Rihanna for Armani Jeans
I have to admit I’m not usually the biggest fan of Rihanna but in these shots for Armani Jeans and Emporio Armani Underwear SS12 campaign I fell in love with her.
The campaign was shot in Dublin by Mert & Marcus Piggott – the same talented pair of photographers who shot Kirsten Dunst for Bvlgari Fragrance which was a highly credited campaign of late 2011.
Rihanna has been hitting the commercial charts hard of late with partnerships with big name Dj’s like Calvin Harris. Will she come to Australia for Mardi Gras since she cancelled last year? It’d be exciting if she did in a ‘make good’ show. Anyway for now check out this beautiful campaign.
What to Wear to a Festival
It’s that time of year again – festival season. A time of year when sunscreen is in high demand, fedora’s are a mandatory and all that matters is the music. But of late what to wear to a music festival has become as equally as important to the music. The direction of the fashion is highly influenced by the Spring/Summer 2011 trends combined with some very cool celebrity looks from the summer festivals overseas.
Glastonbury festival is always a star studded affair which I look back on for festival inspiration when our turn for music mad months rolls around.
I’m loving Lily Donaldson cut off denim shorts. Alexa Chung keeps it pretty with a cute white dress (although I can imagine it getting pretty dirty!) They keep it casual but still with a serious style edge.
I headed to Stereosonic 2011 in Sydney a couple of weeks ago thanks to Bless’ed Are The Meek to check out the trends of the festival season. Here are my top 5 picks.
1. Maroon Denim Shorts
This is the look I rocked with my bestie to Stereosonic. Maroon demin shorts are everywhere this season. Rock shorts with an interesting top and layer with a jacket Alexa Chung style. Stereosonic was a super hot day so I paired with a loose lace tee & fedora.
Check out these gorgeous shorts from Bless’ed are the Meek.
2. A Hat
It’s not just about fashion. Keep safe from Australia’s harmful rays & enjoy the festival without sun stroke. Keep it cool with a fedora or keep it real with a felt hat. Love this photo – shorts by Bless’ed Are The Meek.
3. Converse
I’ve seen horrible things happen when people try to wear flip flops (thongs) to a festival. Please note taping your thongs onto your feet isn’t a viable solution for shoes. Keep your toes and your dignity safe and rock Converse at this years festivals.
4. Leopard Print
It’s such a fun print but can often look ‘overboard’ in every day dressing. Therefore festivals are the perfect time to pull out the prints. Be bold and go leopard all over in a swing dress. Match is with a tribal headpiece for an authentic African feel (in the middle of Homebush stadium!)
5. Water
This is a bit of a cheat as it’s not a fashion tip – but it’s just as important. When drinking & (god knows what else) at a music festival, with your body pressed up against 60,000 other people (Yes there was 60,000 people at Stereosonic Sydney this year!) and the sun is beaming down on you as you dance for 12 hours straight; remember to stay hydrated.
If water isn’t your thing chuck a few C Coconut Water’s in your bag for the journey there. It’s alot healthier then drinking energy drinks & helps you stay hydrated between vodka’s. Plus they taste super yum.
We’d love to see what you’ve worn to a festival of late!
Shopbop Australian Designers
The shoot features beyond beautiful Australian labels who are at the top of their fashion game: Zimmermann, Ellery, Josh Goot, Fernando Frisoni, Willow and Dion Lee.
The shoot captures the fun of an Australian summer and the sorbet colours that scream happiness & frivolity.
Country Road High Summer
Wish I was on this beach. Wish I owned these pieces. Wish leaves looked this good in my hair.
Love the colour palette. Love the bronzed skin. Love the hard sand. Love Country Road.
Things I Love in November
Shopbop – Bop basics Grey tee
Karl Lagerfield Specs (In the last shot!)
New Clothes:
Eeee I love my new Boutique 9 pumps from Shopbop- my girlfriend from Sassybella.com was wearing them at an event and I fell in LOVE with them. Aren’t they so pretty! The heel may be 5 inches and I may not be able to work on any uneven surfaces but it’s ok. It’s a serious love.
New Obsession:
Sprite Zero – please nobody tell me how bad this is for me – because right now I am throughly enjoying putting it into my calorie counter & getting told it has NO CALORIES! I’ll probably get cancer, but for right now when the summer is upon us I am loving keeping my calories down.
New Beauty Products:
Nutrimetics Beach Deep Moisture Body Wash ($25 for 200ml) smells like a dream. I live really close to the city these days and don’t get to the beach as often so anything that makes me feel like Bondi is a stones throw away is a win for me! It’s full of sea kelp to get that super frrresssh feeling.
New Hair Products:
I am the LAST person in the entire world to jump on the Moroccan Oil bandwagon. But I am now in LOVE! if I knew how to do those terrible .gif flashy hearts on here I would. I’ve just used the shampoo & conditioner for the last month and it’s like my hair is on another planet. Finally smooth & tame-able and shiny! Oh and It’s also Sulfate, phosphate and paraben free so you won’t get some nasty illness y’all.
The MIMCOLLECTIVE – Reader Giveaway
Blouse: Witchery
Skirt: Vintage – Markets
Glasses: Karl Lagerfield – General Optical
Shoes: Tony Bianco
Hair: Raw by Anthony Nadar
Mimco are always on the cutting edge of accessories fashion and now they’ve put their innovation to practice by creating a seriously great rewards program. Sign up to become a “Very Important Mimco Person (That’s MIP to you!) There’s heaps of great rewards and benefits for joining the program here are a couple of our favs!
- Select rewards will load a dollar value onto your MIMCOLLECTIVE card to redeem at Mimco
- Money-cant-buy fashion and lifestyle experiences
- Exclusive member-only promotions
- An additional 5% off for the first few days of major sale periods
- Free leather care once per year with the purchase of a new season handbag (This is my FAV – I always get my bags grubby would be so great to have them loved once a year!)
These a my GORGEOUS new season flats from Mimco which I purchased and swiped my MIMCOLLECTIVE card. Don’t you just love? Anyway I had a blast shopping up a storm in their Bondi Junction store.
AND GUESS WHAT? You have the chance to shop up a storm too! We’ve got 2 x $50 gift cards to giveaway! All you’ve got to do is head to An Australian Wintour’s new Facebook page – like the page & tell us why you love Mimco! Winners will be announced on our Facebook page! on the 1/12/2012. https://www.facebook.com/anaustralianwintour
Inside My Handbag
I acquired a new handbag. This beautiful sharp lime green Marc by Marc Jacobs bag from Shopbop. It actually is killing me how excited I am to wear this all summer. I always love those features in magazines when they show the contents of celebs handbags. I’m no celeb (obviously) but I thought it’d be fun to show you what lives inside my handbag. It’s all for preparation of a summer of fun!
1. Wallet – Picked it up at Sportsgirl for about $30
2. Umbrella – Pesky unpredictable Sydney weather
3. Extra Professional Gum – For after garlic infused foods
4. Business Cards – My work & my blog. In prep for networking Christmas parties
5. Sunglasses – My fav Prada aviators
6. Headphone – To cancel out loud people on the bus
7. Sukin Lip Balm - My new go to lip balm. Vegan & free from animal testing AND made in Australia. Amazing
8. Nutrimetics Youth Renewal Lipstick in Whimsy – The perfect understated everyday shade
9. Panadol Rapid & Berocca – Day after Rose saviors.
Hilton Surfers Paradise
When was the last time you took time off work? When was the last time you can remember the feeling of covering your toes in the sand? When was the last time you walked into a hotel room and felt complete serenity? If the answers is beyond six months ago, your time has come.
It’s become an unrealistic standard that the longer you go without a vacation the more dedicated you are to your job. This is a horrific untruth that needs to be corrected. By taking time off you’ll be more refreshed on your return with more energy, more creativity and more value to your employer.
I’ve only been in my new job for 5 months now but such a dramatic work/life change takes it impact. It was time to leave the city and escape to the beach. As I’ve detailed before the Gold Coast is one of my favourite holiday destinations. The complete calm of the beaches coupled with the excitement and positive energy of the party suburbs is an electric combination.
I was lucky enough to head to the brand new Hilton in Surfers Paradise. If there ever was a luxury getaway this is it. The perfectly positioned brand new hotel is situated in the heart of Gold Coast fun in Surfers Paradise. The establishment boasts fine dining, an indulgent spa, four pools, and money can’t buy attention to detail.
Me & my girlfriend Kristy escaped the city to the Hilton to experience their packaged tailored to provide the ultimate girls weekend. The Hilton has put together packages to take the hard work out of planning a holiday. On arrival we were greeted with sparkling wine and chocolate covered strawberries. Yum, these were devoured in minutes.
Kristy & I wasted no time in getting changed into the ultra comfy Hilton robes. In fact I don’t think we changed out of the robes the entire weekend! When on holidays there is nothing better then the idea of not wearing proper clothing. Bath robes and swimwear for the win for an entire weekend.
The first night we got there we headed down to FIX bar for an amazing cocktail. This old world cocktail bar oozes style and sex appeal. The red leather is understated glamour, the guests are beautiful and the ambience sits on your soul like a powerful man wearing a musk scent. The real attraction of FIX is the delectable cocktail menu. Sydney’s Grant Collins is the man behind the extensive hand crafted cocktail menu. My recommendation: Abby Martini.
After some overnight bathrobe time we headed to the Salt Grill for a gourmet hot & cold buffet breakfast. (also part of the Girls Weekend Package). I’m a sucker for a good croissant.
The rest of the weekend was spent sipping cocktails, drinking wine in bathrobes and lying on the beach – the sun is my new lover. It’s the first time I’ve been on holidays where I didn’t feel like I had to get out and explore the city. The Hilton Surfers Paradise offers so much it was a seriously amazing de-stress just to hang out in the hotel with my girlfriend.
We also experienced facials at the Eforea Day Spa& shopping in the Surfers Precinct which I’ll review in the next post. Check out hiltonsurfersparadise.com.au for details on how to book in a Girls Weekend Package for you & the girls!
Disclaimer: The Girls Weekend Package was offered to me for editorial review. All views on the experience are my own opinions.
The Tom Ford Cosmetics Collection
When a man as fabulous as Tom Ford puts his hand to anything it turns out just the way it should be. The right mix of glamour, edge, sophistication, wearability and complete indulgence. Cue The Tom Ford Cosmetics Collection. A range of colour cosmetics and skin treatments to make any woman feel like their being escorted by Tom himself for a night out on the town. (a gay best friend escort of course). I love the way the collection is described in the press release “Tom Ford Beauty is a paragon of luxury and effectiveness.”
I’ve just started to understand the power in makeup you cannot see but does a whole lot of work. By making your makeup work hard to create a muted elegant look you’ll cause jaws to drop when you walk into a room, the whispers will be along the lines of “how does she do it?”
I was lucky enough to be able to test the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate palette. Tom believes women should sculpt their bone structure’s appearance by illuminating and shadowing their face. The palette contains a light shading cream to brighten and sculpt the face.
How I use Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate
Lighter shade: I run a thin brush with a decent amount of the almost white illuminator down the centre of my nose. I then use it to fill in just underneath my eyebrows to create a more define arch.
Darker shade: The dark shade a dot on each cheek bone and fan outwards to create a defined high cheek bone. I apply with my fingers as it it really easy to blend.
The collection launches on the 13 November 2011 in David Jones Sydney and David Jones Melbourne. It will sell fast!
Happy 100th Birthday Nivea!
Happy 100th Birthday Nivea! The iconic skin care brand turns 100 years old in 2011. Nivea is such an important brand to many Australians. It’s the brand we grew up with, from going to the beach with mum and dad and slapping on Nivea 30+ SPF sunscreen to keep the harmful rays at bay, to using the SOS Intensive Balm to protect our hands from the cold on the first trip to the snow. When a mother is buying a skin care routine for a teenage girl conscious about her changing skin Nivea was always there to help out. And when the roles are reversed and that young woman is now buying gifts for her Mum, Nivea has played a part in building family relationships globally.
So I felt I wanted to say Happy 100th Birthday to Nivea. To thank Nivea for being a part of our skin care routines and our lives for an entire century. I baked Nivea cupcakes because every good birthday party needs cake!
I couldn’t help licking the bowl. They were strawberries & cream flavoured- yum!
So I’ve got a cake, but now you need people to celebrate! I didn’t want anyone to miss their chance to thank Nivea for being a part of their life for the last 100 years. We’ve sourced far and wide people telling us how much they love Nivea. I went out to find 100 people who loved Nivea to say Happy 100th Birthday!
Here’s what we found
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26 People on the Streets
22 People on Facebook
36 People on Twitter
14 People in the Office
1 very cool puppy
That’s 100 people for Nivea’s 100th Birthday! When there is a century to celebrate everyone gets involved. It’s clear to see why Nivea made it to 100 years!
Comment on this post to send Nivea your best birthday wishes!!!
Colour Blocking with The Westfield Insider
Spring/Summer runways at Australian Fashion Week burst of colour. Lime green, hot pink and bright red seemed so natural next to each other. Hair was sleek, the jewels sparkled and the espadrilles were oh so high. On the weekend I hit Westfield Hurstville with Alyce Cowell to pick out a couple of cute colour blocking looks for the season.
With a $200 budget we were on the hunt to find the hottest way to work colour blocking for Spring/Summer 2011. As I’ve said time and time again I just started a new job so I’m always conscious of putting together an outfit that works for the weekend and as well as the working week. For a complete head to toe colour block look we hit up Glassons. The store was bursting from the seams with bright hues. I usually don’t put pictures of myself on the blog but this outfit for under $200 was so cute I had to give it a go!
Outfit from Glassons
$49.99 jacket
$59.99 dress
$39.99 shirt
My favorite piece was the cropped cobalt blue jacket, it’s a way to wear sleeves in summer without looking bulky or winter-ish. It’s the kind of thing I’ll be able to wear for seasons to come.
“If you’re just starting out with adding colour to your wardrobe adding accessories to a neutral palette is an easy way to start.” Alyce Cowell the Westfield Insider explains. Alyce goes into depth with the colour blocking trend over at her blog. Armed with this advice we headed over to Wittner for shoes and Colette for accessories. 
If you are thinking about adding brights into your wardrobe for summer take a look at the shades of colour already in your wardrobe and go from there. Love pink, step it up and colour block with hot pink. Plenty of light blue’s, make you blue rock and try out an electric blue shoe!
Love the colours of these belts! They were only $9.99 too! You could buy every colour.
Wittner has so many great shoes for the coming season. From sky high heels to chunky platforms or just a flat for casual wear. My favourite shoes were these bright blue wedges which will easily take you from garden picnic to night on the town. Priced at $169.95 you’ll live in them for summer.
Alyce Cowell has had the opportunity of a lifestyle becoming The Westfield Insider, shopping up a storm, hanging out with Gok Wan in London and touring the country offering style advise to Aussie women. Visit Alyce at https://www.facebook.com/Westfield
Pamela Love NYFW – Hair by Sebastian Professional
I know it’s all about the fashion at NYFW but who can go past the hair and beauty. Top hair and make-up artists flock from every corner of the globe to bring their tools and their skills to New York Fashion Week.
Sebastian Professional created the hair look for jewellery designer Pamela Love. Some say she channelled wild west, I Australian outback!
Get the look for yourself!
Lead stylist and Sebastian Professional Global Design Team Artist, Antony Cole, shares how to get the look:
1. Start by applying a pump or two of Potion 9 throughout hair from root to tip.
2. Follow with a heavy spritzing of Volupt Spray, then blow-dry hair straight and smooth with a large round brush.
3. Place turban on head, allowing a few pieces in front to remain free and frame the face. Gather the rest in a low ponytail at the nape of the neck.
4. Run Craft Clay through ponytail for matte texture, grip and hold, and then create a fishtail braid. Secure with a leather tie.
5. Deconstruct the braid by pulling it wider and allowing pieces at the top to become looser.
6. Detail pieces around the face and braid with Shaper Zero Gravity for dry, lightweight hold.
