How Knit!!!

I think I'd better wore my cardigan or knit ensembles asap in these crisp autumn days before it gets too chilly!!

A Chinese old saying: "Get ready w/ the warmest comforter for winter once we had our mid-autumn festival moon cake!!"

It is fascinating that Chinese lunar year can be so accurate on predicting the season changes.

So, what did I wear the past couple days except for blazer and leggings??

Knit, cardigan, tights, leggings.....again. hah.....

I am such a color person and just by looking at how many colors on me these past couple days!! No wonder one of the SAs in a boutique asked me if I ever wore black outfit at all when I browsed through Yohji yamamoto collection. :)

1st ensemble!!

1. Top:

• Twelfth street of Cynthia Vincent purple sheered blouse
  
• RUGBY checkered shirt w/ peplum waist
• Ralph Lauren brown leather vest

2. Bottom:

• RUGBY purple corduroy cropped pants
• black lace leggings

3. Shoes: Costume National navy oxford heels
4. Accessory:
Hermes Ostrich belt
Hermes Gris T. 35cm Birkin


A peek of the black lace leggings!


I tried pairing boots at home..but doesn't like the look.


I lose counts of how many colors on me. ha!

2nd ensemble!!

Ilona looks like a little gnome w/ that hoodie to me. haha...


There is farmers market every Sunday in Los Gatos downtown!!

1. Top:

• charcoal gray turtleneck
• Stella McCartney bow origami cream top
• two toned cardigan bought in Lohemann's

2. Bottom: D&G leopard pencil skirt
3. Bag: Lanvin leopard happy tote
4. Shoes: Boss orange navy w/ gold mary-jane platform heels


I think this outfit might be a big too much...but it is not that bad if only would I wear shorter and black pencil skirt next time. :P

Today, the 3rd ensemble!!

Ilona is applying lip balm before going to painting class...hehe...


Ta da!! Ilona is doing painting on T-shit!!

There are couple people asked me about this Frye boots today.
Unfortunately, I got them last year so I don't know if you can still find them anymore!!

My ODJ.

1. Top:

• Max & Co. floral print dress
• (forgot the brand)two-toned cardigan w/ slouchy pockets (bought in Lohemann's)
• Zara grayish taupe knit cardigan

2. Bottom:
Brown leggings w/ grey zigzag over the knee tights
3. Accessory:

• Hobo brown distressed suede messenger bag
• Oliver People sunglasses

4. Shoes: Frye slate tall boots

Finally I took my in-laws to the shopping mall almost 2 weeks after their stay.

Why wait!!??

You are asking me the reason?? ha...You now better than I do. :P

I am afraid that I can't help myself buying in front of them. ha ha ha.. So the later the better! haha.....

One more thing to share w/ you girls.

I saw this mini sequined jacket in Nordstrom. I personally think it is very cute and the long collar is also stylish and classic enough for every occasion. I grab it from the rack and style it on the mannequin!! :P ha~ I assume the SA wouldn't mind me playing w/ their clothes and trying on the mannequin instead of ON ME!!!!!

The sequins are very secure and the slightly puffed shoulders remain the feminine look, and it is so light, I just love it. O~~ sorry that I didn't even see the brand name. I think the price is not bad at all since it is not placed w/ high fashion clothes.

I like the black sequins against the pink blouse look very much.

Thanks girls. I know this post is long long long.....

To thank you for the effort of reading it through, there is a giveaway coming up Next Week!!

Stay Tuned!!!!

Nick Verreos Has Breakfast with the Mayor of Los Angeles?

Not so much...but...Fashion Podium: Mayor Villaraigosa, Max Azria of BCBG and Herve Leger, and Cynthia Ruiz of the LA Mayor's Department of Cultural Affairs

This week, LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa held a press conference at the California Market Center in support of LA Fashion Week and the Los Angeles Fashion Industry. Barbara Graff, organizer of Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week and Cynthia Ruiz from the Department of Cultural Affairs, invited me to be part of this event--and I was happy to oblige.Family Portrait: Fashion Angel Awards Judges Nick Verreos, Louis Verdad, Vanessa Gonzalez and Randolph Duke, along with other LA designers pose for the press

This event also marked the official announcement of the Fashion Angel Awards, a contest generously sponsored by the Department of Cultural Affairs. About a month ago, I was invited to judge this contest along with other LA fashion notables such as Nony Tochterman of Petro Zillia, Jeffrey Sebelia (winner of Season 3 Project Runway and designer of Cosa Nostra, designer Louis Verdad, former MOCA Director of Events, Vanessa Gonzalez and Randolph Duke. The Winners Are: Phong Hong, Jacquetta O'Dell and Leslie Henry, Fernanda Carneiro and their winning designs (and models)

Today marked "The Big Day" as head judge, Randolph Duke--flanked by Max Axria, the Honorable Mayor Villaraigosa, Cynthia Ruiz and Ilse Metchek, the chic director of the California Fashion Association/CFA--announced the three winning designers (four, actually, since one is a design team).Project Runway Meets LA City Diva: City of LA's "fashion ambassador" Cynthia Ruiz, with designers Raymundo Baltazar and Nick Verreos

The Winners were Phong Hong, Fernanda Carneiro (a Graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising/FIDM), and design team Jacquetta O'Dell and Leslie Henry. Each will get to participate in their own fully-funded runway show on October 13th at the Geffen Contemporary MOCA as part of Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week. I remember that they were my favorites during the judging. Hong's designs were flirty and oh-so-feminine and Brazilain-born Carneiro's designs were wearable but still had pretty and unique details. Petro Zillia already carries her line and Nony Tochterman, its owner, says her clients "just love" her dresses. Lock and Key: Designers Jacquetta O'Dell and Leslie Henry with their key-and-belt top and wooden door skirt

Finally, I loved O'Dell and Henry's conceptual wooden designs, they were very Hussein Chalayan and I felt it would be great to show the rest of the World that LA wasn't just about jeans and t-shirts but we also had "artiste" designers. At the press conference, I was happy to run into one of my best friends, designer Raymundo Baltazar and Alison Nieder of California Apparel News, who was there to cover the event. I also said "Hola" to former Miss International 2007, Priscila Perales, from Mexico. Las Misses: Nick Verreos, Miss International and Miss Mexico '07 Priscila Perales, and Raymundo Baltazar

Of course I will be there next Tuesday to check out the four outstanding up-and-coming LA designers who will show at the Fashion Angel Awards Fashion Show. I think Mayor Villaraigosa summed it up best during his press conference, "Our city is no longer just the fashion capital of the West Coast; LA is one of the major fashion capitals of the world". See you at LA Fashion Week!

Click HERE for more info. on all the LA Fashion Week Events at ApparelNews.net
Click HERE for the schedule of Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week.

Blog Poll: Do Guys Really Hate Makeup?

Hi Beauties,

We all know guys that say "I don't like girls that wear makeup" or "Why do you wear makeup?".

But, we know that men love the celebrities/models they see in magazines (let's say FHM or MAXIM) or in movies/tv. Those celebs are heavily airbrushed and made up to look their best.

So....What do you think?

POLL:
Could men really tell when we wear makeup?

Do they think it makes women high-maintenance?


XOXO,
Awilda

Rouge Bunny Rouge

How happy was I yesterday when I returned from work to find that a package had been left...it's my order from Zuneta!Hurrah!

After reading Tali's rave reviews of Rouge Bunny Rouge on her blog and You Tube channel, curiosity got the better of me so I decided to order three products from www.zuneta.com. Firstly I am super impressed by the service from this website. I ordered the products on Tuesday and received them on Thursday!They also sent me emails to let me know what was happening at every stage of the order. My order also came beautiful wrapped in purple tissue in a really cool box with ribbon...I love this really personal feel to the service. It's like you're buying a present for yourself and it feels like Christmas! Fantastic! I ordered two of the Long Lasting 'When Birds are Singing' eyeshadows in Unforgettable Oriole (delicate metallic white gold) and Periwinkle Cardinal (iridescent pale silver moss green). I also got Big Lash Amplitude Mascara in Pure Obsidian (Black). Zuneta are also offering a free gift with orders over £40, free delivery with orders over £50 and free samples. My free gift was a Korres eye pencil in Gold...since I am in love with Korres makeup at the moment I was really happy to get this bonus product!I also got samples of products from a new brand from L.A. called Hourglass. I have sachets of the Mineral primer and Tinted moisturiser.

I LOVE the names of the Rouge Bunny Rouge colours...so imaginative and inticing! Their packaging is also beautiful and really artistic, right down to the embossed logo on the eyeshadow pans...gorgeous! These products are pricey, but in my opinion, sometimes it pays to spend that bit extra to get an amazing product. Everything about these eyeshadows feels and looks expensive.

They are SO creamy smooth to apply and the texture of them is just divine. The Green shade is unlike anything I've seen before. The silver shimmer running through it catches the light and no photo could do it justice. SUCH a wearable colour and so unique. Unforgettable Oriole is the perfect highlighter, base colour and also perfect for the inner corners of the eye to really open them up. These eyeshadows are without a doubt, the best quality ones I own now, they actually put my MAC ones to shame. You may be thinking that Sleek eyeshadows are just as good for a fraction of the price BUT with these shadows, you are paying extra for the amazing colours...some of which I have never seen before. I am a sucker for a unique wearable colour and this brand has the edge in that respect. Look at the gorgeous design on the lid of the eyeshadow pans...

Check out the swatches below of Periwinkle Cardinal (top), Unforgettable Oriole (middle), Korres eye pencil in Gold (bottom). They could all come together to create a really gorgeous white gold/silver green eye...can't wait to experiment!

Since I am on a mission at the moment to find the best mascara possible, I thought I would try one from Rouge Bunny Rouge since I hadn't heard much about it. What can I say, I'm a risk taker! I'm glad I took the risk though because I was wearing the mascara last night and again today and it's really impressive. The brush is quite chunky but not too big to get all the little lashes. It has given my lashes amazing length and volume...when I look upwards, my eyelashes almost touch my eyebrows! That's crazy long! I applied two coats and the formulation is really nice...not too wet and not too dry. It didn't clump at all and there has been no smudging or flaking at the corners of my eyes. Once again, the packaging is beautiful...

The Korres eye pencil is a really great product too...it's very pigmented, smooth to apply and would look great on the waterline, worn with the RBR eyeshadows! I am a very happy bunny!

Dell Computers Partners with OPI Nail Polish!

Hi Beauties!

News Break:
Dell Computers and OPI have partnered to create an array of very fashion-forward color options for the Mini, Inspiron and Studio laptops, through Dell's Design Studio. Currently the plan is to have 26 colors available (including 20 classic colors and 6 from the Holiday Collection).

As beauty-slaves we already know how fabulous OPI nail polishes are and now your computers can be as equally trendy and colorful. The launch will happen in the USA first and later in other countries.

I think this is so cool and I wish I needed a new computer right now!

XOXO,
Awilda

Anti-Ageing Cream Controversy

I'm about to get all serious on you girls...you may have seen a front page tabloid article recently stating that a US professor, Dr Sam Epstein (Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition) has claimed that Anti-Ageing products containing alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA's) could increase the risk of cancer. He also said that cosmetic products containing these acids are "probably the most dangerous cosmetic products on the market".

Nowadays, every man and his dog has a theory about what causes different types of cancer and over the years I have heard many scare stories about burnt toast and deodrants. This kind of headline is bound to scare women as many of us use anti-ageing products. A few of the face masks/serums I use contain AHA's so I for one would be interested to hear the debate on this topic.

It has since been stated that there's a huge amount of clinical evidence to back up the safety of using these acids. Dr Patrick Bowler has since commented that "AHA’s have been used in skincare since the late 80’s and there is a robust body of clinical studies to show their positive effects on the skin. All AHA products should be used in conjunction with an SPF and guidelines on frequency of use given by a professional. If used correctly they will remove only excess dead skin layers that build up as we age, leaving a natural protective layer intact. Studies show that AHAs actually thicken the living areas of the epidermis and increase dermal proteins and Glycosominoglycans so they have a normalising effect on ageing skin rather than changing it to an abnormal state.”

Another expert,Joe Lewis, PRIORI Founder and Chemist & Skincare Formulator commented:
“AHAs do not cause cancer, UV rays cause cancer. Proper use of AHAs with sunscreen does not increase the incidence of skin cancer. Any type of exfoliation treatment, laser or microdermabrasion, should always be followed with SPF. The fallacy in the statement that AHAs cause cancer is no different than the following - boats are made of metal, metal does not float, therefore boats do not float! Sunlight causes cancer, not AHAs!”

I take my health VERY seriously and if I thought AHA's could contribute towards the multiplication of cancerous cells in my body then I would definitely stop using those kind of products. My skincare is predominantly more geared towards natural/organic products nowadays as I like to stay away from too many chemicals. However, AHA's are brilliant for smoothing the skin and I use a face mask every week which contains AHA's.

There seems to be more evidence backing up the safety of AHA's than there is for it's negative effects. I think that as long as we all try our best to make sure our skin is protected from the sun with SPF, then we can prevent unnecessary skin damage. I think that the negative statements made about AHA's could have been used to sell papers, tabloids churn out sensational/shocking headlines every day and this is one that I'll be taking with a pinch of salt.

What do you think?