The Color of Bib Necklace echos my 2010 s/s YSL Tribute Platform Heels.

I am going to apply that Chanel iridescent eggplant purple nail polish on toes and taupe one from Target on my nails later in the afternoon for a ready for A/W look!  

MAC cream purple eye shadow, SmashBox pale pink eyeshadow, make-up forever purple eyeshadow. 

Jill Stuart purple eyeliner on top, Chantecaille green eyeliner at bottom eyeliner, smashbox pale pink eyeshadow highlight just below the green eyeliner. 





MakeupForever purple eyeshadow on the crease and Mac cream lavender eyeshadow between eye and nose beneath eyebrow. 
I also dashed a little highlighter from Bobbi Brown on my nose there. 

It seems that I use a lot of eyeshadows doing make-ups but the keys is "always dash a little bit" when doing more than 2 colors on eyelid.  You know little color would go a long way. (my skin is Normal to a bit dry in continental weather here and gets more oily in Asia... wired, huh!?) 

Thanks to Irene who gave me that cute sea shell leaves/pearls earrings as my birthday gift. 



This India made bib necklace is very versatile after all..... just think Outside the BOX, any solid color would highlight that busy bib necklace~~ ^O^



I might want to fold the other leg... a cropped fold-over pants is not bad looking after all! ^^



 I think Paige black label military inspired jacket, the bib and YSL tribute platform sandals are quite compliment w/ each other in some ways. 

Have a good Thursday everyone!
xoxo Rachel

Anna Wintour: Scary Lady or Fabulously Fierce?

She has been the British-born editor-in-chief of US Vogue since 1988, she has her own trademark hairstyle and she strikes fear into every intern she comes across.  Everyone knows that 'The Devil Wears Prada' was based on a former employee's experiences with her in the office and given that her nickname is "Nuclear Wintour", you know she isn't going to be all flowers and candyfloss.  She intimidates men and women alike due to her ice-queen exterior so I was really interested to watch the recent documentary on the More4 channel, 'The September Issue' to really get an insight into what she is like day-to-day.  Saying that, I know she has the power to manipulate which scenes are used in the documentary and she definitely has access to a powerhouse legal team if she feels the need to sue for deffamation of character.  So we all have to take documentaries like this with a pinch of salt I think.

Here's the trailer for the programme:


Putting that aside, the documentary, which centres around all the work that goes into the biggest and most important Vogue issue of the year, was a must see for me.  I'm always fascinated by the amount of hard work that goes into every facet of a magazine, every page is carefully crafted, designed and styled, like a piece of fine art.  Let's face it, Vogue is a good example of modern iconic art in all it's disposable glory (although I know alot of people keep every issue!).

Anna Wintour has been criticised in the past for wearing fur and also for promoting 'elitist' views on beauty in the magazine by insisting already slender celebs, destined for the cover, lose more weight until they reach a size that is acceptable to her.  She also tends to choose what the celebs will wear on the cover, even celebs/figures as influential as Oprah Winfrey and Hilary Clinton!

She always wears Wayfarer shades and for a long time, I just assumed this was to intimidate people further, to promote the 'ice queen' image and to make her expressions harder to read (I personally don't like it when you can't see someone's eyes when you meet them).  However, I found out that these are prescription sunglasses for her deteriorating vision, a hereditory condition.  It seemed curious to me that someone who comes across as so strong and indestructable could be hiding their self-labelled 'weakness' behind a pair of shades, a kind of armour to protect her from the world.  Is she scared that we might actually get to see a human side to her? Something vulnerable or some smidgen of emotion that might make her seem more like the rest of us?

Many people feel she is a style icon and often emulate her image...

Don't get me wrong, I respect any woman who can command the world of fashion on a global scale and have the world's most famous and brilliant designers and photographers on her beckon call.  Can you be in such a prestigious role without being stubborn, emotionally distant and extremely blunt and rude at times? Maybe not.  I also know that she has probably sacrificed alot in her personal life to be in that job...missing time with her children, neglecting romantic relationships, etc.  But I know one thing...I definitely wouldn't want to work in the same office as her.  I think I'm far too much of a sensitive soul and she would have me crying into my morning coffee before the mail had even been passed round.

But what I want to know is...what do you think of Anna Wintour?

Girls Tea Time at Crown Crumpet!!

I can't wait to have mommy/daughters shopping DATE in the NEAR future!! ^^ Today is Abby, Ilona, and Vanessa's training day for their manners while we are having an English Afternoon Tea Time. 


We stop by Cris consignment store in Polk st. before we head for lunch. 

The owner, Cris, is kind enough to give our girls small gifts. 


As for two of us? 
We each got our own things and happily left the store. 

OFF WE GO CROWN CRUMPT English tea room!!

Am I wearing something too cute today!!? I even had a tutu skirt underneath that pink bubble skirt! 

Pei gave me that pretty sequins tank top as one of my gifts and both Ann and her come up w/ this best match skirt for it. Thanks to them!! 

Thanks to Yu who introduces us this pretty decor. store.  
Although I am a cannibal and pretty much need meat for LUNCH instead of those itsy-bitsy treats. lol






Crown Crumpet English tea Room

Girls are waiting for the table to be set up. 

Abby gently pours the "lemonade" into the cub. ^^



Everyone had a great ENGLISH TEA TIME! 

Update

I just wanted to give you guys an update on what has been floating my boat recently... 

1) No Faking It - Since being on honeymoon I have somehow acquired a great tan, even though I didn't actually do any sunbathing and miraculously managed not to get burnt this time! I love the fact that I don't have to faff around with self tan and I can just enjoy being a darker hue of my self.  There's something about having a tan that makes me feel more confident, my makeup looks better and more even and I feel more glamourous whe I get dressed up for a night out.  I wore SPF40 every day all over my face and body while I was on honeymoon so I'm glad that I managed to get a tan the safe way.  Clinique Super City Block was a god send over the whole holiday because it's brilliant for protecting your face from the sun without blocking your pores and causing spots. Love it!

2) Silver and Taupe Eyeshadows - I don't know about you but as soon as I saw Kylie's video for All The Lovers, I instantly adored the pale silver and taupe combination on her eyes.  It went perfectly with the soft peach blushed cheeks and apricot lips!  I have tried it out a couple of times already with the eyeshadows pictured which are Korres White e/s and L'Oreal's Astral Taupe e/s.  The effect is just plain gorgeous and by adding some black liquid eyeliner to the upper eye lid, it just completes everything and emphasises the eyes in such a beautiful way.  It's a strange combination that I may not have thought of myself but try it out for yourselves!

3) Cetaphil - I finally discovered these wonder products for myself whilst I was in Hong Kong.  Me and Chris were strolling past a drugstore in the city centre and I spotted a pack of Cetaphil cleanser and moisturising cream.  I've heard about them alot in the past but its not always easy to get hold of them in the UK.  I snapped up a pack containing a huge soap-free cleanser bottle and a small moisturising cream tester for very dry skin.  The reason I was adamant I was going to try them is because the skin on my chin and upper lip had become quite dry due to all the sun exposure and I really needed some products that were gentle and would restore the moisture back into my face.  Within 24 hours of using these two products, the dry skin was gone! I LOVE these two products and if you have dry skin then check them out because they are amazing.  I've heard the cleanser is great for all skin types as well.

4) Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment - I said before I went away that I would be trying out this product as a way of protecting my hair from the sun.  You all saw the pics of my hair from a couple of years ago when it got frazzled on holiday.  Well this product single-handedly saved my hair on the honeymoon.  The temperatures soared to 40oC on some days and we spent most of the day walking around.  I applied a small amount of this treatment to my damp hair every morning and dried it as normal.  It acts as a natural sun screen and left my hair soft, smooth, super shiny and really hydrated.  My hair is in great condition at the moment and I put it all down to the daily use of this oil treatment.  It worked like a dream!

5) Mistresses - I have always loved this programme and when I saw they were doing another series, I was so excited! I think the acting and storylines are fantastic and it always leaves me on the edge of my seat.  I think it's great when a tv programme can really grip you and make you care about all the characters.  If you haven't seen the new series, you can watch all the episodes on BBC i Player here.  I would highly recommend it!  Don't watch it expecting it to be Sex & The City because it's definitely in a different place.  It deals less with fashion and frivolity and more with relationship dynamics.


6) Is it just me or does this video make you wanna round up all your friends and do a 'skip-off'???!

What is floating your boat the moment?

Dry Shampoo

Not the most glamorous of subjects, but let's talk dry shampoo ladies. As a girl with little time and a lot of hair dry shampoo is an absolute must have for me. These products are the easiest way to stretch your hair that extra day and still look fabulous and I have tested many in my quest to find the perfect one - lightweight, effective, volume building, transparent (no one enjoys looking prematurely grey!) and affordable. So here is the line up.

Let's begin with the original: Batiste. Batiste comes in many 'flavours' and luckily have tried most of them ;).

The original (as well as blush, tropical and diva) have a very similar formulation, but differ in fragrance. They refresh your hair effectively, but unfortunately leave a white cast which is especially visible on darker hair. I tend to struggle with these as it takes a lot of effort to massage into the roots and brush through the hair to work the powder in and remove that 'grey' look. On the plus side, they are widely available and very affordable at £2.50.

Batiste Coloured Dry Shampoo. To combat the 'grey hair' issue Batiste developed a different formulation for darker hair. This is available in Black and Brunette and works just as effectively. My only gripe with this is that instead of making the spray clear Batiste have simply coloured it. Although when you spray it on it doesn't leave any hint of white, when it comes to washing it out the colour does run out of your hair making the water somewhat murky. It has also stained the bristles of my brush, which doesn't look too pleasant. Despite this minor defect, this is definitely one of my favourites.

One of the new editions to the Batiste line is Nude, which is fragrance free and 100% natural (I assume they are talking about packaging rather than ingredients.. correct me if I'm wrong). The bottle is 100% recyclable and comes with a nozzle applicator, instead of a spray. This works well and despite the powder being white it doesn't leave the hair too dull.

The last in the Batiste line up is their Shimmer dry shampoo (comes in Silver and Gold). This was sent to me in silver for review purposes. It works the same as the others, but if you use enough to absorb some oil you are left with visible streaks of silver at your roots that are difficult to brush out. The silver particles are small, no scary glitter to speak of, so it is quite pretty. The best way of using it is as a light all over spray to add some shimmer to your hair (if you are into that sort of thing?).

Next up is the new Tre Semme Instant Refresh range, which includes a dry shampoo for normal to oily hair and a waterless foam for dry, frizz prone hair. This was also sent to me for review and it was made very clear that both products will not suit me. Even though I have frizzy, dry hair I couldn't make the waterless foam work for me. However, the dry shampoo worked perfectly. As promised it soaks up oil effortlessly, builds up volume and doesn't leave any unwanted residue behind. Although the scent of alcohol is quite prevalent at first the fragrance it leaves behind is clean and pleasant. I will be sure to repurchase once this one runs out!

The Charles Worthington balancing act dry shampoo was wisely recommended to me by a friend. Effective, lightweight, transparent and with a pleasant fragrance this one ticks most of the boxes, however it is a little more pricey at £5.

Last, but not least, is the Big Sexy Hair mineral and clay based dry shampoo. I was sent this to review in the mini size and have kept it in my bag for on the spot touch ups throughout the last couple of weeks. This is perhaps the most potent dry shampoo as a little really does go a long way and it is great for creating volume at the root. However, it does smell very strongly of alcohol and can leave a little bit of residue behind (though if you use a small amount this should not be a problem). The full size (150ml) is about £11.

I hope this mammoth review was useful to some of you! xxx