Monday 30 July 2012

Black & Gold: Because it's Monday...

Absolutely LOVE this set-up - lots of gold framed mirrors everywhere & zebra hide chair... What a lovely little nook it would make via here

Welcome to the new week lovelies! I hope you've all had a brilliant weekend of fun, Olympic games madness & time out for yourselves. I took this weekend to just switch off from the laptop as much as I could but caught up with lots of friends and family on the phone, I swear my ear was burning after half an hour! I also watched some of the Olympics, mainly the Womens bike race - it was awesome! I'm not usually into the biking thing, but I knew they were closing the roads I knew very well... My friends had the benefit of living so close to where the road race passed and even my folks went out in the pouring rain to support the cyclists & Silver medal winner, Lizzie Armitstead compete. It was Britains first medal, so I guess you could say we're all a little chuffed. Anyhoos, I'm having a going for gold and black moment, since it's Monday, y'know! Enjoy!

Talk about fierce! via styletrove.tumblr.com

 Love a beautiful & dramatic tablescape, this ones rather glossy black and gold details are to die for via here 

 Simple styling... via EddieRoss/Pinterest

 Black, white & Gold nai art via here

In summer I do love to use a bit of gold eyeshadow for that extra bit of sparkle & shimmer, usually in the corners of my eye set against black smoky eye makeup. Love this look? Would any of you try it?
via here

Thought this was a really fun shoot featuring British medal hopefuls by Andy Hooper... It reminds me of the iconic scene from James Bonds 'Gold finger'... Cool no? Above Tonia Couch, Diver. Full story/images via Daily Mail

Wishing you all a super awesome week! Whatever you get upto, have a good one!
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Thursday 26 July 2012

Face Mapping - What does it all mean beauties?

 Original illustration by one of my fave illustrators: Jason Brooks edited by me.

Happy Friday fellow bloggers! I hope your week has been good to you and not too crazy-hectic!

Years ago, I came across face mapping, a technique used in traditional Chinese Medicine & Auyerveda when I had a skin analysis prior to a Dermalogica facial, which was great for understanding how certain areas of your face are related indirectly or directly with your health, indicating imbalances in key organs in your body.
I haven't really thought much about it since, but every now and again I notice dark circles under my eye or major breakouts around the chin area - a true the tell tale sign that there is a major hormonal imbalance or perhaps it's just that time of the month.

So what's your skin trying to tell you & what organs should you be paying attention to?

Forehead: 
Break outs can usually mean a build up of toxins in the digestive system & bladder. Up your intake of water to flush out the toxins and improve your diet or take a closer look to see if there are foods that you have a tolerance to. Eliminate processed foods and refined sugars where possible.

Eyes, orbital area & the space above your nose:
Redness, flakiness, oiliness (inbetween the brows), itchy eyes here is related to your liver and possible allergies. Cut back on the booze, heavy, fatty or rich foods (are you eating out a lot?) and also dairy. Saturated fats are difficult for the liver to proces, so go easy on the grease... Whilst refined sugars will convert into fats and cholesterol if the liver processes too much!
Fresh orange or even lemon juice are great for invigorating the liver & also great for cleansing both your body & liver.

Under the eyes & ears:
Notice any dark circles under your eyes? It's not just a lack of sleep that's an issue, you're most likely dehydrated. The area under your eyes & your ears, if they appear redder/hotter than normal are related to your kidneys so keep hydrated and reduce your intake of alcohol, moderate your intake of caffeine, avoid too much salt in your diet and if you must, do a detox. 
I always notice how some of my friends who have a low tolerance of alcohol (or are allergic to alcohol) react to drinking when I see their ears & cheeks go red! It's always the first place to colour.

Nose:
Apparently redness, broken capillaries & puffiness are related to any underlying heart or blood problems. (Or you may simply have a cold & have been blowing your nose too much!)

Cheeks:
This area is related to the lungs and respiratory system. Irritation from pollution, smoking or passive smoking will cause broken capillaries, puffiness, inflammation or minor breakouts here.

Mouth area:
Any congestion here shows underlying problems with your stomach and digestive system - up your intake of fibre and try to eat clean - include lots of fruit, veggies!

Chin area:
I don't know if this applies to everyone, but breakouts here are usually very common for many women. Hormonal imbalances & even stress are the main causes. I normally just take Omega 3 vitamins & switch it up with Vitamin E with Evening Primrose Oil. Research shows that Vitamin E is actually better for PMS. (via Livestrong)
Apparently, depending on which side you have breakouts as this area is also related to your ovaries, you can probably determine which side you're ovulating... now that's just weird!

You might just think this is all a load of rubbish and most likely don't apply to you, but next time you experience any congestion, breakouts or notice anything out of the ordinary on your face take another peek at this face map again! Are there any noticeable correlations?

Have a brilliant sunny, smiley weekend loves!

References: Healthy voyager & Dermalogica via Beautifully Gorgeous
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Monday 23 July 2012

The Greatest Love of all...

One of my fave movies - Funny Face, 1957. Audrey Hepburn & Fred Astaire rehearsing via here.

Happy Monday lovelies! Hope you all had an amazing weekend!

On the weekend I celebrated my 6 year anniversary with Mr. Perseus, so yeah, I'm nothing but a big ball of love right now... Just wanted to share a few Old Hollywood & modern day love snaps with you all! Enjoy!

Frank Sinatra & Ava Gardner who stole his heart but couldn't be tamed - definitely one of the greatest love stories from the old school Hollywood era. More on this couple via here
image via here
 Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton via here
 Lauren Bacall & Humphrey Bogart fell in love when they filmed 'To have & Have not and were married for 12 years until Bogarts death in 1957. What a couple they made!
Image via here


via Google images.
 Marilyn Monroe & her true love Joe DiMaggio via Google images
A Cinematic Love affair: Katherine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy were together for 26 years and starred in 9 films together.
 Running wild & stealing a kiss via here
 A helping hand for that one last kiss! via here
via here

Unending Love, a beautiful Poem, a favourite of Audrey Hepburns:

I seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times…
In life after life, in age after age, forever.
My spellbound heart has made and remade the necklace of songs,
That you take as a gift, wear round your neck in your many forms,
In life after life, in age after age, forever.

Whenever I hear old chronicles of love, it's age-old pain,
It's ancient tale of being apart or together.
As I stare on and on into the past, in the end you emerge,
Clad in the light of a pole-star piercing the darkness of time:
You become an image of what is remembered forever.

You and I have floated here on the stream that brings from the fount.
At the heart of time, love of one for another.
We have played along side millions of lovers, shared in the same
Shy sweetness of meeting, the same distressful tears of farewell-
Old love but in shapes that renew and renew forever.

Today it is heaped at your feet, it has found its end in you

The love of all man’s days both past and forever:
Universal joy, universal sorrow, universal life.
The memories of all loves merging with this one love of ours –
And the songs of every poet past and forever.
—by Rabindranath Tagore


Wishing you a wonderful week, filled with love from moi!
kali evdomada
x.o.x.o

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Saturday 21 July 2012

LINKS À LA MODE: THE IFB WEEKLY ROUND UP: JULY 19TH


Despite the new look and slight changes to our forums on the new IFB site, there was no shortage of selections for this week’s Links a la Mode round up! From easy summer style to bridal trends and even some chatter over the latest Olympic drama with Ralph Lauren as well as teens and photoshopping in magazines, we had a lot to cover! Check out this week’s links and if yours has been chosen, be sure to check back later today for the code so you can post the links on your blog. Happy clicking!

LINKS À LA MODE: THE IFB WEEKLY ROUND UP: JULY 19TH



Thank you IFB for including my first ever submission link this week! Yay!
I've also met some wonderful bloggers via IFB, so get on the case if you haven't joined yet - great community of like-minded lovelies! Have a fantastic weekend!
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Thursday 19 July 2012

YSL's 'Devoted to Fans' Facebook inspired Eyeshadow


When I first heard that YSL were launching a new eyeshadow palette inspired by Facebook, I had to re-read the headliner again! Incroyable! Yes, it's for real peeps! Die hard fans will have to be quick as only a small number has been produced & will be sold via their Facebook page here. The "Devoted to Fans" palette launches today in four shades; black, violet, white, and the signature blue Facebook shade.
"Speaking about YSL’s Facebook palette, Damien Vincent, Commercial Director of Facebook France said: "We are honoured that a prestigious brand such as Yves Saint Laurent [is using] Facebook colour codes to launch a unique product destined for his fans.”  - via here.
 What do you think lovelies? Like? Or no Likey? ;)

I thought this was an interesting take on beauty inspiration and collaborations, til I read about a scent being created for Apple Macbook Pro - as in, there's a company out there trying to capture the whiff of a freshly boxed Macbook Pro... Close your eyes now and picture the smell of cardboard, plastic, glue & ink all rolled into one... mystifying, not. 
Hmmm, perhaps we can all engage in a bit of computer sniffing at our local PC world/Kotsovolos/Target/Mac World, just ask them to bring you out a new box. Anyhoos, it appears the world of beauty has gone loca loca...

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Monday 16 July 2012

Superhero Bling: Capes, Drapes, Chains & Collars

J crew jewels via pinterest

Well, hey hey hey, a big hello to you all on a Monday! I hope you've had a lovely weekend! 

The Amazing Spiderman opened on the weekend, and I've heard lots of great things about the new Marvels comic movie but is it any good? Have any of you seen it? Please share reviews as I haven't seen it yet!!!
I'm currently inspired by capes, drapes, chains and collars in the jewellery department & these were just a few that caught my eye with a tiny hint of Superhero edge! Enjoy!


Lanvin Swarovski crystal Eagle collar necklace - its a real beauty via N-A-P
Etro Fringe & spear brass necklace via outnet - reduced to £416 from  £1,040
Topshop Pearl shoulder drape
Topshop multi tube capelet £35
Newlook Gold diamente winged beetle necklace £5.99
Topshop Warrior Chain Collar £30

Wishing you all a super awesome week! 
♥Kali evdomada♥
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Friday 13 July 2012

Leather: 50 shades of Maximum Impact, Minimum Effort

From top left-right: Rag and Bone, Marios Scwab, Derek Lam, J Mendel & Dior. 
images via here & style.com

I realise it's a little early (and waaay to hot) to be drooling over Resort 13's biggest trends, but I can't help but be a little excited that leather is going to be mah-jor, again! Yup, my little secret fashion affair with this luxe, edgy fabric is popping up all over the place, from Marc by Marc Jacobs, Rag & Bone, Alexander Wang, Phillip Lim Marios Schwab, Proenza Schouler, Versace to Barbara Bui.

Now loves, leather pieces are what I call 'investment', statement making wardrobe enhancing numbers, it'll never really go out of fashion. Whilst i've never been able to wear leather pants (- they just don't look good on me - I need a pair of legs like Rosie H-W & frankly the whole Ross incident in Friends kinda put me off), there are plenty of options, my fave being a leather dress - a great dress is a real game changer, y'know?
Let's take a peek at how celebrities have been working leather frocks over the years. 50 shades of hotness indeed.

See what I mean about maximum impact, minimum effort?
Jennifer Aniston in Celine & Gucci sandals (via zimbio.com) at the Horrible Bosses premiere, Victoria Beckham spotted most recently leaving LAX teamed with a gorgeous pair of fringed Maison Martin Margiela booties via here & Jessica Alba at Tribeca Film Festival 2010 via here

My fave fashion bunnies - La Kate attending Miu Miu SS10 accessorized with studded belt via here & Miss Palermo rocking her COS long sleeve leather number complete with Kurt Geiger Fashionistas mustard heels and Mawi sunray tube & boxchain necklace (2010) via here.
Angelina Jolie is at her bad-ass best in leather strapless Michael Kors number at the Inglourious Basterds Premiere via here & Jessica Alba in a stunning studded strapless Versace dress at Paris Fashion Week via here.
Another girl crush of mine is Kate Bosworth, shines in Chloe backless leather and linen mix dress at the Sundace Film Festival 2011 via here & minimalist in Calvin Klein earlier this May via here.

As you may have noticed, I can't help but go towards to the dark side, it's easy being hynotized by all-black. A black leather dress is always going to raise the bar and a surefire way to make an entrance - see a la Moss. What a smokin' vixen, no?

1. Thakoon leather mini dress on sale via NAP
2. MCQ by Alexander McQueen ring embellised leather & sueded dress via NAP 
3. Virginia Dress Topshop £69
4. Zalando.co.uk Urbancode leather fit & flare dress £230
From top left: 
Alexander MQueen Peplum pencil skirt via NAP
Alice Temperley Libre lace trim leather shorts on sale
Whistles laser cut pencil skirt - Love how they've styled this for a more casual approach.
Asos a-line mini skirt by Vila now £55

I love the clean lines of leather, the unfussy styles that have been cut to perfection. The trick to finding the perfect fit in a shift or shell style is somewhere between cut close to the body without it clinging like a body-con dress. I absolutely adore Celine's tan bond leather dress from SS10.

Looks like peplum, fit and flare shapes continue to be huge for resort 13, would you ever wear a leather dress, skirt or shorts? How would you accessorize or style it? Dark smokey eyes and nude lips or Bold red lippy? Sexy, delicate strappy heels, pointy pumps or chunky booties? The possibilities are endless...

Happy weekend to you lovelies!
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Tuesday 10 July 2012

Staying Safe & being Savvy in the Summer Sun

 via pinterest.com

Hello loves! How was your weekend? Decadent, enriching, inspiring, hectic, relaxing?

I managed to escape for the second time this year to the beach - you'd think with the amazing weather we've been having since early May that I'd have hit the beach more often right? It's only half an hour drive to reach the coast...Well, as much as I love being by the sea and going for long swims, I can honestly say it is far too hot & I'm no longer interested in working up a tan... cue gasp - shock horreur! Over the past few years, I have found sunbathing a little.... boring (unless I have a seriously good read), gimme a bit of beach V-ball action any day. Admittedly, ten years ago my outlook on sunbathing was somewhat very differently from now.
via mypinkcloud.tumblr.com

I'm pretty sure many of you are familar with the sun safety drill, know a fair bit about protecting your skin, lathering on sun cream and staying in the shade when the sun is at it's peak, but what do you guys really know about sun exposure, heat stroke or long term effects of sun exposure such as melanoma (deadly form of skin cancer) & premature aging of the skin? (I'm picturing Cameron Diaz' neighbour with the leather skin from There's Something about Mary... judder!)

A little vitamin D is good for you but there are dire & serious consequences when you've soaked up just a little too much sun, even when you have applied a generous amount of sun cream (and forgotten to reapply two hours later) and i'm not talking about short term repercussions of immediate sunburn either. 

via here
Sorry guys, not trying to freak you out here, just want you guys to be savvy and safe in the  sun. This weekend I remembered this one time and note, I was pretty good at being a sun worshipper, what with my olive skin... Even with factor 30 sun cream (which I'd applied a good hour before heading to the beach), an hour under the blazing sun, I totally weirded out a few hours later. 
As in verging on heat exhaustion/heat stroke, I was non-stop thirsty (even though I drank water throughout the day), irritable even though I felt completely shattered & I felt so damn hot (no sunburn either but my body temperature was off the charts). I drank a lot of water along with sports drinks (to replace lost electrolytes) & tried to rest, which helped, but I felt completely rubbish. 
If you're spending hours under the sun, be aware of the following symptoms:
Dizziness, nausea, dehydration, increased heart rate/breathing rate, vomiting and muscle cramps.
via here.


At this time of the year magazines and online blogs are in abundance of sun protection cream features, which sunscreen lotion is the best etc, and you have probably read them all, but how many of you actually comply with sun safety at all? 
Here's one a wake-up call read from Marie Claire magazine: "What I learned from Melanoma, experiencing skin cancer".
Sun exposure or none at all, keep an eye on your moles each month ideally to see if there are any changes. If you are fair skinned, have lots of freckles, or moles or even have absolutely no idea what the heck I'm talking about please visit this article about melanoma screenings, examining moles & abnormal mole images here via Cancer Research UK.

Sun Safety knowlege - A few facts: 
  • "One in ten (Brits) believed that the sun in the UK isn't as strong as it is in more tropical climes and 20% of the public think you can’t catch the sun through glass." - DOH! - Yup, doesn't matter where you are, it's worth investing in a day cream with an spf of 15 minimum.
  • "The poll of 1,500 women revealed that 22% do not wear creams to protect them from UV rays when they are abroad, as they do not think they sunburn, that it’s too expensive or that it doesn’t work.
  • And worringly, almost half thought using after-sun would reverse some of the damage done to their skin by the sun. Eeeek!" Un-be-lievable!!! - via Cosmopolitan UK
  • "An estimated 8,600 people in the U.S. died from melanoma last year"  - Totalbeauty.com
  • You can still burn even though it's a cloudy day on the beach, don't underestimate the power of UVA rays, they'll penetrate through a glass of water loves!
So lovelies, enjoy the summer, but be safe and protect your hair & eyes too!
Oh and please for the love fo God, go easy on the booze - balance those yummy cocktails out with a glass of water in between! 

Sun Protection sources: boots.com
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Saturday 7 July 2012

La Dolce Vita

via here

dolce vita [ˈdɒltʃɪ ˈviːtə (Italian) ˈdoltʃe ˈvita]
n
a life of luxury
[Italian, literally: sweet life]


Pretty florals and Vespa... a familiar sight in Roma
via here

Basking in the sun in the Italian Countryside... I could easily be persuaded, take me to Tuscany now.
via Habitually Chic on Pinterest

Via Pinterest.com

Good food & full bodied red wine, al fresco lunches and dinners with friends & family, yes please. I'm visualizing large table, long benches and endless plates of food, my idea of heaven!

Fave Italian girl crush (next to Sophia & Monica that is), Bianca Balti, simply Bellisima.

Venice, oh so romantic, but sinking fast, is it on your bucket list or have you been?
via pinterest.com

I've travelled throughout the main cities of beautiful Italy, but still on my list of places to visit in Italy are Ravello, Sorrento, Sardinia, Portofino, Positano, Tuscany, Cinque Terre, Lake Como & drive along the Amalfi coast. Anybody been? Please do share your experiences!


What's the meaning of a 'good life' for you & where would you most like to escape to right now?

Have a brilliant weekend!
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Wednesday 4 July 2012

Celebrity Blog Reads

With our celeb obsessed culture it's not surprising just how many celebs had jumped on the blogging bandwagon or had their style websites... really, as if there aren't enough blogs popping up every minute to devour?

Anyhoos, in case you're lacking in the reading or inspirational department I've picked out a few favourites:

Lauren Conrad's Beauty siteThe Beauty Department and also her lifestyle, fashion & beauty website - is there anything this girl can't do?

What's not to love about a little education - the layout, graphics and info are all straightforward & fab. My personal faves are the nail posts.
 via The BeautyDepartment.com

Zooey Deschanel - I just love this lady, her site Hellogiggles.com set up with two other friends is sheer brilliance, a site that literally covers everything from how-to's, fashion, beauty, cuteness, books, interiors, entertainment, food... See, everything! Zooey's personal tumblr blog is super fun too.
via Zooey's tumblr blog

My fave Upper East Side socialite, Olivia Palermo has a fab lifestyle, fashion & travel blog, here. I don't think i'll ever get sick of her style - she totally owns it & is the epitome of chic.
image via here
For a bit of style, I love Ashley Madekwe from my fave show, Revenge has a personal style & beauty blog - Ring my Bell.


She may be the perfect super-mum, love her or hate her, Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle website Goop always dishes out some informative articles/newsletters too based on 'make, go, see, do, get & be'.

I also love the queen of cray-cray glam fashion - Anna Dello Russo, her website is just spectacular spectacular.

Are there any other faves who inspire you guys? The IFB has the down-low on 'The Business of  celebrity blogging' including how some of these celeb sites are produced here.

Celebs I didn't know had their own site/blog:
Kim Kardashian - all you KK lovers, her blog is here.
Another reality TV star & now fashion designer, Whitney Port's website

Images sourced via mentioned sites unless stated otherwise.
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Sunday 1 July 2012

New month, new hair... Just how short?

Happy July to you loves! So how's the weekend going so far? 


Ok, I've finally given in to submitting some kind of photographic evidence that my hair has been cut short, above: the sleek and chic version and below, a slightly messier look (- I'm not wearing any make up so yes, there is censorship just in case I frighten you poor loves into shockosphere). Know what? A new hair cut is quite liberating & also it feels really good knowing that my hair - a whole stonking  14" has been donated to the Little Princess Trust, which they'll be using to make into a wig. My genius of a hairdresser Nick, left a few pieces at the front (the long piece so he could play with that later), pulled two ponytails, one on the top half of head and another bottom half - cutting that piece first to determine length (and just how short I was prepared to go) then the top half piece where he was able to go shorter - old snaps of hair here. I did have images with me (along with an addressed envelope/elastic bands/tissue paper to wrap hair in) but since Nick (Harringtons) has been cutting my hair for well over a decade, I thought I'd let him work his magic. Et Voila!
I'm loving the versatility of this cut and although the short length has taken some getting used to I know it'll take no time to grow out, especially in this heat. With a little salt spray or texturising wax/gum the messy look can be achieved in no time at all, which is great for someone who is relatively low-maintenance. What do you think? Would any of you ever go for a dramatic chop?

Welcoming the new month with these words...

 image via here edited with Abes quote.

This shot of Angkor Wat was taken many moons ago... words borrowed with some additional bits from moi!

Kalo Mina & have a wonderfully wow July loves!

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