The mystic power of lipsticks

Nothing says "functional adult female" like a swipe of lipstick - be it red, mulberry, fuchsia or tangerine. I used to think watch my mama apply her lipstick at the vanity mirror and hoped to quickly grow up to be a woman. 
Lipstick helps you get away with a lazy face of make up if you've slept in and all you have time for is the base and lips. It's also the best way to look sassy and cute for a night out - and you can leave it on someone's cheek. And I swear, lipstick just makes you look marginally more expensive.

sources: google image search, glamour.com, fashionone2012.com, 

Street Style: Tommy Ton

I finally got round to looking at all of my favourite street-shooter, Tommy Ton's streetstyle shots in Milan and London of the menswear season just gone, and these are my favourites.

sources: gqfashion.tumblr.com, jakandjil.com

Looking back: Top fashion moments in 2011

1. John Galliano's downfall.


2. Kate Middleton's Alexander McQueen wedding dress. Remember all the speculations? It was really the most well-kept secret in an age of superfluous information.


3. Alexander McQueen's "Savage Beauty". It was the Metropolitan Museum of Art's most successful fashion exhibit in history.


4. The Carine Roitfeld scandal. Did she get fired? Did she quit? Why?


5. Missoni for Target. And Target's website crashing at the very release of the range.


6. Bill Cunningham New York. The documentary about the street style photographer way before The Sartorialist.


7. Kate Moss's wedding.


8. Marc Jacob's stolen spring 2012 collection en route from Paris.


9. Death of Elizabeth Taylor.


10. Versace for H&M.


11. Christian Dior's sloppy haute couture mess. Granted, I’m observing, much like you, from my laptop thousands of miles away and thus the intricacies of the gowns are lost on me. Still, with haute couture, particularly with Dior Haute Couture,  there should be a brilliance that shines through in spite of the viewer’s distance or technical knowledge!


12. Emma Watson, style icon. 

NYFW Street Style

I've been closely eyeing what's off the runways as much as what's on it.

Cacharel Fall 2011

Cacharel collections usually conjures up my imagination of sophisticated French mothers bringing up their daughters to ensure they'd behave on a first date and appear like respectable young ladies. Preppy, French, and below-the-knee. But what I love about this particular collection, is the sweet floral prints on powdery make-up colours. 

Source: style.com

Paris vs. New York

An extremely original and light-hearted comparison between my two favourite cities in the world. Created by a lover of Paris living in New York City.

Source: www.parisvsnewyork.blogspot.com

Karen Walker's Perfect Day

Karen Walker definitely one of several designers feeling the sixties this season. One of the things I appreciate most of all about Karen Walker's Spring 2011 Ready-to-wear, is that it is both inspirational and fun yet also accessible and wearable. I also know that it will suit me and will be thoroughly wearable for the many facets of everyday life. Nothing is ever too tight or too revealing (things I often deplore in other designers - I don't want to be a size 2 teenager too be able to wear things). It's got a sense of class, yet also a sense of playfulness - not taking itself to seriously. All of these attributes are things that I greatly appreciate and enjoy in Walker's collections. The immediate attention grabber of the Perfect Day collection was obviously the dramatic, effervescent use of colour. It was naturally love at first sight with the bright marigold skirt. The execution of it in a full, feminine skirt and the fact that it was juxtaposed with grey marle creates a perfect balance and prevents it from being too pretty or overly perky.
P.s. I've noticed some of her outfits look pyjama-ish, don't you think? I would strongly encourage Walker to get into the pyjama game.