Today I flew back from Auckland to Wellington. On the ground the day was dismal. Grey, overcast and humid.
The clouds were stunning and as we ascended higher and higher. Above the clouds was a magical wonderland if fluffy white marshmallow sky-scape and radiant sunshine.
See for yourself.
This morning I boarded a pretty plane ( the A320 with a silver fern) to fly to Auckland. It is 25 degrees in Auckland which is lovely, the only slight dampner on my trip is tropical Cyclone Lusi.
I am flying straight towards this weather bomb.
The silver lining is that this plane is seriously comfortable and the little girl sitting next to me is seriously cute.
Off we go. Fingers crossed for a smooth flight.
I am going to read the safety card for sure.
I have been inspired by the ‘new to me’ colour combinations I am seeing worn at Fashion Weeks in the Northern Hemisphere: Deep navy blue & lusciously bright orange.
The shock of the contrast between these two shades is refreshing to my eye which gets oh so bored with seeing the same predictable combinations day in day out on the general populace (namely black on black!)
Today I engaged in a wardrobe re:boot by wearing an old orange skirt with a fantastic new navy peplum top. I finished the look with navy suede wedges & this hot orange & gold statement necklace.
This dress & necklace combo came together at the last moment tonight and was so insanely perfect – it was meant to be. My show started at 6pm and I found the necklace at 5:58pm.
Let’s not ask why I was on the shop. I don’t even know myself, but I am glad I was.
When you are headlining an event image is everything and this necklace completed the outfit exquisitely. If I do say so myself. 😉
Today was a great day.
I started the day with some pampering rituals ahead of my ‘travel wardrobe tips’ presentation at the launch of Bonus Time for Clinique in Westfield Queensgate.
I knew that Clinique would be doing my make up ahead of the show so I wanted be sure to put my best face forward. In order to do that I got a good nights sleep, did my favourite face scrub, a rehydrating face mask and spent time painting my nails ‘Clinique green’. (You can take the girl out of a marketing role, but you can’t take the marketing out of the girl!)
I had chosen a fantastic Andrea Moore dress to present in – it was in shades of romantic pastel colours inspired by the colours of the Clinique skin care range itself. I reviewed my notes and had all of my props ready to go in advance so that I was relaxed and ready ahead of the show. At the last minute I did manage to raise my heart rate a little when I spied the perfect necklace to complete my outfit. It was such a good match it was surely a good omen and I had to have it!
If giveaways, canapés, a goodie bag, a $500 cash prize and French champagne wasn’t enough to lure people out on a school night, the chance to pick up some expert travel tips from a stylist provided the perfect enticement.
I opened the evening by asking if anyone in the room knew what the plastic container that was holding was? Thankfully a woman in the room was familiar with motorcycles as she correctly identified my side case. I then shared that I travelled for 2 weeks with only that case as my luggage. The audience were impressed. As I unpacked I shared my five top tips for travel packing starting with my most important tip: take the lightest luggage you can afford & use & carry portable luggage scales. This takes the guesswork out of your weight restrictions and if you take them with you as you travel you won’t ever be one of those stressed out poor souls unpacking & unloading their luggage on strangers at the airport.
My other travel packing tips went down a treat and a couple got a few well deserving laughs. They may be amusing, but they work. Of course to hear all of the tips you really had to be there. (I can’t give all my secrets away on my blog) I will share that out of the Bon Voyage gift bag I am now a huge addict of Moisture Surge extended thirst relief. Perfect tonic for air travel dryness as is the nifty travel sized Moisture Surge face spray ‘Thirsty skin relief’. It is my new favourite thing to combat dry skin and for an afternoon refresh!
By the end of the evening I had almost lost my voice, everyone learnt some new travel tricks, a lucky punter was $500 richer for going and everyone took home not only their bonus gift but also a sneaky sample of the new Clinique fragrance which is due for release in May called Calyx.
Talk about lucky.
Calyx is energizing, audacious and sure to become a cult classic in no time. It has citrus top notes, a floral heart and a sensual green base so is sure to have broad appeal to all ages and tastes.
Thanks to everyone who came along, it was a fabulous night! Thanks to all who shared a travel tip with me. I look forward to hearing about your wonderful stress free packing experiences!
If ever I’m unsure what shoes to wear with an outfit, my go-to solution is animal print – I think they go with everything! !!!.
After traveling around the South Island for two weeks with only a motorcycle side case for my luggage I’ve been compiling my travel packing tips.
One time saving tip that I love and that I live by is to have your toilet bag pre-packed and ready to go.
This means not only do I save time ahead of overnight travel, but it also means that if I ever have to leave the house in a hurry, I can simply grab that toilet bag and go!
Inside my toilet bag I have a basic skin care, basic toiletries, and basic make-up supply along with other key travel items like earplanes (plugs that regulate my ear air pressure) make-up wipes, insect repellant, sun screen, a first aid kit and the all important ear plugs that if I was packing in a hurry I would forget.
Clinique have a nifty bonus offer launching next week with a stunning travel cosmetics case with perfect travel sized skin care & make up.
I dehydrate terribly on flight and am always looking for the perfect hydration spritz or lotion to stop me from looking like a raisin at my destination. I am taking the Bon Voyage kit for a test flight today & tomorrow ahead of my ‘travel tips’ talk at the VIP night at Clinique Westfield. I can’t wait to see how they perform.
I shall report back in due course.
I have a particular attraction to mother-of-pearl. The dream-like colours are hypnotic. Years ago I found a mother-of-pearl ring in my local Salvation Army thrift store. The shell was a large pure smooth oval but the setting was hideous. Think cheap nasty tres 1960’s lump of silver coloured metal but not silver. So last year I took the ring to TORY & KO for remodeling. We took inspiration from an original 1930’s marcasite ring of mine and a few weeks later my inbox had a sketch of the perfect deco design featuring borders of seed pearls.
Voila. It is uniquely me. The only one of its kind in the world and I adore it.
My precious:
I know firsthand that the old saying ‘you are what you eat’ is 100% true. This is why I have been juicing of late. I feel healthier and happier for it. If I eat rubbish, I feel rubbish. So if I eat well, I feel well. After a 20 year + career in and around the fashion industry, I am a firm believer that ‘You are what you wear’.
I am not trying to say that if I put on a fireman’s uniform, that I am a fireman. (But I might stand a little taller coz I’ll feel blokey and tough… plus I will try and rescue a kitty from  being stuck in a tree). What I am alluding to is that fact that when I dress nice, I feel nice. It really is that simple.
When I dress myself in quality fabrics, I feel happy. If I stay in my pj’s beyond 11am…then I begin to feel lousy. For starters: too much flannelette is not a good thing plus I feel sleepy because to me, that fabric is for sleeping in. What I have realised is true for me is that what I wear influences how I feel. Not only this – it also influences how other people perceive me. (there is power in lipstick and high heels). Don’t underestimate the power behind a sharp and well put together outfit. It all adds up.
People talk about drugs and alcohol being mood enhancers, well I believe that clothing is the ultimate mood enhancer. Which is why I find this photographic study mentioned in the Daily Mail so fantastically fascinating. Check it out here:
You are what you wear.
“Who is who? Qozop believes that, other than wrinkles, fashion is one of the best ways to tell how old a person is – does this photo of a Chinese grandson and grandfather prove his theory?” ~ Daily Mail.
How hip does this Grandad look? I am sure he is light years outside his comfort zone but he looks fantastic. Grandad is now a cool hipster, and cool hipster is now a few decades older than the previous photo and wondering when he can have a nap. (in fact I think that Granddad wears this plaid and check outfit better than his grandson. Maybe it is the hat? Whatever it is he has style.)
Often in my shows and especially with my Style Secrets groups I am asked about age limits and fashion. People comment that they are “too old” to wear the latest trends. I point out that there is no bouncer waiting outside the store asking to check their ID. That attitude is all in their mind. Â These photos really do prove that clothes have no expiry date.
If you wear them well, wear them with confidence and joy you will look sensational at every age.
Do you agree?
Today was rumored to be Wellingtons hottest day this summer. (It was 26 degrees when I got home)
In celebration (in actual fact to be comfy and to not get too hot) I wore a loose tee/smock top. There is nothing worse than tight sticky restrictive clothes in the heat. (A lesson I learnt the hard way in Hawaii years ago).
Loose and breezy is the only way to go.
My loose fitting giant smock shaped tee has huge flowers all over it and is tres cheerful so as I was running out the door at sparrows fart (6:30am) I grabbed a flower necklace to break up the hard and high neckline.
I had not worn this necklace before and was not 100% convinced of its charms. Luckily I have learnt to reserve judgement and to give items a fair chance of success.
After a few compliments and a reassess in the mirror at the end of the day: I like it. In fact I loved it teamed with the orange trim of my top. Florals on florals was initially a challenge… But now I am hooked. More really is more where flowers are concerned.
thevintageteenager 