China Doll

Floral cardigan: c/o Stephieshop (this one is sold out)

Dress: markets

Wedges: taobao.com

Sequin clutch: taobao.com

Does anyone else have a large number of really lightweight, thin jackets and cardigans dominating their wardrobe? To many, such garments seem impractical and redundant for providing minimal warmth and beg the question: "why not just wear a shirt?" I'm actually a huge fan of these sheer, chiffon cardigans because you get to add an extra layer of 'interestingness' (for lack of a better word!) to your outfit whilst still keeping cool in the summer time. This one from Stephieshop has just the prettiest floral design on it, and without it this plain red dress would've looked quite dull and unexciting by itself. 

You may have noticed that I look unusually pale in some of these photos! The sun that day was blindingly hot and bright, and the light ended up being super harsh. Combined with the oriental background and prevalence of red in my outfit, the phrase "china doll" leapt to mind.

Stay Classy

Lace top: c/o Stephieshop (sold out)

Peplum skirt: c/o Koogal 

Heels: c/o Sammydress

Clutch: Forever New

Bangle: Lovisa

Necklace: Diva

Belt: taobao.com

This is my second time featuring a peplum skirt on my blog! (See the first one here) What I love about it is that there's something about peplum that always adds the perfect touch of sophistication, class and femininity. I can't pinpoint it exactly, but it can send what would otherwise be a regular, sexy bodycon dress or skirt into a completely different field of champagne, hors d'oeuvres and bowties by simply adding a flirty flare on the hips.

Admittedly I had my reservations about the quality of the skirt due to the modest price tag, but upon seeing it in real life and trying it on I found myself pleasantly surprised! The material is thick so you don't have to worry about visible undergarment lines, and is stretchy so it hugs the hips and butt in a flattering way. The peplum flare extends all the way to the back, which in my opinion is extremely flattering for the backside by creating the illusion of curves.

The beautiful lace detail on the top makes this such a delicate and versatile piece. I paired it with a peplum skirt for a classy, going out outfit but it could easily be tucked into a flowy maxi skirt for a feminine, ethereal look. Stephieshop also generously sent me a nude-coloured inner top to prevent the top being see-through, which I wore inside.

Clearasil Giveaway- First dates edition

(post is sponsored by Clearasil and Nuffnang)

I’ve introduced Clearasil’s Perfectawash to you guys previously on my blog, in this post here. Having confidence in yourself and your skin are highly important in interview situations, and in this post I’ll show how equally quintessential it is for the nerve-racking first date scenario.

Below, I’ve whipped up 3 first date outfit ideas suitable for different date settings. All these outfits are quite demure and feminine, without having to flaunt too much keeping in mind the hot Australian summer looming up. As the harsh sun shines down on us you also want to make sure you’re not wearing too much makeup on your face which will cause an unattractively oily look. The solution to that is naturally clear and radiant skin, which Clearasil’s Perfectawash will gladly help you out with!

But firstly, picking out a cute outfit:

A dress or romper with cut-outs at the back like this one, is perfect for cooling down your back during the hot climate. Exposed shoulders and collarbones, and a cinched waist are great ways to subtly highlight your femininity.

Romper: Forever New (I’m selling this by the way! email me if interested)

Belt: ASOS

Bag: zipia.net

fun fact: I really did use this bag on my first date with my current boyfriend!

The fun shape and style of the romper and bright floral colours make this a great get-up for a daytime date. Think picnics, bowling, brunch…

more under the link!

Sun Dazed

"Shaggy knit": SaboSkirt

"Sun Dazed" floral shorts:  Tallulah courtesy of ShopMarketHQ (currently sold out!)

Necklace: Tree of Life

Metallic heels: lovelyshoes.net

I swear ShopMarketHQ always has the most amazing range of shorts. The last shorty gem I acquired from there was featured here, in one of my favourite outfits I've had on my blog. This one is another all-time favourite!

These shorts by Tallulah are seriously divine in my eyes. The relaxed, loose fit with the cinched-in, elasticised waistband makes them perfect for tucking both tops and jumpers in without worrying about unsightly clothing bulges. They're also 100% silk which makes them super comfy!

The other piece that also made this outfit extra comfy is my new shaggy knit from Saboskirt! I have been following their blog, Instagram, Twitter and stalking their shop daily for ages and it pained me that I literally wanted every single item. I only came away with one so far which is this knit, and it's an incredible purchase. It's ridiculously soft to touch, is cropped at the back so you don't have to tuck it in there, and I absolutely adore the wide, bell sleeves which make for a subtle throwback to the 70s.

Planning a Summer Outfit + Veet Giveaway

(this is a sponsored post thanks to Nuffnang).

I’m so glad us Aussies (and Kiwis, and anyone else in the Southern Hemisphere!) are finally coming out of those cold winter months and welcoming back the warm sun! Finally we get to tuck away all our thick trench coats, stifling scarves, scalding hot water bottles and heaters that defined the past few months- although I think I will sorely miss my precious range of berets. There are so many amazing trends hot off the runway to try out, and we caught a taste of them from the recent Mercedes Benz Fashion Week down under. So how can we start incorporating those trends for the upcoming spring/summer in 2012/2013?

My absolute favourite new trend, hands down, is the modern floral.  Florals have been popular for pretty much as long as I can remember, but these upcoming seasons have seen a revitalization and a modern reworking of the traditional designs. Mercedes Benz Fashion Week especially saw a drive to reshape the humble floral print, ranging from photo-realistic digital print, to intensely bright tropical designs with sharp lines and edges, to subdued and dreamy watercolours.

(original photo source is Pinterest…yes I know these aren’t real sources but please let me know if you do know the original sources! J)

Some of my other favourite trends for the upcoming spring and summer include dip-dye, tie-dye, pastel colours, neon and metallics, but I feel these ones have been around and stayed strong even since last year.

How to wear these trends for summer

So how can we wear all of those wonderful trends for the approaching hot weather? One of the key things to keep in mind is the minimal use of layers.

Tie dye can be embodied entirely in one high-low dress, where the mix of colours already pack enough punch to keep the rest of the outfit simple.




Pastel colours can be scattered everywhere via a range of accessories, such as a belt, clutch, sunglasses and jewellery….



Or through a simple colour-blocking scheme, such as a blouse and a skirt in two different tones.

And my favourite, the modern floral trend embodied in this gorgeous fusion of fashion and art- which only needs to find itself in one statement piece to make an impact.

And of course, wearing minimal layers will also mean you will be bearing a LOT more skin than you have been used to in the last few months! In order to feel confident about wearing skimpy shorts and sleeveless singlets, a hair-free body is a must....so what is the solution?

Giveaway

I’ve already mentioned the Veet EasyWax Electrical Roll-On Kit before on my blog- just a reminder that it’s basically a wax-filled device that heats up inside, and you can roll the wax on straight away without any fuss or mess. (you can read my original post about it here)

Especially as beach season rolls around, you definitely don’t want to waste time constantly heating up wax strips to apply to all the hairy parts of your body that will be exposed.

So in order to get you beach-ready and skin-bearing during this hot weather, I’m giving away one Veet Easywax Electrical Roll-On Kit (RRP $39.99) to 5 of my wonderful Aussie readers! 

How to enter?

It's extremely simple, all you have to do is leave a comment down below with your name and preferred contact email. (terms and conditions here)

FIVE winners from my blog will be selected so you have a strong chance of winning! :)

Contest ends on the 12th of October 5pm.

Veet, in conjunction with Nuffnang and Miss Fox Melbourne, also recently kindly sponsored myself and a few other bloggers, to fly over to Melbourne for a short stay and to attend the Veet Night Out. This was basically a cocktail party attended by other lovely bloggers, held at Miss Fox Melbourne and even included free hair, makeup and nails services by their friendly staff! I had such a wonderful time there finally meeting face to face all these other blogger friends, and even meeting new ones! There was also a regular stream of cocktails and canapés (could not get enough of the steak burgers!) and I loved my free hair styling session- nothing beats having a one-on-one chat with a professional hairdresser and getting them to personally examine and advise you on your hair! After tiredly returning back to my warm bed at the apartment, and leaving again to Sydney with expenses all paid for, I just felt like the whole experience on the weekend was a major pampering session for myself!

I’m super grateful to Veet, Nuffnang, and Miss Fox Melbourne for organizing everything- would definitely love to do it again! :) 

(I know I didn't take many photos. Too busy eating and chatting!! How typical)

PS. The winner of the previous Veet Giveaway has already been announced! Congratulations to lhnguyen, I've already emailed you. Enjoy your free night out plus dinner courtesy of Veet and Nuffnang! :)

Don't worry if you didn't win that giveaway. As I just mentioned (scroll up if you missed it), I have a new one in this post to win a Veet Easywax Electrical Roll-On Kit (RRP $39.99) for 5 readers. All you have to do is leave your comment down below with name and email!