jacket, Chanel Lego clutch and neon yellow Valentino shoes.
Laura Whitmore styled a sassy black The Kooples suit with a Kate Spade shirt, Armani heels and monocrome printed clutch bag.
Jessica Alba sets yet another stylish foot out at an LA event, dressed in a blue and white leopard print Anthopologie blazer a white tee and J Brand jeans, attractively accessorized with a lumo yellow clutch bag and sapphire blue Casadei shoes.

Maxi Glam

Michelle Jenner was poised in an elegant Andrew Gn gown with white and green embroidered cape and black maxi skirt.
Shay Mitchell had a plunging moment in this sexy black and white cut-out gown by Celia Kritharioti. Shay also swiped on some neon orange lipstick.
Spanish beauty Leticia Dolera wears a look I'd love to copy by Marciano, featuring a fitted black top and emerald green pleated maxi skirt, completed by a jeweled necklace & clutch.


Everything's Rosy

Lauren Pope showed off her stellar style in a pleated pink midi skirt by Asos, teamed with a white Zara top, metallic sandals by River Island, a statement necklace and YSL bag.
Jameela Jamil does a contemporary take on a skirt suit in this white look by Topshop, prettied by pastel pink accessories - Topshop platforms and a Lulu Guinness lips clutch.
Kristen Bell raised the hem and a few eyebrows in her slitted rose pink strapless gown with draped bodice by J.Mendel. Jimmy Choo heels and a white carry clutch complete her outfit.
Pixie Lott interestingly mixed hues in this petal pink Dolce & Gabbana mini with mint green heels and a yellow Fendi bag. 
Olivia Munn looked beautifully feminine in a pink, green and ivory floral embroidered Oscar de la Renta dress, accented with green satin heels and a clutch bag.

Modern Talking

Cheryl Cole made a voguish appearance in this cut-out checked black long-sleeved dress by Lela Rose, worn with eye-catching reptilian print Christian Louboutin shoes.
Jessica Alba brings her best to the burgundy trend in this foxy cut-out Cushnie et Och dress, worn with metallic pointy-toe shoes.
Jamie Chung slings a floral studded BCBG Max Azria ivory biker jacket over her white cropped top and midi skirt, both by Zara.
High fashion teen Elle Fanning dons a compelling sheer paneled burgundy and baby blue Wes Gordon dress. Elle matched her heels to her bordeaux Jimmy Choo bag.


Who is Your Favourite 'Look of the Week"?

Friday Frills

No one needs to be a certain size, or a certain weight, to be beautiful. 

Beauty simply isn't about that. Not to sound cliche, but beauty is totally in the eye of the beholder, and highly subjective. You could be totally unappealing to one person, but to another you could be a dream. So it's not really about trying to fit into some imaginary model of what you think beauty is supposed to be. It's about doing your best to be as healthy, happy, and confident as you can be, and loving yourself whatever the outcome. 

Quote by Mike Peralta

The Midi Skirt Trend

Shop The Trend
Midi Skirts

The massively popular Midi Skirt trend doesn't seem to be leaving us anytime soon, so if you can't beat 'em join them, right? These skirts can be chicly styled up or down from Spring to Fall. With so many options on how to style this ladylike look and availability in a multitude of fabrics, colours and styles, finding the perfect midi skirt for you has been made even easier with my shopping guide below. 

ASOS Chic 

1. Red midi scuba skirt with pockets $65  2. Monochrome abstract print midi skirt $65  3. Full midi mesh skirt in navy $105  4. White crepe midi skirt $141  5. Full crepe midi skirt in burgundy $141. Shop at Asos.com 

Boohoo.com

1. Roxane Ponte full burgundy skirt $20 2. Amanda denim midi circle skirt $45 3. Miriam pastel checked box pleat skirt $45 4. Bea box pleat midi skirt $45 Get the look at Boohoo.com

ASOS Pastels

1. Pleated pink colour block skirt $72  2. Mint floral jacquard prom midi skirt $113  3. Midi pocket ponte skirt in lilac $53  4. Organza insert jacquard midi skirt $85.  Get the Look at Asos.com

River Island

1. Coral pleated midi skirt $60  2. Peach midi skirt $50  3. Two-tone pastel pink and orange skirt $60  4. Light pink box pleat midid skirt $70  5. White abstract stamp print skirt $70  6. Black leather full circle skirt $260. Get the look at River Island.com

J. Crew

1. Sunburst striped navy & ivory skirt $118  2. Pleated poplin skirt in pale seascape blue $128  3. Collection circle skirt in Nightgarden floral $298  4. Collection silk skirt in turquoise & brown overblown floral $375  5. Collection silk skirt in vibrant flame red $258. Shop the look at JCrew.com

ModCloth

1. Flair for the Fantastic camera print skirt $80  2. Swish & Spin green midi skirt $43  3. Field Notable camel skirt $65  4. Beauty & the Botanist skirt $50  5. One Tweet Morning navy midi skirt $60. Shop at ModCloth.com

Topshop

1. Antique pink printed jacquard midi skirt £48  2. Grey midi tulle skirt £18  3. Pastel pink bubble jacquard midi skirt £48  4. Black diamond jacquard midi skirt £48  5. Embroidered white midi skirt £65  6. Blush midi tulle skirt £18. Shop the Look at Topshop.com 

ASOS UpStyle

1. Coast Cordelia sparkle tulle skirt $235  2. Patent leather pink midi skirt $95  3. Full midi scuba peach skirt with pockets $66  4. Whistles Daisy foil skirt $235  5. Midi pink ponte pleated skirt $56. Shop it at Asos.com

Will you be wearing the Midi Skirt Trend?
Which of these looks would you like to shop?

Make Your Beauty Products Last Longer

Money Saving Tips to Make Your Beauty Products Last

Image via Dennis Pedersen.com

I was recently approached by HSN with a few great ideas on how to make our beauty products go much much further. These money and makeup saving tips are by Lara Ramos. 

Here Are a Few of Lara's Favourite Ways to Make Makeup Last:

I am constantly talking to my girlfriends about what an investment beauty products are. If you’re a product junkie like me, your beauty budget can closely rival what you spend on new clothes. So whether it’s my wardrobe or makeup supply, I really want to make sure that I protect my investment.

1. Build a Better Makeup Bag

At times, I look through my stash and find no fewer than a dozen variations of the exact same lip shade. None of these products get used consistently and they mostly end up expiring before I can even scratch the surface. I've learned that by better editing my purchase decisions, I can make sure that I have avariety of products that I use more frequently – and I’m more likely to use them to the very last drop.


2. Clean your Brushes

Not only are makeup brushes expensive, but they also touch all of your makeup. By keeping them clean, not only are you extending their life, but also the life of your products. Keeping powders and blushes free and clear of oils and bacteria that tend to break them down will help them live a longer life.

3. Keep it Pretty

You will never find my hard earned makeup knocking around in a vanity drawer or at the bottom of my purse. Oh, the horror! I’m careful to keep my beauty treasures tucked inside of pouches when I’m on the go or on a tray sitting on my vanity at home. This way, there’s far less chance that they will crack or explode, wasting precious product.

4. Scrape the Bottom

I recently discovered these little spatulas that you can use to actually scrape the bottom of your makeup bottles to get to the very end of them. I’ve also been known to use them after cutting open tubes of concealer and lip gloss to collect one final application. 

5. Portion Control

It may go without saying, but using only what you need can really make your makeup last. I found that I was always left with unneeded foundation or extra moisturizer after applying, so I downsized my dose and I’m wasting less. Making other small changes like not spraying my fragrance into the air and walking through it has also helped!

Thanks to Lara and Jackie from HSN Beauty for these brilliant ideas, you can read the original feature here. I've also added a few of my own product saving tips to the list.

These Are Some Of My Own Make-Up Saving Tips

6. Rework Your Bronzer

Mix your last dusting of bronzer with some moisturizer to create an all-over shimmery lotion.

7. Fix Broken Blushes & Shadows

Don't discard broken blushes, eye shadows or pressed powders simply because they have shattered apart. Fix your compacts by adding a few drops of rubbing alcohol to the loose powder then press down with the back of a spoon into its original container.

8. Use Lipstick as Cream Blush

If you find yourself with a lipstick colour you don't really like, re-purpose it as a cream blush, applying to the apples of your cheeks for a rosy glow.

9. Restore Old Nail Polish

Add a few drops of nail polish remover to your hardened nail lacquers to bring them back to their normal consistency.

10. Make the Most of Your Fragrance

Isn't is annoying when that last drop of perfume at the bottom of the bottle can't be spritzed? Open the bottle & add the final trickle of fragrance to an unscented body lotion or to your shampoo. This way, you can build up your favourite fragrance without purchasing a full set.

11. Get The Best From Your Mascara

If your mascara is dried out, place the wand into a glass of hot water, this should melt what ever product is left inside. You can also dip the brush into a little saline eye solution, place it back into the wand and roll around. Don't pump the wand, as this allows in air and bacteria.

If you're low on eye-liner, use your usual liner applicator or a fine brush and dip into your mascara wand and apply as normal.

12. Quick Foundation Replacement

If you find yourself running out of foundation or BB cream at the most inopportune time, dot some of your concealer into your face moisturizer, blend in the palm of your hands, and gently rub all over your face. Finish with bronzer.

13. Double Up Eye Shadows

I sometimes find myself with eye shadow palettes that come with awkward pink, red, coral & berry tones that I know will never look on me. I use these shades as a powder blush. You can also use your eye shadows as eye liner by dipping your application brush in some water first.

14. Make the Wrong Foundation Shade Right

In the store lighting, that foundation seemed to be doing wonders for your skin tone but in natural lighting, not so much. If the shade is too light, use it as a highlighter (with some pearly eye shadow added to it) or as an under-eye concealer. If it's too dark use it to contour your cheekbones. Or you can go back to the store and ask for one shade lighter or darker, (depending on your problem), and then blend the two to create your own unique base.

I hope these money and makeup saving ideas will help you in some way.

Do you have any tips of your own to share?

*Images found via TotalBeauty.com, Oprah.com, glamour.com, Pinterest and Shuttershock.

Who Wore Moschino's McDonalds Dress Better?

Who Wore It Better?
Moschino McDonalds Dress
Fall/Winter 2014

As much as it pains me to post on something this kitsch, curiosity got the better of me and I had to find out what you thought of Moschino's fast food fashion. Not even 24 hours after Jeremy Scott debuted his commercially flashy Moschino Fall/Winter 2014 collection, celebrities has snapped up this lurid ketchup red and mustard yellow sweater dress that bears an uncanny resemblance to that all famous fast food chain we find on every other city block. I never thought I'd see the day McDonalds became a high-ticket item on the fashion week menu.

1. Trend-loving Anna Dello Russo spared no time in nabbing the infamous Moschino McDonalds sweater dress, giving it sporty styling with lace-up Adidas heels, a striped knitted scarf and a $1265 quilted M insignia bag. My eyes will never forgive me for this.
2. British model Jourdan Dunn stepped out in the same Moschino FW14 sweater, toning it down with an oversized black furry coat, leather mini skirt, tote bag and buckled Oxfords.
3. South Korean model Soo Joo caught the attention of PFW paparazzi in the conspicuous wool-blend sweater dress, wearing hers with black tights, a backpack, sneakers and a pink beanie.
4. Katy Perry is no stranger to all things tongue-in-cheek, and she flavoured her recent trip to Japan with the popular McDonalds maiden look, pairing it with the Moschino golden arch logo bag, sheer black tights, red ankle-strap shoes and if that wasn't enough, she also added a hair bow. I'll have fries with my order Katy...thank you very much.

Polish model Natalia Siodmiak swaggered down the Moschino FW14 runway in this McDonalds monogrammed sweater and skirt, and just for the that max brash appeal, they even added matching shoes and giant yellow bauble earrings.  I have no doubt that this sweater will follow in the footsteps of the Givenchy Bambi and Kenzo Tiger street style trends.

In case you have fallen into the trend trap, you can purchase this sweater dress for £492 or $935 from the Capsule Collection on Moschino.com, and to my surprise, it is selling out like Happy Meals. Why anyone would want to pay that much to look like a McDonalds employee is beyond me. In fact, even McDonalds staff have called the collection "inappropriate".

If I were forced to chose 'Who Wore It Better?', I would go with Jourdan Dunn, because at least she added some class to this Pop-trash-tic sweater dress. I would love to hear your thoughts on this Moschino McDonalds fad...Are You Lovin' It?