Street Chic!!

Today I was out w/ my friends, Irene n' Melody at Santana Row. 

We 3 moms w/ kids would look like a troupe to you as we have total 8 children.....lol. If you ever see that many of children walking behind or ahead of 3 stylish moms on the street..... I think that's definitely us!! 

Then I stumble across 2 pretty young ladies sipping pearl milk tea who dressed very street chic, so I can't stop but ask for their pictures.  People in bay area are always considered conservative and I am so glad to see those young vibe w/ their distinguish style around!!

 Jessica n' Shirene (thanks to them for letting me share.)

I like their complete style from head to toe...the moderate make-ups, the accessories, the outfit n' the boots.

 

I really like the leggings on Jessica!! (from Urban Outfitter)

I am not so sure if everyone is into floral print that much..... the intriguing butterfly print is a perfect alternatives!!! (from Ted Baker)

We had a wired weather here....rain, sun shine, cloudy then sun shine again......

See you tomorrow!!!

Dulce Cosmetics

I am always on the look out for fun new brands and get so many e-mails from young girls who have just started experimenting with makeup and want to try exciting, bright colours that won't break the bank. I was therefore happy to be given the chance to try a new line of makeup from Dulce Cosmetics. They kindly sent me a selection of products to review and I have been playing with them for a couple of weeks.
Let me just warn you that this is going to be a very picture heavy post!

The first product I tried was their true match mineral powder, which comes in 6 shades and contains 11g of product for $5.. yes you read that right! The whole line is very affordable, which makes it difficult to compare it in quality to high-end makeup that can cost ten times as much. This is definitely a line I would recommend to those starting out as there is definite scope for experimentation within the range.

Although I like the concept of this packaging I found the brush a little scratchy and would recommend purchasing a little kabuki or powder brush to use with it. The foundation itself is very finely milled, smooth and easy to apply. It has an added scent reminiscent of baby powder, which I haven't seen before in a mineral foundation. It provides good coverage with a glowing finish as the powder is infused with lots of shimmer (not glitter), which can be seen in direct sunlight. Like most powder foundations it lasts well, even on oily skins.

The ingredient list is longer than I would like for a mineral foundation. Although it does contain silica and methylparaben it doesn't contain bismuth and I have personally had no problems with irritation/ breakouts while wearing this. For the full list of ingredients see here.

My favourite Dulce products are definitely the eyeshadows. They have a fantastic choice of colours in their baked mineralized shadows! All the eyeshadows have a very similar finish- shimmer.

Some of my favourites include:

 

Viva trilogy eyeshadow in shade 03.

  

Brilliant fusion complement eyeshadow ($4), which is great for a smokey eye. I especially like the lighter taupey grey for a quick all over colour that would suit everyone.

  

Diamond elegant eyeshadow in shade 03. 

 

 Quad eyeshadow in shade 02.

 

As you can see from the swatch above these shadows are well pigmented when dry. They can also be used wet for a more intense colour. As with all mineral based shadows they require a little work, they do have fall out and need a good base to keep them on all day, but they blend easily and have good colour pay off.

The most striking are the mono shimmer eyeshadows, shown here in shade 11.

 

 

The swatch above is a single swipe of the dry shadow with no base, and the best part is it's only $2!

Overall I am impressed with Dulce Cosmetics. Of course the quality is not the same as high-end products, but with such great prices I think you get much more than you pay for. The whole line does have a lot of shimmer, which may not be for everyone, but I would definitely recommend checking them out if you are looking to expand your mineral collection on a budget.

I have lots more products to show you, so look out for another post including blushes, a highlighter and some lip products. I will also be using them in a tutorial soon so you can see how they apply and wear :). 

Have you ever tried Dulce cosmetics? Are you a fan of shimmery/ mineral eyeshadows? What do you think of this line?

Dear FTC: As mentioned all Dulce products were kindly sent to me for review and use in tutorials. As always all opinions expressed (positive or otherwise) are my own :).

Nikolaki by Nick Verreos and David Paul on Roiworld!

On The Virtual Red Carpet: NIKOLAKI Gowns Ready for their Close-up!

Recently I attended the book signing of Author and Fashion Aficionado Tom Julian. We quickly hit it off and he told me that I NEEDED to be part of a project he was doing called Roiworld. After doing a little research I discovered that Roiworld is a great sight that allows you to play "virtual paper dolls" on the computer. It combines games, shopping and some great fashion. It is something that most Girls (and some boys!) wish we had "back in the day".

Roiworld was gearing up to create a Red Carpet Closet just in time for the Academy Awards. They asked me and my company NIKOLAKI to be part of it and I, of course, said YES!

NIKOLAKI Virtual Closet: Choose Which Style You'd Wear on the Red Carpet!

They took 3 Gowns from my collection: A Black Silk Taffeta Gown, a Celedon Green Beaded Siren Gown and a Red Silk Zibeline Strapless Gown.

You can add heels, handbags, hairdos and accessories to all the looks. It was so fun to see these creations animated and I even had a great time playing with the different styles!!

Click HERE to play!

Reelz Channel Oscar Fashion Preview with Nick Verreos!

And the Academy Award goes to...
Golden Girl: Naibe Reynoso wearing NIKOLAKI at the W Hotel Los Angeles

Last week I took part in an Oscar Preview and Makeover for Reelz Channel's Show Hollywood Dailies. The beautiful Naibe Reynoso was the subject of the makeover and also the lovely hostess of the segment.
Ready for the Red Carpet: Nick Verreos and Naibe Reynoso (in Kevan Hall)

On hand at the W Hotel Los Angeles to help in the Oscar Transformation were none other than Theodore Leaf and my Victory Project partner Chantal Moore. Theodore talked Hairstyle trends and gave Naibe an Oscar worthy style, while Chantal discussed make-up and gave her a new look. I, of course, discussed Fashion and previewed gowns from my line, NIKOLAKI as well as beautiful styles from Kevan Hall.

Watch the segment Below:

Good Times/Bad Times

GOOD TIMES

1) I’m going skiing in Norway on Thursday and I can’t wait! I still have some bits and bobs to pick up before I go but I’m pretty organised so far. I have also bought some mega strong SPF as the last thing I want is to get burnt on the slopes…the intensity of the sun is increased by 80% at that altitude so you have to be very careful! I will be packing intensive moisturiser as well to ward off any dry skin. Wish me luck! (just don’t say “break a leg”!).
2) I handed in my notice at work on Monday and I’m really excited about a fresh new start. It feels amazingly empowering when you take charge of your life! I’m feeling so positive about meeting new people and taking on some new challenges…I will update you guys more on this soon…
3) My wedding dress wasn’t supposed to be ready until April but I got a call last week saying it had arrived at the bridal shop! I was squealing with excitement…I phoned my mum and she squealed EVEN louder!ha ha. I tried the dress on today and it’s just beautiful and so ‘me’. It’s everything I imagined it to be and I can’t wait to wear it! It’s perfect.
4) Myself and Chris have been desperate to get a pet for ages and since we live in a city centre apartment and work all day, we can’t have a dog or a cat. We have both always had pets and it feels weird not having an animal around the place…if that makes sense??? Anyways, Chris suggested we get a hamster! At first I thought, no…they are for kids aren’t they? (I had one when I was about 11 or 12 and loved it). But I have slowly been coming around to the idea when I thought about how cute they are and how entertaining they can be. To cut a long story short, we are going to get a hamster when we get back from Norway next week. Expect pics next week!
5) It’s ALMOST time for the release of ‘Shutter Island’, the new movie by Martin Scorsese, starring Leonardo Di Caprio (UK release date is 12th March). I have heard so much about this film and I hope it lives up to my expectations. I am a huge Scorsese fan (ok, I’m a big Leo fan too!). I have been so impressed with the way Leonardo has really grown into a mature and multi-faceted actor. I used to think he was just a pretty boy but he has really proven himself in films like Blood Diamond, The Aviator and The Departed.

BAD TIMES

1) I don’t know what it is, but lately I have had some weird, random people trying to add me as a friend on Facebook…for example, one guy sent me a message saying “Hi Laura x”, I asked him if I knew him and he said “Yeah, kinda, we go to the same gym”…seriously…why would you do that???? I now feel VERY uncomfortable at the gym!
2) I have been so busy lately that I’m finding it really difficult to fit in my usual 5 trips to the gym every week. Because of this, my weight has begun to plateau…I have stayed the same weight for the past 3 weeks…which is very annoying! I need to get myself back on track again. I try not to get too hung up on the number on the scales because I’m constantly putting on muscle with my gym workouts. I have yet to measure myself so maybe I have made some progress with toning…