Day 3 Blazer + Leggings w/ Pink Tulip Skirt!

Look at Ilona's leg.... OMG, she learns my trick so fast!! lol

Halloween is around the corner...... I never baked a pumpkin pie before and would never be interested in baking one. ha....

I don't normally make any kind of dessert as I am so afraid of eating the whole thing up by myself. I do cook a lot though. I am the kind of girl who eats dessert after every meal which stops my craving for more food...works well for me!! :)

I took pic. and blog everyday and thanks to my in-laws' compromise and support. ha ha ...

My ODJ

1. TOP:

• Neil Barrett sheer blouse
• Plastic Island boy friend blazer

2. BOTTOM:

• IROO pink tulip skirt
• wool leggings w/ buttons at side (bought in Paris)

3. ACCESSORY:
Chanel 08 LTD metallic navy reissue 227
leopard print scarf + green scarf twisted as ONE
Chanel 08 crown brooch w/ pink crystals n' pearls

4. SHOES: Dior patent quilted booties



Please don't laugh, I look like I am in a Kung Fu movie. hahahaha... the bang!!


I never thought this huge Chanel crown brooch would look good as a normal brooch which pins at sides, but I think it works great on my blazer today.

It almost looks like a big mascot there!!!


Just a comparison!!
A look couple months ago and now.
I try to work the skirt into fall w/ me. :)


Original inspiration.



More blazer + leggings to come tomorrow!!

Good nite!!

Fake Bake Mousse Self Tan

I am a bit of a fake tan junkie...but not in the orangey way...I hate self tans that look obvious. I just like to have a nice golden colour all year round. I can always rely on St Tropez Mousse to give me the tan I want but lately I have also been been using Xen Tan and I love that for a really subtle glow.

I have tried Fake Bake self tanners in the past (the cream formulation) and I wasn't impressed with it. It took ages to dry due to it's thick consistency, the colour was too dark on me and it left me patchy after 2 days. Something I have to have with a self tanner is a good fade factor i.e. it fades evenly and doesn't leave you with bits of patchy fake tan all over the place (the worst place for this on me is my neck and chest).
I very much prefer mousse formulas for self tanners because they dry alot quicker and I always find that the colour turns out a lot more natural because you get an even finish. I decided to give the Fake Bake Mousse a go, even though I didn't like the other formulations in the range. I did my usual routine of exfoliating all over, using a light moisturiser, letting that dry and then applying the self tan with gloves on.

Firstly, I really didn't like that when you press down on the nozzle, the product squirts out at an alarming rate and it actually ended up on the floor and on my toes (resulting in black toes which wasn't a great start!). The product just comes out way too fast and in quantities that are hard to deal with. The product isn't as light in formulation as St Tropez and so you need to spread it out more. It also took alot more effort to blend it in and make sure it was evely distributed. It took a long time to dry (I'm used to my St Tropez and Xen Tan drying in 1 minute). Fake Bake mousse took at least 15 minutes to dry and that just really bugs me as no one wants to be sitting around for ages in stupid positions, waiting for it to dry.

I slept overnight with the self tan on (which I would normally do) and when I woke up in the morning, there was ALOT of transfer onto my bed covers...gross. I showered and the guide colour took longer to come off than I thought it would. Once I was out of the shower and had a chance to check out what the colour was like. To be honest, I wasn't happy with the colour it gave me, it just looked unnatural, too dark and it had a funny tinge to it.

I have been using self tanners for the last 9 years and the best ones I have come across are the St Tropez and Xen Tan mousse formulas. It would take ALOT to top them. All in all, I really don't like this Fake Bake product, it was a huge disappointment and I will never use it again.

Cosmetics A La Carte Sheer Balm Lipstick

I first heard of this brand because I kept reading in magazines that Freida Pinto loved their products (she wore their makeup to the GQ awards). This was obviously just before she was signed up as one of the new faces of Loreal. I'm always a sucker for trying products that celebs swear by. The only exception to this, is if they are 'the face' of a brand because, in that case, generally they are bound by contract to mention the products in every interview they do. Not cool. I guess they have to make a living though!

After discovering how wearable some mauve based lipsticks can be, I tried out this Cosmetics A La Carte Sheer lipstick in Misty Rose. This lipstick is a balm finish so it's designed to be moisturing and smooth to apply. Because the colour is sheer, it makes it a very wearable shade as you can see from the pic. It feels really moisturising on the lips and just glides on. I like the packaging too, it's simply but quite stylish.

Although it's a sheer lipstick, you don't have to spend ages applying layers of the stuff, a couple of swipes does the trick. I would liken the formula to the likes of MAC Hue which is a Glaze. I can understand why the brand have labelled the finish as 'balm' because you get a nice shine from the lipstick too. It had reasonable staying power but as with all glaze finish lipsticks, it does wear off after a couple of hours so you will have to re-apply. I was very impressed with the quality of this lipstick and I'm definitely going to try out some more shades in the future. They have 4 types of finish in their lipstick range - Sheer (Balm), Pearl (Lustrous Shimmer), Cream (Plush Moisture) and Velvet (Matte Comfort). There is a good choice of colours available and I'm looking forward to trying out some of their nudes and pinks.

If you want to check out what other shades are available, you can go to http://www.cosmeticsalacarte.com/

Have you tried out this brand yet?

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Oil Free Moisturiser

Since I'm a HUGE fan of the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Face 2 in 1 Wash/Mask, I decided to pick up the Oil Free moisturiser from the same range a few days ago. Like all women, I struggle at "that time of the month" to keep my skin clear due to all those pesky hormonal changes. If I get a breakout of spots, I always try to apply the lightest moisturiser possible, since applying a heavy/oily one just clogs your pores and inevitably make the spots worse.

It's described as a "creamy lotion with extracts of Aloe and Cammomile with soothing effects and moisturisation to protect skin against dryness. An oil-free formula containing ingredients that work through the day without clogging pores".

I've also found that this moisturiser is great at stopping my face from getting too shiny throughout the day. I never have to reapply powder when I use product as it lightly moisturises the face but keeps it matte at the same time. It gives you a lovely fresh, almost menthol feeling to the skin just after applying it. I love the formula because it's in no way drying (I have combination skin i.e. majority of my face can get dry but my T-zone gets shiny). For £3.36, I think this is a great product to prevent spots as it's working all day long. It contains Salicylic Acid too, which is brilliant for treating acne/spots. Some products that contains this can be drying but this product has the perfect balance.

Skincare is always down to the individual as it depends what skin type you have and different things work for different people. It's really a case of trial and error and luckily in this instance, I've found something that really works for me.

I've also heard that aspirin face masks are AMAZING at sorting out really bad breakouts. I'm lucky enough to have never suffered a really bad breakout before. There's loads of vids on YouTube about this but basically, you get a small bowl, crush up four or five asprin, put a little warm water in, mix it into a thick paste and put it on the affected areas for about 15 minutes. This is supposed to take away any redness and by the nexy day, the spots will have gone down alot. There are some amazing before and after shots for this on You Tube. Check it out!

FOTD- Neutral with a pop

When skin looks clear and healthy it lets the rest of your features shine, and always gives me a confidence boost! Having very little time, but still wanting to look put together, I always spend the most time on perfecting my base and then add a quick pop of colour either to my eyes or lips.

Yesterday I chose my eyes as I was wearing a dark teal jumper dress and did not want to make my lips too dark. I think bright or dark lipsticks always look best if your outfit is more neutral. I know everyone says you shouldn't match your makeup to your clothes, to some extent this may be true, but it is always important to take into consideration the colours in your outfit and make sure your makeup compliments them.

Face- Dior Forever Foundation spf25

MAC MSF natural

NARS Laguna bronzer

ELF mineral blush in Joy

Eyes- L'orel HIP liner in teal
Lancome Hypnose Mascara

Lips- MAC cremecup (officially my favourite pink lipstick ever!)

I love this look as it is simple and quick, yet polished. Today I am wearing exactly the same, just with MAC's macroviolet fluidline. 

I just had to include this for all my Maxie lovers... he is getting bigger every day!!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend :)
Natalya xxx

Nick Verreos attends "Bienvenido Gustavo": Gustavo Dudamel at the Hollywood Bowl

Viva Venezuela...and Los Angeles!Miss Venezuela 2010: Nick Verreos, model-actress Patricia Velasquez, and Raymundo Baltazar, Hollywood Bowl

Over the weekend, I was privileged to have been invited by my very good friends, Raymundo Baltazar (fellow Project Runway alumn) and Jonathan Weedman, an esteemed member of the LA Philharmonic's Board of Directors to Bienvenido Gustavo, a concert, sponsored by Target at the fabulous Hollywood Bowl. The event was free but tickets were "sold out" a LONG TIME ago so when Raymundo called me to ask if I wanted to join them, I had my outfit picked out in less than two minutes! I was raised in Caracas, Venezuela and have followed my compatriota even before the infamous "60 Minutes" special let all the Gringos know the young genius of Gustavo Dudamel.
Hollywood Bowl VIP: Enjoying "Bienvenido Gustavo" at the Hollywood Bowl

This concert was the "official" way of welcoming "the world's greatest conductor" Gustavo Dudamel to the LA community. As we arrived, we were greeted by a charming all-women Mariachi band, unusual since Gustavo is from another continent, but oh well. Maybe it's difficult to find Venezuelan harp and cuatro musicians, but I know a few Venezuelans here in Southern California that would be happy to break out in a folkloric joropo--for a fee of course (wink wink!). Once inside the auditorium--and making our way to our reserved VIP box section--I spotted former Miss Venezuela 1989 finalist and Isaac Mizrahi and John Galliano muse, the gorgeous Patricia Velasquez. We posed for photos of course.Is Kylie Minogue Performing? The crowd at the Hollywood Bowl's Bienvenido Gustavo Concert

We enjoyed the entire FIVE HOUR concert from our AMAZING seats (love you Raymundo and Jonathan!) beginning with Quincy Jones introducing Cuban piano prodigy Alfredo Rodriguez to Andrae Crouch and his singers to Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and his Silverlake Conservatory Ensemble. Symphonic Architecture: Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl

During the "intermission", we enjoyed a delicious Patina dinner of chicken and vegetables, as well as snacked on cheeses and yes, had several cocktails. Then came the "big event": The 11Th Musical Director of the LA Philharmonic was introduced to the 18,000 screaming fans (you'd think it was Miley Cirus!) as he conducted Beethoven's "Ode To Joy" with the YOLA Expo Center Youth Orchestra; an orchestra made up of young South LA kids who had never even picked up an instrument--until 2 years ago. Curly Venezolano: Gustavo Dudamel conducting Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, The Hollywood Bowl

After changing from a sporty black t-shirt and into the requisite white dinner jacket tuxedo, he then brought the entire Hollywood Bowl house down, conducting one of my favorite pieces of music: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. The night ended with a stunning display of fireworks which lit up a huge sign atop the Hollywood Bowl structure which read "Bienvenido Gustavo". Yes, indeed, what a welcome! And to top it off, when I got home, I found out that we were even blogged about in the Los Angeles Times.

Click BELOW for two fun quick videos I captured from the day's festivities:

Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Silverlake Conservatory Ensemble:

Gustavo Dudamel introduced at the Hollywood Bowl: