Quick Update

Hello to all you bloggers out there. This is just a quick update to let you know that i might not be blogging this week because i've just moved into a new place today and i'm still trying to get things sorted and that includes my internet connection. Hope you guys have a fantabulous week

Hermine, xoxo

I Want Her Hair!!!

Isn't her hair colour absolutely gorgeous! It is so beautiful it is almost imaginable! I just can't get over it, i love hair colours like these that just make regular hair more oomph! I don't know if that's a word but i'm sure you get the idea. If it was possible, i'd love to get a hair colour customised for me that doesn't look brash and works fantastic with my skin tone: throw in a bit of red and chocolate and i'll be in hair colour heaven!

Image via Justjared.com

Read These!

Hey Guys

I've just been reading articles and other websites online as i've been pretty bored and lacking anything interesting to post so i found these two articles online that i think might be interesting. Hope you enjoy reading them as much as i did :)

Fuss-free guide to complexion perfection
From timid to temptress

Must Read!

When you have the time, you must check out Hanneli Mustaparta's site at Hanneli.com! It's like an up-and-coming version of 'The Sartorialist'.
Image via Jewelboxdreams.blogspot.com

Dye Job

By now you all know that the world has been plagued by the Balmania disease of 'shoulders'! I for one hate buying into trends because i never dress trendy and for me it's not really a good investment because they always go out of trend for a while. But the shoulder trend seems to be lasting longer than expected and a part of me is annoyed about it because i don't want to buy a jacket with shoulders but there always seems to be some sort of annoying temptation lurking in the corners awaiting me. It started with the military jacket at Dotti that has some gold beads and pipping on the shoulder and now River Island also has something to tempt me. Unfortunately i can't attach an image of the jacket but for those who are interested, type this in the search box and you should find it: 584774. I like to think that the shoulders aren't as obvious as other Balmania inspired jackets but everytime i think of this particular one from River Island, all i can think of is dyeing it another colour before wearing it. Definitely not black though, because i have a black blazer already. I'm not really a fan of white or cream items because i'm very clumsy and paranoid and i have no interest in shelling big bucks for a professional clean. All the 'dry clean' i owned in the past, i either hand washed them or used the gentle cycle in the wash and they always came out fine.

Image via Fifi.com.au

Image of Perfection

I know i'm always oohing and aahing about perfect blended makeup in general and on Camilla Belle's face but everytime i see her makeup i always get the same reaction. I'm still on the hunt for the perfect foundation that would keep my shine at bay and stop me from looking 'yellow'. Call me slow, but i only realised this past weekend that on the MAC foundation labellings, W stands for warm and C for cool; i usually buy the NW50 but i've always felt that i looked slightly yellow so i'm going to try the NC50 on our trip to Sydney which is next week. Fingers crossed, i'll be able to finally meet my foundation match. I'm going to try out the studio fix fluid spf15 because it is oil-free, long wearing and gives a matte finish; and select spf15 because it is water based, long wearing and also gives a matte finish. Although i must admit that the NC50 in the select foundation does look a bit weird from the pictures as it is very light but we all know that pictures can be deceiving.

Image via Justjared.com

The Cook & The Chef

Have you guys ever watched the TV coooking show 'The Cook & The Chef'? For me, it's a great show alongside 'Alive & Cooking' that i love watching whenever i have the time. For those interested, it is usually on ABC1 on Mondays from 13.30. Today they're making all things Italian and that includes fresh pasta made from scratch on TV. Most of the dishes they've made today has an enormous serving of various kinds of cheese. They also show an Italian-Australian couple living in Adelaide that grow their own fruits and vegetables in their backyard; they also have some hens and hares so everything they consume is actually homegrown. I've always loved the idea of growing my own fruit and veg sometime in the future when i've settled down into a relationship and just before having kids. There's something about being almost self sufficient and picking my own food from the ground in the backyard that has always appealed to me and the kind of life i want to lead in the near future. As we become more aware of the environment and the impact that our lifestyle has on it, i'm always thinking of little changes that i can make to do my bit. If you've been reading my blog for a while then you'll know that aesthetics play a large role in the things i love and as technology improves, there are more eco-friendly ways that you can create stylish houses and even own a stylish car without feeling like you're inside a hemp bag!

Anyways, for more of the cooking show check their website abc.net.au/tv/cookandchef/

Friends...

For me, the best part about having a few close friends is that it gives me the chance to know them much better than i would if i had a huge amount of friends and little knowledge or understanding of them. My best friends are actually spread across the globe at the moment - UK, Canada, Nigeria - but we always try to keep in touch via e-mails, text messages and the occasional phone call. I've done some things for them that i usually wouldn't do on a normal day or for someone and they've done the same for me as well. I remember one of my friends was having a birthday party in an expensive club in Scotland and invited me. On a normal day i would have easily said no because i hate clubs. I hate how it smells, i hate the feeling of being stuffed up like sardines in a can (although i do love dancing, especially to latin tunes) and i hate having to yell to have a conversation. But i got on a 7-hour train from where i lived and sucked it up at the club for the night because of her. I'm not even going to lie; i absolutely hated being inside the club. The only VIP thing about it was that it was an exclusive club inside a club so it was pretty tough for random people to just walk in. But i enjoyed being with my friends that night and i enjoyed seeing her happy at the notion that we were all there to celebrate with her; eventhough she knew that myself and one of our other friend would have been much happier in a cinema or dolled up in a nice restaurant.

I was having a bit of a 'fat me' day yesterday. I was very upset because all my labours of working out 5-6 times a week and even finally going on my PCOS medication wasn't making any difference. Plus i had really sore muscles from doing one of Tony Horton's workouts, that guy is genius and evil at the same time but that's a conversation for another post. My friend from UK was texting me yesterday and i was sheepishly replying all his messages and he sent me one asking 'So, what IS wrong with you? Because from your replies i can tell you're in an interesting mood' and to which i replied that i was having a fat day. He is one of those friends you don't want to ask a question that you're scared of the answer; plus he is an expert at laughing at people which can be quite annoying especially if he's laughing at you. He replied me saying 'You're ok dear, don't worry about it cause it's the small stuff and i think it works with you perfectly. Just appreciate yourself. You're not as big as Queen Latifah and she's gorgeous!' You can bet i had a very good night's sleep yesterday after a good mood boost; although i always used to think i was about the same size as Queen Latifah!
Image via Oopshi.com

Essential Layering

I'm a real sucker for comfortable clothing and anything else that makes me feel in my element; i hate feeling constrained by my clothes or having to fake a smile because what i'm wearing is killing me. Although i've been in Australia for almost 2 years, i still haven't learnt to dress for each season nor has my love and interest in fashion translated to my wardrobe. My wardrobe is very bare; it looks like what a nomad might have, or maybe someone having a spring clean and getting rid of everything for a new start. My wardrobe has been like that for the length of time i've been in Australia and going on shopping bans hasn't really helped either. You'd think that all that money i saved would be put into boosting my wardrobe but i'm beginning to get worried that my saving bouts might be turning me into a stingy person. You see, my bank balance looks way too good right now that i feel a slight ache in my heart to alter it, but i also know that if my parents saw my closet they'd either never give me money or make me buy lots of clothes to fill it up. Just to let you in on how empty it is, i've only got 2 pairs of jeans [black skinny and blue relaxed flare], i've also got about 6 tops, 4 dresses and my lounge wear which sometimes doubles as a workout gear; i've owned these for over a year now.

With all this in mind, i'm making a huge effort to change and to stop disgracing my parents by boosting up my wardrobe slowly. If you've read magazines that had issues on makeovers, most fashion editors would always say start with the basics!!! And that's exactly what i plan on doing; the picture of Hilary Duff is very inspiring to me because it looks very relaxed and comfortable. But most importantly, it is trans-seasonal because as you're all aware fake Autumn starts in March. So as it gets cooler, it becomes more sensible for me to introduce leggings back into my look [not that summer stopped me attempting to wear them] and when it gets even cooler i could easily throw on a boyfriend cardigan or a blazer to keep warm! With these in mind, i plan on investing on a few longline tank tops that i can layer with and where better to find them than at Bassike? I absolutely love their essentials range that has layering singlets in white, grey marl and black retailing at $60 each
Image via Hilaryvault.com

I Know I'll Fall, But...

These Giuseppe Zanotti ankle boots Beyonce is wearing are to die for, they're absolutely f-i-e-r-c-e! And i must have a piece of fierceness in my wardrobe even at the cost of them never seeing daylight or even falling flat on my face a couple of times before i can walk in them. I don't care!!! I know Cookie is gonna give me a lecture on buying things i can't wear or wouldn't wear but these are tooooo hot!!! For a moment, let's look past my excitement because we are all aware that there is an extremely slim chance i'll be shelling out the money for the same exact pair. This leaves me with two options of owning it: 1) Senso, Siren or some other shoe brand would make a replica and i'll be more than happy to purchase it as long as it is no more than $300 or 2) Get cheap ankle boots and head over to Spotlight to find me some glue and studs that i can stick onto them. Which will happen first? Let the race begin!!!
Image via Beyonceworld.net

High Expectations?

Everytime i go to ASOS and look at the items they've designed, i'm always hoping to see something spectacular. I have a certain expectation of what an ASOS item should look and feel like. I'm very aware that most of the prices are budget friendly but at the same time i expect them to design and sell things that don't look like i bought them from a European version of Supre. If you've been to Supre then you'll understand what i'm getting at. So far, most of the designs that hace come out in the past week at a friendly budget look good. But on closer inspection and with a change in colour options for the items of clothing, they do look like a slightly upscale version of Cotton On. I don't know if my eyes are just deceiving me or if i have an unnecessarily high expectation from ASOS. What do you think? Am i being too harsh on them?

Image via rlv.zcache.com