Oilily's Summer Of Love S/S 2009 AIFW

---NEW! Oilily's F/W 2009-10 at the AIFW---

(image: Goodie bag with invitation)
All images copyright of Grayburn

The brand that stood out at the AIFW July 2008 was definitely Oilily. For their summer collection of 2009; rightly named "Summer Of Love", the label breaks out loose and sluggish shapes in colors of happiness, peace and love.

Those of you who know Oilily probably know them for their oversized and colorful paisley bags. But this collection includes pieces that were somewhat different from their norm, and enough of them to go around for both the young girls and young women who modeled the designs. All in all, the show had a youthful vibe and it looked as if these girls were ready to hit up a summer outdoor music festival.

The former model Nicolette Kluijver, who is better known from the TV programme BNN made a special appearance, wearing one of Oilily's summery dresses (see below).

Leggy models in thigh-skimming denim shorts.

Brushed denim paired with an awesome printed top.

Innocently sexy.

Denim pieces with color effects. Blazer cinched in at the waist.

Nicolette Kluijver

Carefree shapes top & bottom; met with interesting color combinations.

Catch highlights of the Iris van Herpen S/S '09 Catwalk Show

More on the AIFW 2008

All images copyright of Grayburn

Grooming For Sickies

Woah! I have really been caught in a whirlwind of activities this past week (I was at the Amsterdam International Fashion Week & played bridesmaid at a wedding) and my house currently looks as if the Tasmanian devil had run through it! But the week was so much fun, even if I was sick the whole time.

Being that I had to attend those events meant that I had to look presentable. The key to grooming or beauti-fy-ing ourselves when we are sick is to use products that counteract common "sickie" issues such as flaky or sallow skin, as well as products that deliver results quickly. Forget about spending forever in front of the mirror!

Here are a few tips & products that helped to get me through the week:

A Hair Dryer With Extras

One that helps to dry hair quickly and gently is a god-send for a sickie. T3 hair dryers are actually infused with tourmaline which emit effective negative ions. For me, that translated to smoother and quicker results, which meant I was able to sleep in a little longer in the morning. Since I have the overnight travel version, it goes with me when I travel.

Double-Duties

My week's blush of choice is from Tarte. My shade is called "tipsy" and it is a solid cheek stain. I love it because it doubles as a blusher and a lip stain in one go!

Worn over foundation (pat on with a synthetic foundation brush), then set with a dusting of powder, this stuff lasts and looks naturally glowy. This went on the road well with me at Fashion week and it smells like divine bellinis! (I hear that Selma Hayek likes them as well).

Got mine at: Sephora Toronto

Creamy Coverage

A common problem when one is sick is flaky and/or sensitized skin. I could not be bothered with exfoliating my face as it takes too much effort, as well as it would have hurt too much on my sniffly nose.

A creamy foundation answers my call in this case and produces dewy skin that powdery makeup cannot. Because they are usually thicker in consistency, they conceal redness well; without emphasizing flakes. This one from Shiseido went with me to the catwalk shows.

Got mine at: DA Amsterdam

Easy Does It

A quick way to groomed eyebrows is by using a tinted eyebrow gel. Since they are usually quite sheer, application without a mirror is possible and easy. The one I have from Miss Helen kept my brows in place all day and lent just enough definition to my face; perfect for summer!

Got mine at: Hema Amsterdam


Extra tip:

Try to stay away from grays or fleshy pinks as these colors bring out the redness in our eyes we may have when feeling ill; making us look even more tired.

Sunny Day At The AIFW

So... so so so tired right now. But I just want to get a few words in before I call it a day. We had such wonderful weather today and Fashion Week was made even better by the sunshine. Attendees all rushed in for the shows and rushed outside again to catch more of the much desired rays.

Names who showed today: Ha.ru.co - Vert, Collection PRC, Oilily, and Lichting 2008. I will have more on some of these and more shortly, I promise!

I just can't wait to see more of the fabulous looks I have already seen at the shows and will be bringing back some piping hot looks from backstage as well. I have a feeling we will be quite spoiled for ideas on what to wear in Autumn and Winter!



Photos: Grayburn.blogspot.com

H & M Beauty School - Summer School

Above is the finished look from H&M's Beauty School using their summer colors. Their summer collection, made up of peach, purple and pink are feminine and colorfully mesmerizing.

The relieve here is on knowing that re-creating this look will not cost a fortune. The makeup set in the makeup artist's hand in photo #3 below, for example, costs only 5.90 euros!

Below are screen shots taken from their Beauty School video, with step-by-step instructions on how to achieve this look.














Using the Bronzing & Highlight powder, the contours of the face are shaped to give dimension.













When contouring is finished. Pucker up your lips and throw a glance at the mirror!














The purple shade is applied to the lid, up to the brow bone. A chocolate brown shade is used in the crease for added definition.
















Dust face powder only where necessary. Try not to look bored.
















A rose shade is applied on the lower lash line, extended outwards to meet the outer V. Brow bones are given dimension with the peach as well as the cream shades. Black liner is rimmed around the eyes.

Now pucker up your lips again just like her!















Finish the look with a light application of tinted gloss and figure out how to put hair up easily with a chopstick!












Credits: hm.com

The Best Of The Bestest

It is an honour to have received the Brillante Weblog Premio Award '08 from the talented bloggers at Fashion Binge, who's writing leave me giddy and eager for more.

I am not too good with acceptance speeches (because of my lack of practice), but I would love to experience what Halle Berry did when she accepted the Razzie Award for Worst Actress in Cat Woman. Only a woman who has been at the top of the game can truly have so much fun with the situation.



So now I have the difficult task of handing this award out to my fellow bloggers. A task like this is much bigger than me. But first, the rules:

1) When received, you may post the premio to your blog.
2) Link to the blogger you received it from.
3) Give it to 7 blogs
4)… link to those 7 blogs
5)…and leave those seven bloggers a comment about receiving the brilliant premio.

I have the pleasure to present to you:

Category: Best MAC News Source
SPECKTRA BEAUTY NEWS featuring Janice, Jamie & Jennifer

Category: Best Detailed Beauty Reviews
BINARY STAR featuring Izar
(who by the way, has been spotted in a new blog outfit!)

Category: Best Poses & Inspiring Outfits
SEARCHING THE INNER ME featuring The Seeker

Category: Best Closet In Blogsphere
TIMES OF GLORY featuring Miss L

Category: Best Relatable Beauty Reviews
LILY LOVES MAC featuring Lily

Category: Best Beauty Resource For Women Of Color
CLUMPS OF MASCARA featuring B

Category: Best Place To Admire Pretty Things
MUSINGS OF A MUSE featuring The Muse

A Peek Into Autumn With Dolce & Gabbana

I urge everyone to take advantage of all the great summer colors of the moment because autumn colors are coming our way fast! Have a look at these images from the Dolce & Gabbana Autumn/Winter '08 show and you will know what I mean.

Deep luminous hues go with the luxuriousness and oversized shapes. Note the darkened nails.

Matte skin with not a highlighter in sight. No more over-exaggerated brows.

Check out the all the textures! Fluffy and feathery vests fitted close to the body.

Tartan paired with other patterns such as stripes and paisley. I'm so excited about hats!

These trousers..love! Mix patterned blouse...love!

Photos by Luca Cannoneri

Color Pink Now

Now is the time to whip out all of our pink lippies and wear them as much as possible!

Pink lipsticks look pretty with dewy summer skin and during this time of the year when we have a lot more sunlight. Scanning through the upcoming Autumn/Winter makeup trends, I quickly got the hint that we will soon not have as many opportunities to wear pink. So whether you like it bright & bold or soft & pretty, this is the time to let pink shine!

The 2 that I am wearing at the moment are both from Sephora.


This is the Lip Attitude Glamour G08

It gives an innocent "how could I have done wrong" look. This is a light to medium blue-based pink with fine silver shimmer that is not overdone. It is not a pastel pink at all and because of its sheer texture, it will look great on a variety of skin tones.

This is the Lip Attitude Star S04

It is the color of creamy raspberry punched with silver and gold shimmer. The shimmer is detectable when you rub your lips together but that doesn't bother me too much. Because of its sheer texture, it is relatively foolproof to apply and great for those trying pinks for the first time.

So what lip-look is everyone rocking these days?



Photos: Grayburn

Waiting For The MAC Electroflash Collection

While waiting for the MAC Electroflash collection to reach our shores, I have got something that will just about wet my appetite! These are little cheap thrills to get me through this torturous period of waiting and obsessing over yet another new MAC collection (a reoccurring obsession I cannot seem to shake).

Now I have talked about Hema's house brand of makeup quite a few times (I have even turned a friend of mine, who works at MAC, onto their nail polishes!). They really make the most excellent quality of nail polishes and their eyeshadow collection is getting better and better.

In line with the gold & bronze trend that is so summer and flattering on everyone, I picked up 3 mineralized eyeshadows from Hema's new line. Just like MAC's new Electroflash mineralized eyeshadows, these are em....mineralized, have a dome shape, can be used wet & dry, and have that interesting veining that we all love. Granted these are not very pigmented, but that is because they make gorgeous washes over the lid or as spot highlighters. The pluses with Hema's are that they are fragrance free, and contain chamomile extract, vitamin E and jojoba oil. All of them apply smoothly with great slip and they work wondrously over MAC paint pots.

Eyeshadow W&D 04

A base of Russian gold stirred with white, 14k gold and silver.









Eyeshadow W&D 01

The sheerest in the bunch; this looks pretty in the pan but is the disappointment in this group. Perhaps great for those who prefer very subtle shimmer. I will top off my lipstick by patting this shade in the middle of my lower lip.

Eyeshadow W&D 02

Cool-toned version of MAC Amber Lights, will work great paired alongside MAC Tempting. Veining varies from gold to bronze.







Photo Credits: Grayburn

The Amsterdam International Fashion Week Is Almost Here!

Just looking at the catwalk schedule of July's edition of the Amsterdam International Fashion Week 2008 (July 19 - 28) is enough to make my mouth water! If any of you will be in the area or is curious to see who will be showing, the show schedule is here.


I will have the fortune to attend some of the shows again and am looking forward to some stunning displays of fashion trends for autumn & winter '08. It will be truly exciting to see the designers show off their talents and put on a great show!

Here are some of the highlights from the AIFW January '08:

Makeup looks from the Joline Jolink show

The Graduates of The Fashion Institute of Arnhem Rocked the AIFW!

Cool fashion window displays in Amsterdam's Red Light District


So hang tight because we are all officially invited!

Beauty Walking The Silk Road

So it seems that silk in beauty is hot again! Manufacturers of beauty products have quickly jumped on the trend and have added silk to their products for the extra added appeal.

Silk is wonderful.
If you have ever run your hand over a silky garment (like that of a traditional Chinese dress "Qi-pao"), you would know what a wonderful sensation that is. Who wouldn't want their hair or skin to feel exactly like that? The benefits from silk lies in the fact that it contains 18 amino acids that have the same PH balance as our skin. These amino acids are said to have anti-aging effects and help to hold moisture in the skin. We typically see silk part of the ingredients list in our skin moisturizers, mineral makeup, or hair care products. But lately, you may come across silk used in the most unexpected or unusual places.

Case 1 - Hairdryer

The Imetec Nutriheat hairdryer is said to release silk proteins while drying hair. The silk capsule inside the dryer releases a stream of silk when hot air blows through it. It seems that these capsules need to be replaced about every 6 hair-drying sessions.

What do you all think? Do you think this is a must try for me? Is this where I should invest my money into, instead of say, a new pair of shoes? Or maybe you already have this and have something to say about it? I would really love to hear what you think.

Case 2 - Pillows Cases

This pillow case from SilkSkin is supposed to slow the process of aging, wrinkles, bed head, decrease bed mites, help with thinning hair (as tossing and turning is supposedly rough on our hair!) and give you a better night's sleep. I love the idea of sleeping on luxurious silk sheets and on decadent silk pillow cases, but for the price of them I think I would rather invest in another face cream.

What is your take on this? Perhaps you think that this is worth its price (approx. 70 USD) and would like to share your reasons why?




Photo credits: chinadaily.com, silkskin.co.uk, trevorsorbie.com

The Look Of The Day

This weekend will have me at a Hen Party for a friend of mine who will be getting married. The dress code has been planned in all white for the party so this is what I have planned for that day:

All Eyes On - MAC Magnetic Field, Dior 5 Couleurs in Mystic Jade, MAC Nanogold, Bourjois Contour Clubbing Waterproof liner in Gris Tecktonik #42, CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara


Cheeky Monkey - Everyday Minerals blush in Natural


Lip Service - Max Factor Lipfinity Color & Gloss in Shimmering Pink


A Hairy Issue - Sebastian Laminates Potion 9 braided into slightly damp hair, then dried until set.



Painting of this and other works by Jude Cowell can be found at cosmicpersonadesigns.blogspot.com/

Pupa Cosmetics - Cute As A Button!

I came across these when I was visiting St. Petersburg in Russia. These are absolutely adorable! Raise your hand if you are easily sucked in by pretty packaging... I have my hands and feet in the air! Inspired by the Matryoshka dolls from Russia, Pupa designed a series of makeup and perfume that are as cute as a button.

The design of the little compartments and detachables in the 2 palettes are extremely playful. Playing with them brought me back to my childhood when I loved to play 'house' with my portable fold-out miniature house, with little plastic furniture and tea sets.

The color choices in these palettes can be categorized as "teenage". They are filled with chalky pinks & blues, and sparkly glosses for the lips. I wished they were not priced at 45 euros (apprx.) each, and, the colors be a little more adult-friendly!


Photos: pupa.it

Skincare Before the Zzzzzzz's

Sleep is oh so important and sometimes I wish I could just crash into bed without feeling guilty for not having removed my makeup etc. I usually end up getting up after 10 mins. of laying in bed with my makeup on, envisioning zits blossoming on my face. Getting a good night's rest means going through my nightly ritual of removing & applying. It is simply inescapable for me.

The other day, I decided to count the steps I took for skincare before bed. It came to a whopping 14 on a normal night! I encourage all of you to try this exercise and count yours because I assure you, you will be amazed one way or another. Here's my routine before bed:

1. cleansing oil
2. face wash
3. face toner or glycolic wipe
4. all over face serum
5. eye cream
6. face cream/oil
7. spot treatment cream on face if needed
8. spot treat sensitized parts if needed
9. lip cream
10. foot cream
11. hand cream
12. once a month overnight hair treatment
13. neck cream
14. spot treatment on chest if needed

It would be interesting to see how many you girls/guys have. Please let me know about yours in comments (so I don't feel like such a freak!).



Photo cred: instablogsimages.com