One of the most exciting things arrived in my mailbox the other day: they were stockings decorated with the silhouette of the Paris skyline. I can literally walk around with the sights of Paris daintily resting above my knee. How cool is that. So while adventuring around the city of Melbourne I flaunted the skyline of Paris, much to the bemused looks of wandering Melbournians. Honestly, these stockings caught the gaze of so many people that I almost started feeling self-conscious.
Asos had a sale on socks and stockings not that long ago which was when I came across these stockings, as well as many others with cute patterns just above the knee to give the appearance of over-the-knee socks. Only these keep your thighs warm too and they won’t fall down.
I must confess that I have found a new obsession. It comes in the form of pretty coloured lipsticks, and I can no longer leave the house without a perky pink, blood orange or devilish red painted on my lips. It really has become a thing that is not only appreciated by me, as I can confirm that lipstick experimentation is most definitely on the rise as supported by my meticulous observations. I even saw somebody sporting moss green lipstick a few weeks back, but can’t say that it was all that impressive.
Now that I have discovered my newfound need to apply lipstick whenever an opportunity arises, I have also been exposed to the downsides of this cosmetic product, i.e. attempting to eat a burger while avoiding smudges and the whole lipstick-on-the-teeth scenario. In addition to those problematic obstacles, I am just starting to get used to using lip liner which is a necessary component of the process if you want to keep your lipstick all nice and contained. I swear one side of my lips is differently shaped to the other, therefore I struggle with this. As for the lipstick on the teeth, a decent trick is after you have applied your pretty stick to your lips, pop your finger in your mouth and then take it out, which hopefully removes the areas of your lipstick that could potentially colour your front teeth red. Just to avoid any further potential embarrassment, I lick my teeth before I smile or talk to someone. As for the hamburger hindrance, Mum made me aware of how ladies wearing lipstick should not be engaging in burger eating anyway. Hmm.
In these photos I am wearing Revlon ColorStay Wine lip liner, and No. 006 Revlon ‘Really Red’ lipstick.
I recently attended school’s senior formal-the school’s night of nights where the boys and girls from the senior years dress up pretty, dine and dance in an exquisite venue and have a generally fabulous evening. After years of watching the Oscars and yearning to look as glamorous as Angelina Jolie, I seized this chance to become my own red carpet stylist. I am not going to lie, organising my outfit was serious business and thoroughly exciting. I even travelled interstate to find the dress (I was on holidays) and bought luxury brand shoes (on sale, of course) so clearly I was committed. The night rolled around sooner than expected and it was lovely. The gents looked handsome and the ladies were stunning. I really don’t mind formal events, dressing up was hands-down the best part.
Thanks to my inspiration…
Angelina Jolie at the 2009 Academy Awards thegloss.com
Last Saturday was International Women’s day, and despite the fact the women’s accomplishments should be celebrated any day, having a specific day devoted to women’s empowerment allows everyone to reflect on the truly amazing feats that women are capable of achieving. It is recognition of the political, economic and social achievements of women in the past and present and is looking ahead at potential opportunities for success. From all corners of the globe, women of different backgrounds who speak diverse languages congregate to celebrate the struggles that women have overcome as well as to raise awareness of the conflicts that remain in the lives of women today.
Inspiration is something which I don’t lack in my life, as I have my beautiful mother and older sister as my role models to help guide me. A woman who has become a role model overnight due to her rapid success in Hollywood is Lupita Nyong’o. At the seventh annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon, the Oscar winner delivered an inspirational speech on how she overcame her low self-esteem to follow her dreams. She described a letter that she had received from a young girl with dark skin who had considered buying skin-whitening cream- until she noticed a lady with the same dark complexion on the world’s stage. Unknowingly, Lupita’s success inspired this girl to change her view of herself as well as to imaginably thousands of others. She concluded her incredible speech with an important message to young girls:
“I hope that my presence on your screens and in magazines will lead you, young girl, on a similar journey. That you will feel the validation of your external beauty, but also get to the deeper business of being beautiful inside. There is no shade in that beauty.”
Some people are capable of making a difference despite not anticipating the impact it can have on others. On top of being a young woman who has already made her mark in Hollywood and in the lives of many girls today, the lady knows how to dress to impress. Donning a heavenly pastel blue Prada gown which complimented her in every way, Lupita shone on the red carpet. I especially loved her addition of the headband, which is not something which can be easily pulled off. Perhaps it’s not so subtle but I may have a girl crush.
Oscars 2014 – eonline.com
..And now back to a less glamorous place. Weather in Melbourne has actually been consistent for the past week which is a rare event. The warm temperatures have meant that I could still leave my jeans behind and sport a pair of shorts. I do like bustier tops, however I find that it can occasionally look too- dare I say it- ‘teenybopper’ and cheap when worn simply with skimpy shorts or a skirt. Instead I like to match it up with a cardigan or in this case, a light white shirt!
The classic monochrome is hard to pass up because it always works and manages to make you look stylish and effortless. This blog is a testament to my love of the two ‘shades’ or whatever people prefer to label them as. I’ve been a huge fan of maxi dresses and skirts and this particular dress was a bargain at $25 from a shop I haven’t entered since my pre teen days. It’s incredible what you may find when you’re not expecting it.
The clutch is Napoleon Perdis- part of a gift pack that included makeup. I didn’t care too much for the makeup, I just wanted the bag.
Dress – Jay Jays Shoes – Steve Madden Bag – Napoleon Perdis
It’s been too long, I am well aware. Part of it has been because I’ve been away on holidays, and a small part of it is because I’ve been too lazy. Nonetheless, there is no excuse. Except for the fact that I’m embarking on my final year in school which has resulted in my favourite hobby being pushed down on my list of priorities. It’s going to be difficult to continue with my blog, but it might serve as a means of escape so we’ll see!
Australia day is a very special day for those inhabiting this beautiful country. For me, it’s a good excuse to celebrate how privileged I am by spending time with family and friends and donning those Australian flag printed bikinis that can only be taken out of the wardrobe once a year. I went to Docklands in the city which was surrounded by a lot of activity. There were stalls selling those infamous cork hats that were calling to me until I settled on an Australian flag bucket hat instead. Ironically, I went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. It was a lovely day.
I decided against wearing the green and gold colour scheme because there’s no way I could rock it. I opted for turquoise and crème which is kind of similar. I love high-waisted shorts and I love embellished tops, and in particular this top, but it is so ridiculously fragile that a couple of beads fell off on my second occasion of wearing it -_-
Occasionally I dream of a white Christmas and wish for eggnog and a warm fire like from what I’ve seen in my favourite American Christmas movies (I’ll be home for Christmas, anyone?). It must be magical to wake up Christmas morning to a blanket of snow and to cut the turkey while viewing falling snow through a window, however I don’t hope that all my Christmases are white. There’s something very unique about an Australian Christmas that steers away from the stereotypes while maintaining a strong sense of tradition. There may be heat and dry weather and plenty of flies, but there’s BBQ’s, beer and sunshine. it’s an incredibly special time of year that indubitably beats my birthday. There is always plenty of music, an exaggerated amount of decorations and of course food and presents, which really indicates how lucky I am to be able to celebrate the festive season in such an exuberant fashion.
This year, Christmas was celebrated with family at my aunty’s place in the country. Food was plentiful, the views were stunning and fortunately it was a glorious summer’s day. Aaaaand I took advantage of the sweet location to take some snaps.
There were horses there too but they ran off in the distance
Dress – Dotti
Shoes – Rubi shoes
Bag – Vintage
Sunnies- asos
It’s amazing how much anticipation and excitement there is over one day that goes so quickly. I believe that it’s completely worth it though.
Yesterday was the fabulous and famous Melbourne Cup day, and it is in fact so fabulous that Victorians get a day off for it. Yay for public holidays! In my true traditional Melbourne Cup style, I attended a BBQ with family and friends and had a joyful day of eating plenty of food and inevitably losing in the sweep not unlike every other year.
This racing carnival, the outfits have been bursting with colour and fascinators have been bigger (and more ridiculous) than ever. Since I didn’t have the chance to attempt an extravagantly colourful races outfit for myself, I incorporated colour into the day’s outfit with my orange 3/4 pants. I feel like a hip 50’s housewife in these pants.
Well, judging by the bright hues of green plastering braches and nature strips, spring is well in force but is taking its time to bring the increasing warmth with it. No matter though, in the rare glimpses of summer I tossed off my jeans and let my legs breathe. Ahhh, the unfamiliar yet refreshing feel of a warm breeze. I’m even sporting florals to express my spring jubilation.
The top is actually a playsuit. My growth spurt has forced me to stop wearing it in its natural form due to the over-exposure of, um, flesh.
Excuse me from my lengthy absence from the computer, but I have been travelling around France for the last month. Now that I’m back, I cannot believe that it ever happened. I spent a large period of time on a French exchange which was incredible for both my French-speaking skills and my immersion into the culture, and then I spent the remainder of my time floating around France. Not so much floating in a variety of areas, but I actually spent a great portion of time wandering around magical Paris. I have only ever been there once before which I barely recall, and I finally discovered the reason of why so many people boast about the famous city.
Just a man on his bike in Paris
Walking down the cobblestone streets and getting lost through the maze of classic French architecture was an exhilarating experience which left me wide-eyed and alert at all times, for both the picturesque sights and the danger of pickpockets. Being an inhabitant of such a young country as Australia, the rich history that could be found along the streets never failed to amaze me. The city possesses an old charm that I found to be thoroughly irresistible, and the opportunity to grab a crepe or baguette at every street corner was truly a winner. And boy, did I take a liking to the local cuisine. However I unfortunately did not have the pleasure of tasting frog legs or escargot.
Alternately, I was lucky enough to experience the sights of the Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre, as well as various chateaus including Versailles and the most stunning cathedrals. To put it mildly, France is filled with them. Without a doubt, my emotional visit to the Notre Dame is one that will always remain in my memory.
To tick off a couple more experiences from my French wish list, I gazed at Paris by night from the top of the Arc De Triomphe and the highest floor of la tour Eiffel. It’s funny how the Parisians disliked the Eiffel Tower initially, because now it is one of the primary motives of why people visit the beautiful city and in my opinion, it is a rather attractive structure. Seeing Paris from the iconic landmark was fairly magnifique, if you pardon my French.
Château de VersaillesSacré CœurThe LouvreA Gallery in the LouvreIn les Sables-d’Olonne
I stayed in les Sables-d’Olonne with a local family who very kindly brought me into their home. Although it was only for a couple of weeks and the language barrier proved to often be difficult, I formed a close bond with the family and the beautiful town.
Nantes- yes that is a mechanical elephant.Île d’YeuArc de Triomphe
I would also like to add that I was in the city during Paris fashion week, which sounds exciting in theory however there was no opportunity to score tickets to any of the shows or catch a glimpse of any celebrities. Ah, c’est la vie. Fortunately I kept myself busy by deeply engaging myself in the shopping culture.
So that closes my little French adventure which was easily one of the most memorable experiences of my life. The remarkable people I met, the food, and of course the sights make me believe that there is no doubt in my mind that I will be back for more of the beautiful country sometime soon.
All photography is courtesy of me ladies and gents.
I Like Your Shirt 