TIS THE SEASON

Merry Christmas everyone !! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas day, got spoilt & are now enjoying your holidays.

I spent my Christmas with my family, we didn't have the whole family round this year, every ones moved & got there own little families now so it was just the immediate family this year, it was still great. I made my legendary seafood salad that was a usual hit, whilst my nan prepared everything else. My nan has an amazing house, she lives in New Lynn about 5 minutes from the mall & the main shops but her back yard looks like your somewhere up north, she has 1 cheeky fat lamb & 3 chickens. It felt like we were on a little vacation in Opononi, its always lovely spending the day there. We all ate a lot of food & watched the younger kids open there presents then ate again then had some dessert. That's what Christmas is to my family, all about good food & a lot of it and of course family. There was even enough for everyone to have a huge plate to take home, I LOVE snacking on Christmas food the next day, & my partner spent the day with his family so we had two different Christmas meals to enjoy. Delicious.

Instead of spending boxing day the usual way getting pushed & pulled around the busy Auckland malls my partner & I decided to spend it in the sun, we went on a amazing bush walk with our best friend Franky. It was beautiful, but we'll definitely be catching up with the New Years sales late this week. I cant say it didn't kill me seeing all the adverts of all the sales on TV.

Also we managed to squeeze in a movie date to watch my partners favourite movie of 2015, Starwars. Ive never been much of a fan myself but we rented all 6 DVDs just so I can get into all the excitement of the new movie that came out. To be honest the first 3 Starwars movies were terribly boring!! The graphics were shocking, & It did NOT make me want to watch anymore let alone pay to go to the cinemas. I actually really enjoyed the new movie, it just shows how much we have up graded with technology from the first movie to now 2015.

I hope your all enjoying the festive season & hope you all get to spend it with people you love. New Years is coming up now, until then, HAPPY NEW YEARS!!

SHOULDERS ARE OUT FOR SUMMER

My shoulders are getting a little sun today with this beautiful top I love from Wild Pair, I brought it this time last year but never got around to wearing it last Summer.

I've matched it with some loose relaxing pants from Decjuba which it kind of looks like overalls or a long play suit. I wore this for a second round of Christmas shopping. I'm also wearing Jeffery Campbell sandals & Australia Quay sunnies.

I must say my shopping experience was a lot more pleasurable this time around & again like my previous post I went mad in Pumpkin Patch with there half price sales!! I might try & get all the toddlers in their new outfits on Christmas day & upload some photos with a post, with delicious food & sweets it could be a very tricky job!

Until then..

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

YOU MAKE YOUR STYLE, NOT YOUR CLOTHES

Beautiful women embracing the style they LOVE

Fashion, trends & personal style has always played a massive part in my life. Ive never worked in fashion but yet its been with me through everything. I guess I love fashion because I feel like its an extension of myself, I feel comfortable & at home when I'm in my favourite clothes or one of my many favourite outfits, I feel like I've accomplished something after I've put together a great new outfit from clothes I've already got sitting in my wardrobe. 

I think what makes me stare & really notice a complete stranger walking past is how their wearing there clothes, how their carrying themselves & showing off there own personal style, no matter if there style is some thing I wouldn't necessarily like, I'm drawn to their confidence which makes me look at what their wearing. I can recognise that this is their daily look, their not afraid to embrace it nor care what people may think, I absolutely love that & wish I could take a few pages from their book. I do wear whatever I want & my style is all mine, I don't tend to be a huge trend follower, I just like certain pieces for no other reason then love & not because there trending right now but I do care what people think to a certain extent.  I see many different girls or some times guys walking down the street or around the mall with an amazing outfit on which I am straight away attracted to, but their looking quiet awkward, like some one else has dressed them today, or this is the first time they've dressed in this particular style & they are just not comfortable with themselves & their clothes. So I think everyone should just embrace there own personal look, if you feel most comfortable in a  hoodie & your favourite jeans that you've had for 10 years, I say wear them!! ROCK them!! You look most attractive when your comfortable. So be yourself.

When I first met my partner Alex, we met at a local bar in Newmarket, it was across from my former work place. We met straight after I finished work so I was still in my work clothes, as a former hairdresser I was still able to embrace my personal style everyday which was awesome. I had on a chiffon loose fitted dress with a lonely hearts bra peaking through, a red rosed kimono & boots, he had on a surfy casual blue T-shirt, three quarter frayed denim shorts & a cap on. I was a little stunned that he showed up to our first date so casual  & a little offended that he had put no effort in to at least trying to make a good impression. He later admitted that he thought I was very dressed up, to this day 1 year & a half later, were exactly the same. My point is that we were both comfortable in our own style which led us to having a PERFECT first date & a beautiful relationship ;)

PIN STRIPES & CHIFFON CAPE.

THROW BACK THURSDAYS.

This wasn't actually too long ago, I think this was about 6-8 months ago, I was just leaving for work that day. I had a kind of a ombre going on, I've still got the blunt fringe but I'm growing out the blunt bob haircut.

The pin striped high waisted pants are one of my favourite clothing items, they're from Wild Pair, the very manly thick leather belt actually belongs to my partner, I thought it looked better than a one of my petite belts in this occasion.

The shoes & the essential huge black bag are also from Wild Pair, the casual black t shirt I've just thrown on to pull the outfit together is a essential from Supre & the  chiffon cape like cardigan is from ASOS, its a great piece for just throwing on top of an outfit.

LETS GO SHOPPING

As much as I love Christmas cheer and all I honestly can not wait till its over!

I feel like last week it was 4 months till Christmas & then I woke up yesterday & SH*T its next week! (panic). Well it only comes around once a year so lets try to embrace it. There are things that of course I love, I really enjoy shopping, I mean what girl doesn't like shopping? I especially love baby shopping, I don't have any kids and only have one niece and one new baby nephew that I'm planning on spoiling this yea, so I don't get a lot of opportunities to be in baby stores. I found myself lost in Pumpkin Patch & Cotton-on Kids yesterday at St Lukes mall, I think it may have something to do with my childhood. When I look back at all my baby to toddler photos I seriously look like a little boy, my parents dressed me well, just in boy clothing for some reason. (Ill try to find one that doesn't look too old & upload it) Some of the many outfits I remember well are three quarter ripped denim shorts, a flannel shirt, a beanie & little Nikes or Jordans, now I was a very stylish little boy non the less :)

Anyway..

I think that's why I'm completely obsessed with princess outfits, sparkles & just adorable little girls clothes.

When I'm shopping I'm super rash, very decisive with what I'm looking for, I march into a store & within the first 10 seconds Ill know if what I'm looking for is in this store, if not I do a quick pretend browse around the store then I'm off to the next store. I do rather like shopping alone or with my partner, my family are the complete opposite in there shopping style, they end up buying more things for them self's making our Christmas shopping experience LONG & grueling. With my partner he pretty much just follows me around & he is a pretty quick shopper as well which is PERFECT!

This is my Christmas shopping outfit, its relaxing & comfortable yet still stylish, has a hint of summer with the floral design on the play suit but Im still rocking my comfy Windsor Smith boots, I tend to coordinate my outfits, if I'm wearing shorts or a short dress I like to wear enclosed shoes (boots) & vice versa, if I'm wearing loose summer pants or a maxi dress Ill wear some chunky sandals, It feels more balanced. I feel TOO casual/beach living if I'm wearing a summer dress and sandals. Weird? Anyway that's how I usually put an outfit together unless its absolutely scorching hot then beach living style it is!

(Playsuit is from Glassons, fringed cardi is from Dotti & boots are Windsor Smith)

SUMMER STYLE

YAY Summer has finally come back around!! Now for most people Summer is all about flip flops, togs, shorts & singlets, its more about comfy wear that is cool & easy to get into & out off, generally were at the pools or beach every spear second we have trying to cool off. Thats all great but for me I dont like the typical floral summer dresses & the NZ famous jandals. I try to stay fashionable & trendy all through the year.

These are some fashion looks that I absolutely LOVE. They may not be as comfortable as your ripped denim short-shorts and crop top but they are a whole lot classier & stylish!!  The first 2 photos are must haves for Summer, invest in a couple of fab sunnies, I personally love a rounded shaped frame, I also love aviators, I think it all depends on the outfit your wearing so Its good to have a few selections of sunnies. 

The 1st photo is a harness bra from Sass & Bide, this is great for under a see through chiffon dress or loose shirt, great for summer where you can still wear cool, relaxing pieces but instead of wearing a tacky bikini or just a normal bra peaking through you can reveal this beautiful bra, Lonely Hearts also have some fabulous bralets.

All these outfits I think you can easily incorporate them into your everyday life, going christmas shopping, lunching in Ponsonby on a beautiful sunny day, dinning in mission bay etc.

Enjoy your Summer everyone. 

EVERYDAY MAKEUP

This is my everyday make-up that I never leave the house with out. Ive got oily skin which is so annoying, so I always have to have a blot powder or a prep & prime powder on hand which is what I'm using at the moment from MAC, my face constantly gets shiny so I just dab the T section of my face with my powder & I'm back to flawless, easy enough. Last year if I emptied my make-up bag all the contents would be MAC, I used it religiously & found it was great for my oily skin but since working for L'Oreal I just had to convert slightly, I mean I was getting a lot of free & not yet out on the market products & I could try any thing from the range so I felt like a bit of a trader. So I have come to really enjoy this L'Oreal Infallible 24h Matte foundation, it has now become my new everyday foundation, it may be a little drying for people that have dry skin but for the girls like me its perfection! The only thing I would say is that I don't get as much coverage as I use to using MAC Studio Fix but I just add another layer & its fine. I've never fussed too much with mascaras because I get eyelash extensions from The Lash Room (Courtney is amazing), have been for the last 3 years now. I use to use a MAC dark brown brow pencil but I've recently been getting my brows tinted as well so I don't bother buying one anymore. I must say getting my eyelashes & eyebrows constantly maintained saves me so much time in the morning, I pretty much just apply my MAC Skin Base Visage Primer (again for oily skin), concealer, foundation then quickly brush over my face with my MAC Studio Fix Powder which seals my makeup. I then apply a small amount of blush on the top corners of my cheeks, apply mascara to the bottoms of my eyelashes and then choose a lip stick shade if I'm wearing one that day & that's me done & dusted. I've got several different eyeshadow palettes but if I am going to wear one I stick to my Bobbi Brown shade 61 Saddle, it a nice smokey shade but I tend to keep my makeup pretty simple.

THE LITTLE THINGS

The "little things in life" are what makes life worth living. Todays life is so busy, all the focus is aimed at work, career & getting a head, more money, more things which usually ends up being more stressful. I use to be like the many people where your life starts to feel a bit like clockwork. Days start to feel exactly the same, your too tired after work to do anything then it becomes a cycle. Ive recently had some time off work & at the start I missed the clockwork routine because it felt normal, everyone else is doing it I should be too. 

I came across a blogger recently who really inspired me to try & most importantly strive to live out side of the normal day to day box. Her name is Mika Francis & her blog is "Wild Daze". She made me realise that life isn't about being normal & doing what everyone else is doing, & wanting what everyone else wants, she talks about doing what you love which is making me question my whole career path. I've been hairdressing since I was 16, I left school early to start my career in hairdressing. Since then I studied for 2 years at one of Aucklands well known hair Academy's, worked at several different mall salons & worked my way up to some of the top salons in New Zealand. I loved what I was doing, it wasn't about the money. At some point I stopped loving it, it was like I woke up one day & the passion had gone, to this day I'm still not sure what happened or what turned me off about what use to be my great love. So I tried to change my career path whilst still using my hair industry experience so I did a bit of product retail, I soon discovered that wasn't for me, I felt way too cheesy greeting customers as they come in. I then moved on to a call centre role, I worked as a Consumer Adviser for the great L'Oreal. At first I thought it was a great job, I knew everything about there hair colours and products from using them all in the past, the money was great and I enjoyed the change from being on my feet all day to sitting in my new comfy chair. I'm now contemplating going back to course & studying fashion. Fashion has always been a passion of mine, & through everything it has never faded or dimmed. 

Ive recently discovered the life of a Fashion Blogger & this is one of the ways I feel I can get my fashion fix, release some of my thoughts & style on to the world. 

ANYWAY

My conclusion is whatever I do in life Ive decided that the small things are what matter the most, they seem to turn into longer lasting memories, like having a little yogurt date, walking through a field full of lights with your partner or close friends whilst Christmas music is blasting (Christmas in the park) walking down Franklin road and taking in all the beautiful houses lit up. Don't take them all for granted, when your life gets hectic try & slow down & do some thing little again.

(I'm wearing a all black outfit, warm fluffy jacket from Wild Pair, shorts and chiffon shirt from Glassons new summer range, limited edition silver Dr Martens & my favourite Kookai hat)

WOOL JACKET, CHIFFON & JEFFERY CAMPBELL

THROW BACK THURSDAYS.

This was a bout year ago, heading home after a late shift my partner & myself stopped in at the famous 24/7 Dennys for a late night snack. I've still got the same heavy blunt fringe & haircut but this time my fringe is quiet a bit shorter, influenced by Natalia Kills.

This was a work outfit that I've just added a furry jacket on to.

The shorts are from Glassons, under the jacket I've got a chiffon long sleeve shirt from Supre. The furry jacket is from Wild Pair & my shoes are Jeffery Campbell from Andrea Biani. Haven't really got any accessories on that day besides the Louis Vuitton grey wallet in my hand. I love this outfit, I still own everything in this photo. Favorite item would have to be the boots, there so comfy and I love shoes that give me some added height.

BLACK ON BLACK WITH SOME LEATHER TRIM

Why black is the most flattering colour to wear!If you know me you ll know my favourite colour to wear in clothing or shoes, even in accessories is BLACK. I LOVE it. I feel so edgy in black, look slimmer and everything matches. There can be a point when you do actually look like you are about to attend a funeral which is not a good look so I tend to keep a few coloured items in my wardrobe or just make sure I've got a nice shade of lipstick on for a pop of colour, if I was wearing all black I wouldn't go and match that with some black lipstick. If I woke up and I was craving to wear my Blackberry black lipstick (which does happen, sometimes I match my outfit to a shade of lipstick) I would try and add some colour into my outfit or have my hair tied back so I'm not looking too grungy/emo.

This is just a simply work outfit or an everyday running errands outfit, I'm wearing my favourite, most comfortable Windsor Smith boots that I've had forever, a simple black long sleeve cotton dress from Wild Pair, a leather jacket from Glassons, sunnies from Quay and essential stockings from Glassons. Such a warm comfy outfit for a not very summers day.

NOT SO "SPRING" CLEANING

So I've recently done a late "spring" cleaning of my wardrobe and shoe collection, so it has downsized my collection some what. These are the ones that have managed to survive through to another year. When I'm going through my shoes/clothes trying to decide which items will be going to the Salvation Army I always think of three rules.

1. Have you worn them in the last 6 months

2. Can you add this item into a current outfit

&

3. You absolutely LOVE this item & its priceless (vintage, gift, attached memories)

If you don't have any of these 3 attached to that item then give it away to a new home, some one else will get much more use out of it then you.

Most of my shoes are from Wild Pair, Andrea Biani, Overland & Mi Piaci. Definitely my favourite shoe stores. So it does make it a little harder to say goodbye to them, especially when I remember the price tag that was attached when I purchased them & the great thing about cleaning out your wardrobe and shoes shelves, you get to go shopping again and re-fill the newly empty spaces :)

WISH LIST 2016

1. Perfect day biker jacket | Stolen Girlfriends club

2. Tiara WS | Windsor Smith

3. Latest MAC laptop

4. Jesse lace up boots | Jeffery Campbell

5. Boyfriend jeans | One Teaspoon

6. Black hands off sequin dress | Discount Universe

7. Harness bra | Sass & Bide

8. Rhea Backpack | Michael Kors

Whats on your wish list this year?

Thanks SANTA :)

BOHO & PLAYFUL.

THROW BACK THURSDAYS.

This was about a year ago just about to leave for a lunch date. 

I had a solid blunt bob haircut with a heavy blunt fringe & my natural brunette color, a lot different from my current look.

Most of this outfit is from Wild Pair.

The bag, sandals, dress & shorts are all from Wild Pair, I love this store because you can find just about any outfit, from lunching to fine dinning.

The boho fringe kimono is from Dotti & Im wearing a old school styled Casio gold watch with a few gold rings to match. Im also wearing one of my favorite lip stick shades ''Three Witches'' from Zombie Cosmetics to spice my look up.

I think this was a great casual summer look, & with the leopard sandals, purple matte lips & fringe kimono it added a hint of playfulness & completed the outfit.

MUST HAVE ACCESSORIES.

KOOKAI HAT.

This is one of my FAVOURITE accessories! I purchased this about a year ago & it has never failed me, you can pop it on with a casual outfit to jazz it up a bit, its also great when your having a NOT SO great hair day, it just completes your outfit.

MINK PINK SUNNIES.

These are absolutely always found in my handbag, I tend to leave them in there because I always seem to want to wear them once I've already left the house. I LOVE the rounded style of these glasses, & they always fit in well with whatever outfit Im wearing.

MARC BY MARC JACOBS WATCHES.

I love my watches, I always feel a bit naked if I've left the house & forgot to put a watch on. I especially love this one, it was a present which makes it more special. It has a stunning leather strap, when I first got it I actually wasn't too found of it, I had my eye on the rose gold number, but I find that with the black leather strap it ties in well with any of my outfits.

MAC LIPSTICKS.

You'll almost always find me wearing some deep shade of lipstick, mostly MAC because I just love all the deep/rich colors they have to offer, most other brands can look fairly a deep shade but once you've applied it there usually sheer, have a shimmer or super shiny, which I HATE.

Simone :)

NEW LOOK FOR SUMMER

After going back to my natural brunette self for 2015 I've made the very rash decision to head back to being a BLONDE BOMBSHELL for 2016, & just in time for Summer. 

I seem to go from one extreme to the next (this time there was some inspiration from Kim Kardashian), never a natural transition. I am an ex hairdresser so I decided to attempt it myself at home, I mean I've done this at least 100 times in the past five years in a salon so it would be a breeze right? WRONG. It was a whole lot more difficult than I had anticipated. 

Anyway I arrived at a beautiful deep orange on Friday, a sort of yellowish/gold by Monday & a nearly white blonde by the following Friday which was the colour I was ultimately aiming for. Considering I had a lot of old built up colour in my hair, I thought my hair acted very heroically, it did not fall out, did not snap-off & did not go all frizzy/puffy or fluffy, which is a huge sign of significant DAMAGE! 

So here is my finished colour, huge shout out to Fudge Purple Shampoo, it is an amazing product! It cuts out the yellow/gold tones in your hair & your left with a beautiful icy ash blonde, depending on how ashy you like it will depend on how long you leave it in your hair. 

BRUNETTE TO BLONDE

There was no need for a emergency trip to the hair salon so I'm ultimately very happy with the outcome of my hair colour, it was quiet a mission but we got their.

Simone :)