Gift Giver!!

I certainly can't slow down myself and mind the house especially during this holiday season. I am out and about shopping for ornaments, birthday gifts, Christmas gifts.....and simply get inspired by everything on the street!

I also certainly am inspired by Londoners and Italians' style while traveling. "Fun" is the element in their most ensemble and I notice almost everyone, man or woman, wears scarf. In my opinion, the right scarf is an instant STYLE-UP-DO!! 


For me, it is easier to spot a real Londoner.  While in Italy, it is hard. I do have the chance to snap photos when I saw a good ensemble worn by pretty woman or man, but .... you know...... &^%$##@**..... it would take me a lot of time just to ASK then explain WHY!! 
*sigh*...maybe I should learn "May I take a photo of you and your pretty outfit for my blog?" in Italy before our next Europe trip!! lol.

I was on London tour bus and snap this photo. I found this cute pompom scarf very fun and look all so match with this woman's contrast stitching trench coat and her gray cap!!

I promised one of my fellow blogger/reader, Erica, that I'd give her my special gift from my trip. Then, there are also so many other gifts to prepare, matters of style, taste, budget, ... all have to take into account. I think I still have time~~~~ 

A great gift? What do you think? 
Lotta Djossou, Paris
(Swedish designers, established in Tokyo company)



Mouse ballerina necklace (Paris)

Then here is me dressing all up while doing my gift shopping. People asked me "What's the occasion?" "Are you attending a party?"


Why? This is just my look for today!!...I answered.

I found this golden wide leg, kind like scallop shape 70' pants in a vintage shop in Rome. The owner liked this pants very much and he asked me to send him a photo if I had an outfit for the pants. I am glad that I dug out something in my closet to match up w. this pants for a start. I think I am going to do couple looks w/ this pants and send photos to him once I gathered them all. So maybe you will see my photos in Rome while you traveled there in the future. ^O^

Boho style, Victorian or my style!



You can tell that I love this Zara top for its versatility that I couldn't think of a reason to give it away. 

Zara top, vintage Escada knitting cardigan, 70' Golden wide leg pants w/ scallop trim, vintage 05' Gap big brim hat, Max Co. black leather belt w/ flower applique, Louis Vuitton 06' runway clutch, Chanel 11' Cruise pearl brooch, Alaia golden lace up sandals.



The pants looks like a skirt from afar. 



I switched light gold brooch w/ my friend as she wants this 11' cruise pewter/dark silver brooch.  
Now I found out everything is so coordinated ....gold brooch, gold pants, and gold sandals. ^O^



Cathy and I are all so hungry after shopping around..... we decided to dig in a nasty hot dog~ ha~


What's in your wishlist?
xoxo Rachel

 There is something so enchanting and magical about wearing the colours of blue and green as eyeshadow or lipstick, as it not only attracts much wanted attention from the camera's and fashion follower's alike, but it speaks of individuality and fashion forwardness. Try it on for style :)



cool photographs for the month of December

the Chanel perspex briefcase

The spectacular Hanneli Mustaparta turns heads once again with this futuristic and modern look. While we couldn't all pull it off (unfortunately) we can always wish!!! Hanneli wears shorts from Topshop, a sweater from Hope, a bag from Mulberry, boots from Rag and Bone and green liquid eyeliner from MAC.

Davinia Arias

This eye-catching stylist/ artist Davinia Arias is somewhat new to the fashion forefront, but her casual yet classic trench coat look tells us that she knows what she's doing when it comes to clothing. She wears a Cerruti jacket, Topshop top, Massimo Dutti pants, a Zara bag and Manuel Bolano shoes. We love it!

A corner for my Jet lag.

Jeffrey Campbell

Black Tapestry Foxy heels

$125

My random browsing on the internet when woke up at 6 AM and couldn't go back to sleep because of my kids are all awake!! &^%$*%$#,,...... Luckily, they are gone for school by 8 AM. 

I found this cool website "Bonadrag" while looking for a whimsical embroidery heels to complete a look in my mind but they obviously sold out the shoes.... 9.5 is still way big for my already big feet!!

keep looking~~~~

Be an early bird!
xoxo Rachel

Take the heat, battle the cold.

Though I would not describe myself as 'low-maintenance' in many aspects (and if I did I would be lying lol) I can admit that I am pretty lazy when it comes to my hair. There are few products that I really rely on and tend to try new things all the time. So when I use a product and notice a difference that actually makes me incorporate it into a routine I know it is something worth mentioning!

As you all know my hair is long, naturally curly/wavy and is often abused with heat styling and dyes. I therefore try to wash it no more than every 2/3 days. Since I have trained my hair to go a little longer between washes it doesn't get particularly greasy, but it can fall rather flat, so I use dry shampoo at the roots in the mornings to refresh it. In the Summer I usually let my hair air dry and find a style that works with my natural curls. However, in the Winter I can't afford walk around with wet hair as my sickly nature usually means I will get a cold (see earlier rant about my lack of immune system lol).

Although I wouldn't describe my frantic waving of the hair dryer as 'blow-drying' per se, it is still damaging to my hair and I always try to use a heat protectant. I have always been a little dubious of how well these work, especially as after blotting my hair with a towel I end up spraying it with heat protectant thus making it more wet, so it takes longer to dry, which means more heat? Though my logic may be flawed, it can all be bit of a nuisance. Let's face it, a product that promises to protect my hair from heat damage isn't exactly exciting as you can't really tell it is working. I wanted something multi-purpose to combat other hair problems as well as prevent damage. So when Aussie sent me their new Take the Heat range I was happy to try it out, and I have not been dissappointed.

If my hair needs a little extra conditioning I will use the spray, but normally I use one pump of the cream through the mid-lengths and ends of towel dried hair, and as it doesn't feel sticky it spreads evenly and easily, while smelling delicious. I have noticed a difference with this over the heat protectants as it also helps to tame the frizz that comes with my manic speed drying technique (hopping on one leg is optional), while somehow reducing the static in my hair. Now I don't know if it's just me, but during the colder months, with the layers of jumpers, scarves and hats, my hair ends up erring on the side of 'electrocution'. The shorter layers always seem to shy away from gravity, and more than once I have noticed a halo of static surrounding me like a desert lion. Since using this cream my hair is a little more tame and sleek, and fingers crossed not damaged by the heat I subject it to :).

Have you tried any products from the new Aussie Take The Heat range? Are there any heat defence products you can recommend? Do you have your own special way of drying your hair? Do share! (if only to make me feel less embarrassed) xxx

Christmas Present Ideas

I would like to say that I'm super organised at this time of year but that would be a brazen lie! I always promise myself I will take inspiration from my mum and buy a present each month leading up to Christmas but sadly...that NEVER happens.  I always wait until a week before and then go on a mad rush to get everything in one day.  I think I secretly like the adrenaline rush of not knowing whether I will complete my mission!ha ha. 

Sometimes it's hard to find the perfect present for your friends at Christmas time but I always find these kinds of posts are handy for brainstorming.  I just wanted to add a quick disclaimer that I have not been asked to post this OR sponsored by any of the featured brands.  These are all just items that I like and would be happy to receive myself.  All the gifts listed are priced £30 or below.

 We all have a friend who loves their coffee and can't live without it.  This thermal commuter KeepCup is perfect for your friends who walk to work every day or drive long distances and need a caffeine pick me up along the way! Using disposable cups isn't good for the environment so this is a great product in that respect.  They could make their own coffee or just ask for their coffee to be decanted into their KeepCup at Starbucks whilst feeling all smug that they're helping to save the world!  The KeepCup replicates standard takeaway sizes and fits under the group heads of espresso machines.  KeepCups are BPA free and non toxic. They have good thermal properties keeping drinks hot 20-30 minutes longer than disposable cups.  One of the coolest things is that you can design your own and choose which colours you want on the website.  They are really good value for money:

Small/227ml/8oz/£7.40

Medium/340ml/12oz/£7.90

Large/454ml/16oz/£8.40

The company ships worldwide too!

http://www.keepcup.com/

I'm always untangling my jewellery in the drawer beside my bed and I get sick of spending ages messing around to find which pieces I want.  I know lots of other people have this problem too so these cute jewellery holders are a really lovely way to display your prettiest items...

Jewellery holder from Asos, you can buy it for £14.00 by clicking here.

£12.00, to buy it click here

ASOS will be shipping worldwide free of charge until 14th dec!

I always feel that you can never go wrong with a good quality makeup palette and there's some really cute ones from Too Faced at the moment.  I own two palettes from Too Faced and they are both gorgeous.

This is the Too Faced Glamour To Go Fairy Edition Palette.  Apart from the cover been soooo cute and dainty, it houses 8 eyeshadows, 1 pink lip gloss, 1 bronzer and 1 pink blush.  With a mix of neutrals and subtle brights, all the shades look like they would be really flattering.  These palettes are always really compact and practical so they're great for anyone who travels or even just to pop in their bag to touch up their makeup at a party.  It's priced at £16 and is available on Asos here.

I am spectacularly rubbish at putting false lashes on but I know there's alot of girls out there who have mastered the art.  A great way to try out a few different styles is to get the Girls Aloud Eyelure Lash Set with Washbag and Brush Set.  Great for anyone who loved Girls Aloud or just loves big, fluttery eyelashes!  You get 5 sets of false lashes in this set and it comes in a really cute washbag.  It's priced at £25.00 and is available on Asos.com here

If you have any friends who are obsessed with statement rings, then this baby would be right up their street.  How cool is this ring?! It would look amazing with a killer dress for the festive season.  It's the Scott Wilson 14ct Gold Plated Circle Ring for £30 available at ASOS.

Click here to buy

Loads of people were lusting after the Origins Ginger products I had posted about recently so this Origins Ginger Treat Set would be the perfect gift for anyone who loves to pamper themselves.  You get the

Ginger Float Bubble Bath, Ginger Souffle Body Cream and Incredible Spreadable Scrub.  All this for £29!  I can testify that this stuff smells absolutely divine and it makes your skin feel incredible.

Click here to buy.

I always find myself lusting over the Bobbi Brown Limited Edition palettes at this time of year because they really appeal to me when I'm thinking about party makeup.  This Sparkle Glamour Quad for £30 looks gorgeous and I think any girl would be happy to get this as a gift!

Buy on the BB website here.

Every girl would agree that you can never have too many bags and this Accessorize Gina Slouchy Fuschia Shoulder Bag is a great way to add a pop of colour to your winter wardbrobe.  It's £28.00 and you can click here to buy it

If you have already got your friend a big present and are looking for something small to go with it, then this Cherry Cupcake Handcream available at River Island is just the cutest hand cream ever!  Great for anyone who likes fun and quirky things.  It's only £5.99 and you can click here to buy

Winter means cold weather and cold weather means it's definitely time to wrap yourself in gorgeous scarves.  Oh no, they're not just a practical piece of clothing, they're a way to add texture and colour to your overall look and link your outfit together.  This Dune Ava Scarf with metallic thread looks luxe and is priced at £30.

Click here to buy.

You know I like to post a bit of music every so often...it's a huge part of my life and I always have my iPod with me wherever I go.  Wouldn't the world be a sad place without music?  I have a real ecclectic taste in music and I never rule anything out which means my iTunes contains everything from Marvin Gaye to Lady GaGa to Jay-Z to Foo Fighters.  I have been listening to this tune alot at the gym...it really gets me through that point when I feel like I can't do anymore...it spurs me on somehow.  I can imagine I would head straight for the dancefloor if I heard this come on in a club. I loooooves me a bit of house music!

This next tune is by a new artist from Essex, Jessie J...I heard this song the other day on Fearne Cotton's show on Radio 1 and I quite like it.  She has a similar style to Lady Gaga I guess...pop with an r'n'b vibe to it.  Actually in the video for the song she looks like Lily Allen from the neck up and Lady Gaga from the neck down! ha ha.  She has written songs for a few other big artists in the past like Alicia Keys, toured with Chris Brown and Justin Timberlake is apparently one of her biggest fans.  The song is released on 2nd December in the UK and on 7th December in the US.  This video DOES have some swearing (cussing) in it so if you are easily offended then it's probably best not to watch it!



What do you reckon to Jessie J? What songs get you in the mood for working out?