ladies strutting through the Tuileries during fashion week in Paris..
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Thursday, October 6, 2011
Transitional Look for Fall: Blue + Gem Green, an oversized shirt as a jacket!
You can see how much I love Gem Green + Blue of this season's trendy color combination. As a matter of fact, I am officially a greenie. {You know, eat lots of organic greens, recycle stuff, buy local, .... blah blah, ... but I still need to work on harder on the carnival side of me. } This Haider Ackermann oversized gem-green shirt certainly is worthy every penny. I can now wore it as a long cardigan/jacket for extra fanciness and flowy.
I love the luxury look and softness of a satin shirt!
Off the street sequined heart tank (I sewed the metal-teeth roses on by myself and cut off the sleeves to wear it as a tank), H&M short-sleeves blazer with oversized collar, Haider Ackermann oversized shirt, Catherine Malandrino trousers, Hermes white CDC bracelet, Givenchy Tinhan studs hobo, Christian Louboutine fringe booties
Louboutine booties is always sexy~~
Like I said, sometimes, complication is the solution to wear your past-season clothes.
Tonight is the time for my Zumba work-out routine.
{Zumba shirt, Agnes' b sports green leggings, Asics running shoes... I love the wide-toe design shoes for dancing.}
Enrich Your look in colors!!
xoxo Rachel
Nick Verreos Hosts Runway Glam Slam Style Week OC 2011--TOMORROW NIGHT!!!
Three Fabulous Runway Shows, One Night!!!
OC Pink: Nick Verreos Hosts Style Week OC 2011 Runway Glam SlamAs you know, Style Week Orange County 2011 has been happening all this week with fabulous events in both the Irvine Spectrum Center and Fashion Island in Newport Beach. I hosted the Opening Night "Kick Off" Party--Rack Rave--last Friday night and it was a great success!! (as well as a lot of fun!). TOMORROW Friday October 7th is one of the BIG nights:
Irvine Spectrum Center, Irvine CaliforniaBeginning at 7pm, I am hosting Runway Glam Slam, the Finale of Style Week Orange County at Irvine Spectrum. There will be THREE--count 'em--three Runway Shows including:
*The OC Surf Shop Showcase Runway Show--highlighting the surf and action sport brands that put Orange County on the map.
*The Cadillac: Contemporary Design Contest--where aspiring designers--and graduates of my Alma Mater--the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising--will be showing their runway interpretations of Cadillac luxury vehicles using REAL CAR PARTS in their designs!! Very Project Runway!!!
Nick Verreos hosting last year's Cadillac Competition, Style Week OC 2010 Irvine Spectrum CenterAnd Last...
*The Spectrum Collection--The Finale Runway Show, showing all the Fall 2011 Trends from the best of Irvine Spectrum Center retailers!!
So, what else do you need?? Come out, dress your most Fashionista Fashionable (I'll have a secret photographer walking around taking pics FOR MY BLOG of all the top Stylistas of the night!) and yes, you can say "Hi" and take some fun Facebook Pics and I might even autograph your OC board shorts!
CLICK HERE for all the Details and SEE YOU TOMORROW NIGHT!!!!
Runway Report: Paris Fashion Week Spring 2012--Chanel
Karl "Prospero" and his Underwater Runway Extravaganza:
Chanel Spring/Summer 2012Two days ago, Karl Lagerfeld showed his beautiful Chanel Spring/Summer 2012 Collection during Paris Fashion Week. He transformed the Grand Palais--the site of all his runway shows, into a magical underwater world. Just wait until you see the beginning of the video below. The stage is INSANE! All I kept thinking about was "Wow, look what perfumes and purses can buy you!". The collection, which consisted of over 8o looks (!), was a success, according to all who were there. He began with modern interpretations of the Chanel suit, in soft tweeds, boucle's, in white, cremes, light lemons, pastel-y pinks, turquoise and black.
Chanel Spring/Summer 2012Lots of Spring-like prints, chiffon's, fluttery ruffle dresses and blouses. Shoes were either sandals or flat booties in leather and metallics. NO heels in sight. He also showed some fabulous swimsuits toward the end which you can see in the runway video. They looked like "Sports Illustrated Mermaids" rising from the sea!
Chanel Spring/Summer 2012For evening, it was relaxed, yet very LUXE glamour, with printed silk dresses, lots hitting "tea"-length with sequin embellishments. Stiffer silk gazar's, organza's, and/or iridescent satins added lots of texture and an architectural element. Lots of shoulder interest--which remains a strong trend.
Chanel Spring/Summer 2012
Chanel Spring/Summer 2012Also, look for the "Voluminous Sheath" where it's fitted up top but then softly leads into interesting shapes from the high-waist down. All in all--at least from seeing the photos and the video--a beautiful, modern collection. Bravo Karl and his team! You'll probably see ten out of the 80+ looks in the stores come next Spring , but who cares, the show was glorious! Speaking of the show--did I mention Florence Welch of Florence and The Machine performed. Yep. Again, what perfumes and purses can buy you darlings!
Click Below for the Full Chanel Spring/Summer 2012 Runway Video:
A Moment of Self-induledging!
Yesterday is our most drastic day here in suburban, Cupertino and if you watched the news, you'd know what happened.
Hubby and I think yesterday is probably the only time that city "Cupertino" is ever being mentioned in the news more than "New York" city. Well,..... The weather certainly is cooling down in San Francisco and so is here, Cupertino. I finally have the strong anticipation to wear this Marni wool-felt coat and Valentino studded taupe heels.
Hum... I certainly have a thing for studs, don't I!!?
Hubby and I think yesterday is probably the only time that city "Cupertino" is ever being mentioned in the news more than "New York" city. Well,..... The weather certainly is cooling down in San Francisco and so is here, Cupertino. I finally have the strong anticipation to wear this Marni wool-felt coat and Valentino studded taupe heels.
Hum... I certainly have a thing for studs, don't I!!?
The shoulder has a profound cutting which is trendy and even be seen on a lot of blouses, or shirts such as over-sized shirts. You definitely can wear those shirts as a blouse or as a light jacket/cardigan for more versatile choices. {I am wearing my Haider Ackermann oversized shirt as a jacket today and I will post my ODJ later.}
Seem to be a perfect pair, right?
Cozy yourself up!
xoxo Rachel
Royal Fashion Minute: Cayetana Duchess of Alba Gets Married-The Dress, The Dish, The Guests, Video!
La Duquesa Se Caso!!!
Happy Couple: Duchess of Alba and her new husband Alfonso Diez Yesterday, the Most Titled Woman on Earth got married. Yes, one of my favorite subjects here on my blog, the Duchess of Alba (one of her many, many, many titles), María del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, 18th Duchess of Alba de Tormes, 85 , got married to her civil servant "Boy Toy", Alfonso Diez, who happens to be 60. This is her third wedding. And Good For Her! The Duchess, as you may know is Spain's premier aristocrat, is a distant relative of King James II of England, Winston Churchill and even Princess Diana.
Considered to be one of the richest women in the world, she's worth an estimated (wait for it) 5.5 BILLION Dollars. As a result of this, her children were not very happy when she decided to re-marry, this "late in the game" and to a less-wealthy younger man. So, she decided to give her inheritance to them early--so they would basically shut up. They did. Now, let's get to the Spanish Wedding of the Year:
A Palatial Wedding: Secene of Duchess of Alba's Wedding, Las Dueñas Palace in SevilleThe Location: It happened at her Palace in Seville, Las Dueñas, a 16th-century Renaissance estate, which covers 9,542 square meters in the heart of the city. Supporters, well-wishers, fans of the Duchess--as well as press, of course, had gathered there to show their love for Cayetana. (she is ADORED by her country!).
No Shows: Eugenia de Irujo, the Duchess's one and only daughter (left)Wedding DISH: Her one and only daughter, Eugenia de Irujo (above left with her mother and future father-in-law) DID NOT attend because supposedly--and conveniently enough--she came down with chickenpox THE NIGHT BEFORE, and was in a hospital in Madrid when her dear mother was getting married. Also, one of her sons, Jacobo also did not show up. He was in France "on vacation" with his wife. Why? It seems that the Duchess was asked last minute if she had any "questions" regarding her children's love for her. And she answered--as she always does--very honestly and basically said "I HATE Jacobo's wife...she's jealous of me and my happiness and fortune!". At-a-Girl. Done and done. Well, I guess that's why someone did not RSVP!
Duchess of Alba's Wedding Dress, by Victorio & LucchinoHer Wedding Dress: Cayetana, who's known for her quirky and sometimes very eclectic sense of style, decided to go subdued, cocktail and with a hint of an Homage to her beloved Seville. She wore a custom pale pink silk gauze dress by Spanish designers Victorio & Lucchino, favorites of all the Spanish aristocrat Divas, former Miss Spain's and movie stars, as well. It featured delicate applique' and multi-tiered Andalusian ruffles at the hem, 3/4 bishop sleeves, a lightly blouson top and a green velvet waist tie. Finished off with matching pink ballet flats.
Post Wedding Flamenco: Right after saying "I Do", Cayetana and her new husband, walked out of the Palace to greet all the well-wishers and the 85-year-old Duchess broke out into an impromptu Flamenco dance! As Alfonso held on to her, she even kicked off her shoes and began the arm and hand flourishes Flamenco is known for. Well, as you can imagine, the crowd went insane! Olé!
The Madrina, or Matron of Honor, Carmen Tello, flanked by Designers Victorio & LucchinoGuests: Other than the two No Shows from her only daughter and one of her sons, the rest of her children were there. It was a small private affair with less than 40 guests (No King Juan Carlos or Queen Sofia or even Crown Princess Letizia, their not really her friends darlings). Her oldest son, Carlos acted as Padrino, and gave her away. And Cayetana's best friend, Carmen Tello was the Madrina. She's the wife of a famous bullfighter.
Her daughter's former husband, the handsome Francisco Rivera (above) attended. She still considers him her son-in-law.
Francisco's brother, Spanish matador , the even more handsome Cayetano Rivera was also there, along with his girlfriend, the beautiful Eva Gonzalez, TV presenter, model and former Miss Spain.
Felicitaciones Cayetana and Alfonso!Click Below for Video of Guests Arriving to the Wedding:
Click Below for Video of Cayetana and her Post Wedding Flamenco Dance:
How I Finally Got To Grips With False Lashes!
I wanted to do a post on this because I have met so manygirls who say that they have tried to apply false lashes time and time againand they just can’t get the hang of it. That was me last year. Seriously,I was a disaster when it came to gluing those bad boys on. I had a couple of embarrassing peel offincidents and a couple of tantrums when I wrecked all my make up before night’sout because I had made a complete hash of applying my lashes (the lashes inquestion ended up being aggressively flushed down the toilet!). I felt like I would never get the hang of itand it was really frustrating because it seemed like the whole blogging worldcould do it except for me!
I know there has been a bajillion posts done before on thistopic but it’s something that people always ask me about. I love the glamorous look of false lashes butI’m much more into the more subtle ones so no drag-queen-esque-embellished onesfor me thank you. I like lashes thatlook full, (reasonably) natural and slightly wing out at the edges to get thatcat eye effect. They make such a bigdifference, especially in photos and they really finish off a makeup look andintensify the eyes.
So, after reading countless blog posts and watching someYouTube videos, I realised why I had been going so wrong.
I chose lashes thathad a thick band at the base
Some of the first false lashes I tried to apply were the EyelureGirl’s Aloud ones and they really didn’t work for me at all. For one thing, they were just too obvious andlong for me and they also just seemed really difficult to apply. It takes time to find the right lashes but bytrying ones that work for other people, you are more likely to find reliableones.
I used the wrong kindof glue
A huge part of successful application of false lashes is touse a good lash glue. I actually foundthat the best ones for me are the Revlon one that comes with all their lashesand DUO, which you will hear a lot of bloggers recommending. When you’re applying the glue to the lashband, make sure you apply a reasonable amount and get the ends too to make surethey adhere to the eyelid. That willstop them peeling off half way through the night. Don’t apply massive globs of the stuff or youwill end up with messy residue on your lid.
I didn’t wait for thelash glue to get ‘tacky’
An important thing to remember once you apply the glue tothe lashes is that it needs about 30 seconds to get ‘tacky’. This just means it gets a bit more congealed,less watery and is a lot more effective at sticking the lash to your lash line. Your lashes will not stay in place if youskip this step! I like to use tweezers to apply the lash and then VERY gentlypush it into my lash line, using the other end of the tweezers to pat the lash bandinto place and secure it. It’s easiestto start to apply the lash to the centre of the lid, then pat down the innerand outer corner after that.
I didn’t trim thelash band to fit my eye
The one thing that really got to me when I first startedusing (or failing to use) false lashes was that I would end up with the innerpart of the lash band poking in my eye all night, generally making my eyes soreand uncomfortable. It hadn’t dawned onme that I would have to trim the lash band to suit the shape and size of myeyes! It really was a hallelujah moment when I finally started trimming thembecause all of a sudden, they started to go on and STAY on! I only ever trimone little clump or collection of lashes on the outer edge of the lashband. I always do it on the outer edgebecause you don’t want the inner corners to be too long.
Myfavourite lashes that work EVERY time are Ardell 109’s:
and Ardell 110’s:
and RevlonFlirty:
They really compliment my eyeshape, don’t look over the top and have very light, flexible lash bands thatare easy to work with.
Myfavourite lashes that work EVERY time are Ardell 109’s:
and Ardell 110’s:
and RevlonFlirty:
They really compliment my eyeshape, don’t look over the top and have very light, flexible lash bands thatare easy to work with.
I found my ownroutine
Just because someone has a certain way of doing things,doesn’t mean that it’s the best way for YOU to do it. I find that with most things beauty-related,it’s best to find your own little routine and techniques that you feelcomfortable with. Who cares if it’s notthe normal way of doing it? I always apply my lashes just after I have appliedmy eye shadow base (normally a cream eye shadow product like a MAC Paint Pot). I prefer to do it this way because it makesit easier for me to see my natural lash line and get the false lash band asclose as possible. I then go ahead andapply powder eye shadow and liner. Doingit this way also gives you a better idea of how the lashes will affect theshape of your eye and you can apply the shadow accordingly. So you can tell whether you need to wing itout more.
Every little helps…
I find that applying a good long-lasting eyeliner over theband of the false lashes really helps them to stay in place all day and allnight. I ALWAYS use Estee lauder DoubleWear Stay In Place Liquid Eyeliner in Black. It has a unique formula which is almost akin to the lash glue i.e. whenyou remove it, it can be peeled off in one go. It actually acts as an adhesive to really make sure the lashes will stayput and also blends the false lash line seamlessly into your eyelid. A bonus to this product is that it’s easy toremove from the false lashes and clean them afterwards.
Natalie over at Miss Natty’s Beauty Diary did a REALLY goodthorough post on how she applies her false lashes so that is a must read.
Good luck with the lashes and let me know how you get on!
