What I Love Weekly #23

1. Who loves the thought of flowers in their hair? You'll love this Flower Crown tutorial then. They're very easy to make & cheap as well. The perfect summer accessory.

2. Y2K eyeshadow from the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette has been my go-to colour as of late. I love it & if you've got brown eyes like me it looks amazing in the inner corners of them.

3. After a winter of making & eating indulgent desserts I'm on the lookout for healthy & delicious alternatives as the Southern Hemisphere goes into Summer. Well I've found this Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding recipe to try out. It seems pretty simple to make & is super healthy, although I've been told the texture isn't for everyone. I shall report back when I've made it.

4. Those of you who are familiar with nzgirl will already know about their Friday 'Hot Five' posts. This week I wrote that post!! I really enjoyed putting the list together so I hope you like it too. Check it out here.

5. Maybe I'm a bit biased, because all the blogs I'm about to mention are ones I visit regularly, but there's been some great content coming out of the blogs that I love this week. Here's what I've been loving: Views of Now's outfit post with feathers & rose gold aplenty, Avenue M's cute thrifted dress, Lady Melbourne's Louis Vuitton inspired top & styling, Isaac Likes' first look at The Little Brother collection (If I was a guy I would be saving my pennies for these clothes) & Gala Darling's style statement.

Some pretty pictures from those posts I just mentioned.

The Reading Pile

I love the breaks from university. They're the times when I unwind & get the chance to while away the hours with a book in one hand & a glass of iced tea in the other. Here's what I read during my most recent holiday break.

I apologise for the layout getting a little messy near the end of this post. I tried doing something & it didn't work so my spacing got ruined. Argh!

The Powder Room Part 2-The wishlist edition

So here's Part 2 of my original post. These are all products which I've either tried myself or heard fantastic reviews for & now want to try myself. These are all products which are not currently in my skincare routine so they'd make useful additions.

If you've tried any of these products I'd love to hear your thoughts so leave a comment below.

September in Pictures

Well September you were, and still are; Super, surprising, styling (for the first part), shocking & finally sunny. In just over a month I will be on Summer Holidays & making my way through the DIY's & scrumptious Recipes I've been pinning as well as starting some other projects. I can't wait!

In the meantime, here is what my iPhone & Instagram documented this month. I also use Pic Fx a fair bit too, if you don't have that app you are missing out-It is like a never ending wardrobe of filters, to borrow a Narnia reference.

My MOTD for my last day at NZFW-Simple but with a bold red lip. I was too tired to bother with much else by this point.

DIVINE Macarons from the Clevedon Markets. These are easily the best you can find within Auckland & Joanne's flavour selection is fantastic. Check out her website here.

A glimpse into the powder room: Part 1.

So you all know I love makeup, but in order for it to look as good as possible, you have to give your skin some TLC as well. Here are the products I use regularly to help keep my skin hydrated & scar free. Note that this is not a full skincare routine. There are steps & products which I do leave out because I don't have them currently, but there'll be more about that in the second part of this post later this week.

I'll also put links to online stores & stockists for these products down below.

Some of my beauty essentials.

Face

-Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream, $54 for 30mL. This cream is super moisturising & combats dry skin. I use it twice daily but if your skin isn't prone to dryness you could get away with one application per day. This product was in my August Favourites post so if you want to read more about it you can there.

What I Love Weekly #22

1. "Tumblr is for gathering photos of the self you'll be when you grow up. Pinterest is for gathering photos of the self you'll be when you get the money." -This was included in one of Gala Darling's post last week & it made me laugh because it is so true! One look at anyone's Pinterest & you can get a clear idea of what they want their mansion to look like.

2. The party of the century. Last weekend I went to a Harry Potter themed party with some friends of mine from the Twitterverse. As we were the big kids there it was a lot of fun & we all laughed so much + had an extreme sugar high. Thanks Wendy for inviting us & putting on an amazing party! You did an incredible job.

3. Rose fragranced beauty products are becoming popular in my life right now, thanks to MOR Cosmetics. Their Marshmallow perfume oil has been on high rotation this week. I'm also loving L'Occitane's Rose 4 Reines Eau De Toilette & Lush's Rose Jam Bubbleroons, inspired by Macarons.

4. The goodie bag from last night's YSL & Fashion Quarterly event. Some highlights include; A Touche Eclat Pen in Shade 2, a voucher for a complimentary consultation + another free gift, shower gel, FQ's Occasions magazine & more.

The YSL bounty in question.

New to the Beauty Bazaar: MAC Cosmetics Birthday Haul

So last month was my birthday & I was lucky enough to be given some MAC vouchers by a couple of my friends. It took me a little while to decide how to use them (in an ideal world I'd want ALL the MAC things), but I'm happy with what I ended up purchasing.

My birthday MAC treasures. They've got Dorothy's seal of approval too.

Quotacious Quotes

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less." -CS Lewis


"I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people." -Vincent Van Gogh

Monday Marvel #15

So New York Fashion Week, or NYFW as it is hashtagged to death online, took place just over a week ago now. Designers showcased their Spring 2013 collections & as always there were lots of trends evident. Black was everywhere for starters which I found surprising seeing as Black is more an Autumn & Winter colour in my eyes. However, there was plenty of colour from the likes of Marc by Marc Jacobs, Elizabeth & James & more. Gladiator sandals are also making a comeback which pleases me as I love the Gladiator sandal for summer.

Anyway, enough about trends. Today I'm here to talk about my favourite collection by the incredibly talented Oscar De La Renta. I loved this collection! As Style.com noted, De La Renta's collections are all about diversity. A wide range of looks were showcased, catering for anyone from first ladies to the career woman. Standout pieces include the cropped blazers, a black & white floral print & a stunning navy couture gown but this collection is so extensive it's difficult to not fall in love with it all.  See the collection (in full) for yourself here & be sure to check out my favourite looks below.

Click through for more of my favourite pieces!

What I Love Weekly #21

1. Life lesson/pearl of wisdom for the week; "Don't let anyone ever dull your sparkle." It's important to always remember this when somebody tries to knock you back or invalidate you.

2. Who remembers that Colin Mathura Jeffree gelato he invented for Giapo? It featured banana, Nutella & hazelnuts. This week I was inspired by that & decided to make banana bread & included Nutella in the recipe instead of Cinnamon. It tasted pretty darn good. See the recipe for yourselves here.

3. My darling SLR camera. I really don't use it enough & it takes the best pictures. Next month my goal is to take it out with me a whole lot more.

4. Fashion Quarterly & YSL are hosting a readers event this Thursday. We'll hear about this season's key fashion trends & the latest makeup colours. Did I mention there are drinks, nibbles & a YSL gift on offer? You definitely don't want to miss this one if you're in Auckland. Book your tickets here.

What I'm currently reading.

Brilliant Blogs, Edition 7

I recently stumbled upon two gorgeous fashion & lifestyle blogs. They are both beautifully written & always accompanied by stunning photography. Today's post is about the first of those two blogs; Avenue Maria.

Avenue M is the brainchild of Maria from Australia. She describes herself as a vintage enthusiast with a love for art, photography cups of tea & her family. Her blog is crammed with inspiration; from her personal style through to the DIYs & pretty pictures she finds via her Pinterest.

Maria's blog interface! I told you it was stunning.

An afternoon at the shops

A few weekends ago I went out & did what I call 'proper' shopping. It was great to just go out by myself & shop without any time limits, distractions etc. That's not to say I don't like shopping with other people, I do. Sometimes though it's just nicer to go by yourself when you know exactly what you're after & what shops you want to go to etc.

I managed to pick up a few essentials & extra things I wanted so I thought I'd show you them all here;

Some MOR Treats!

Monday Marvel #14

Q: What do you do if you love perfume but don't like to carry your bottles around with you every day?

A: You invest in rollerball fragrances of course! 

My rollerball fragrance collection.

Rollerball perfumes are designed for handbag use & women on the go. They're also a perfect alternative if you don't want to invest in a full-sized bottle of a fragrance, or perhaps just want to try a scent before making a big spend. 

Charlie Brown: In Review

Charlie Brown came across the ditch to present her Autumn & Winter collections for 2013 to an enthusiastic New Zealand audience. What a collection it was! Nearly 50 looks were showcased from her Naughty & Nice collection & there really was something for everyone. I loved the flapper style dresses, the gorgeous sequined embellishments, the glitter & of course those black & silver capped heels. I also loved the gorgeous notebooks which were on the 2nd row's seats. Mine said 'Nice' on the front & it has Charlie Brown embossed on the inside. I can't wait to start using it.

Here's some of the looks from Charlie Brown I loved backstage at New Zealand Fashion Week;

Click through for more!

Trelise Cooper: In review.

The Trelise Cooper Winter 2013 showcase on Wednesday night was amazing. It was the show I was most looking forward to & it definitely didn't disappoint. The room was lit up by hundreds of glowing lights inside the goodie bags & you could really feel the excitement in the air for the show. Nobody minded waiting a bit longer for it to start. Fun fact; Like the theatre, no fashion show will start on time.

Anyway, we were treated to two shows in one. First up was the Cooper by Trelise collection. "Prints are in overdrive with collaged patterns contrasted with plaids, checks & stripes. Detailed lattice work & subtle pinstripes add texture, whilst earthy tones dominate with flashes of acid brights." Two of my favourite looks from this collection were the floral pantsuit (I'm still obsessing over it) & the gorgeous floral skirt which you'll see contrasted with the striped shirt.

Cooper. How stunning is this print?

See the Trelise Cooper looks after the jump!

MAC Cosmetics for NZFW.

As MAC are one of the key sponsors for NZFW (and because they are amazing at what they do) they have been providing the majority of the beauty looks for the designers showing this week. They have done a stunning job so I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you. Where I can I've included the face charts for the looks I love too so you can see what products were included.

Enjoy!

More after the jump!

What I Love Weekly #20

1. I am still loving the Electra Spike necklace that I purchased a few weeks or so ago now, it is the easiest necklace to wear & it's becoming a permanent staple in my wardrobe.

2. The bag of MOR Goodies I got on Tuesday, you may have seen them in this post. All the products are from the Pink Marshmallow range & I've used the perfume oil several times this week. I can't wait to try all the other goodies I got.

3.  For about a year or so now I've been on the hunt for the perfect pair of glittered loafers or brogues. Every time I came close to buying some they'd sell out or I'd forget about it. Well last week I found some glittery gold loafers & they just had to come home with me. They're from Wild Pair & were an absolute bargain at $40. See them for yourself here.

4. The Trelise Cooper show was hands down my favourite show from fashion week. It was stunning & I still can't stop thinking about that gorgeous floral pant suit & of course all the pretty lights. My review will be up in the not too distant future.

Image by Isabella from Views of Now. Here's the original.

NZFW Day 3 in Pictures.

So Day 3 seemed quieter in terms of the amount of shows but it was definitely a lot of fun. Highlights include meeting & chatting to new people, chatting to not so new people & the two shows that I attended. This week has been amazing so I'm actually quite sad it's almost over.

Here is what I captured today;

Makeup of the day #3. I was rushing this morning so there isn't really anything new here. I did wear MAC's Trax eyeshadow & Heroine lipstick though + mixed up the fragrances for a bit of variation.

Wore my favourite necklace of the moment from Forever New.

Arielle Mermin: In review.

Yesterday's New Gen show featured four up & coming young designers. All provided impressive collections but Arielle Mermin's definitely stood out to me. There was a lot of burnt orange & a stunning emerald velvet suit. The styling was impeccable & the sunglasses made the looks for me. 

The collection was entitled 'Some Girls'  & Arielle says; "It's all the Rolling Stones' groupies spanning from the early 1960's to the late 1970's-my favourite decades in fashion."

Click through for more stunning photos!

All images by Benny for Bright Black.

NZFW Day 2 in Pictures

So Day 2 has been rather interesting (I'm too tired to think of better adjectives) & I've been doing some transcribing & writing for NZ Fashion Files. I did manage to get to the New Gen show this morning, albeit slightly late but it was amazing. Sounds Of... & Arielle Mirman stood out for me, especially the latter. I will be reviewing her show in the not too distant future. I also attended the Riddle Me This & Trelise Cooper shows & saw some more lovely people today which is always nice.

Here are my pictures from Day 2. Enjoy!

MOTD; Day 2. Today I used 4 of my NAKED 2 Shades on my eyes; Half Baked, Foxy, Bootycall & Y2K. I also used my MOR Perfume Oil in Pink Marshmallow & a red MAC lipstick called Ladybug.

A look from Silence Was... at the New Gen show. Fun fact; Those shoes were hand painted & decorated.

NZFW Day 1 in Pictures

So I decided seeing as I am taking a lot of photos this week that it'd be best to do a day by day summary of what I documented at New Zealand Fashion Week. I have published some of these elsewhere so sorry if you've already seen these pictures, but hopefully there'll be some you haven't seen as well.

My Delegate Pass, so legit!

MOTD Day 1, I also wore a shade from my Naked Palette called Bootycall in the inner corner of my eyes

Liam & Ruby: In Review.

Liam & Ruby was the first show on the New Zealand Fashion Week Schedule for 2012 & it did not disappoint. The runway beforehand was adorned with the most gorgeous floral display & front row guests were treated to flowers & Penguin Classics+a goodie bag to go home with.

Monday Marvel #13

So every two months something not so unexpected & rather magical happens; a new issue of Frankie magazine is released! Many of you probably know already that I love Frankie, I've collected 20 or so issues & read them all cover to cover. It's a fantastic magazine & it never fails to disappoint me. Issue 49 is no exception from what I've seen so far.

Here's what I saw flicking through the issue.

Whilst reading the latest issue of Frankie you can expect to; a) have a nose around Cat Power's abode, b) meet a whole load of people who sing sad songs for fun, c) learn the history of lady explorers, d) read about how creatives get themselves creative every day, and e) goggle at a whole load of pretty new skirts.

You may also find: Bat For Lashes, nostalgic ice-creams, handmade lace, ideas for growing fruit on your balcony, a guide to Muslim fashion, reflections on why the internet is for cats, a look at how pop-up art events are helping Christchurch rebuild and four writers reflecting on feminist classics. Plus all your usual craftiness, artiness, silliness and thinkiness*.

Frankie 49 as far as I know isn't in all New Zealand newsagents yet but Magnation have it in their stores or you can buy it online from Foxes. I'd say it should be in all bookstores within the next week or so though.

I'm off now to find a cosy spot to read the latest issue before Fashion Week madness fully sets in. The provisional schedule tells me that I should be writing about both Company of Strangers & Juliette Hogan tomorrow so keep your eyes out for it!

The most exciting week-ever!

Many of you will already know that this week is New Zealand Fashion Week. Well I am one of the bloggers contributing to the official NZFW blog, NZ Fashion Files. A lot of people have been asking me about what that is, what I did in my walk through yesterday etc so I thought I'd do a post answering all those questions & just letting you know where you can find my work this week!

I'd also suggest if you're wanting to see the shows broadcasted to keep an eye on TV3 on Demand this week. All the shows are being filmed & will be uploaded within 12 hours of them commencing. It's always good to be able to watch the shows as well as seeing photographs of what went on.

So on Sunday afternoon I went in to the Viaduct Events Centre (Fashion Week's home) for what is called a walk through. Basically we got taken through the venue, & I mean the entire venue. We saw everything! It was amazing. One of the highlights for me was seeing the MAC Cosmetics lockers which are assigned to top Fashion Media attending Fashion Week & learning that MOR will be keeping the venue smelling amazing all week with their gorgeous candles! 

We were also given a rundown on what happens prior to Fashion Week shows. Fashion Week is one massive event & my hat goes off to everybody involved in organising & being a part of the event because it is carefully orchestrated chaos.

Image via Pinterest.