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STYLE INSPO- THE BALMAIN DRESS FOR H&M

December 23, 2015

AndyTorresTheBalmainDress5AndyTorresTheBalmainDress10AndyTorresTheBalmainDress3

I know the Balmain for H&M range is now considered old news, but I am just so infatuated with these pictures of Andy Torres, the dress.. the boots… the whole look is perfection! Why must New Zealand be so far away from all these gorgeous stores? We totally missed out on the whole Balmaination. New Zealand, I love you, but were a little stuck in time.

H&M is one of my favourite stores, the clothes are actually really fashion forward and the prices are even better.I am just praying that when H&M comes to New Zealand next year, we get a really great range of options. In saying that, I still haven’t gotten myself down to (the not so new anymore) Topshop. I’m just assuming that everything will be well overpriced, so I haven’t bothered yet…!

If your reading from New Zealand and have been, is the Topshop on Queen worth a visit? Or have they just totally capitalised on it being the only one and marked everything up? Let me know below! x

 

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Summer Outfit Planner

December 9, 2015

IMG_0638 (2)Something I really love about Summer is the outfits. In particular- the event outfits. I love all the light pretty fabrics, the summer dresses and of course- the perfect excuse to pick up a new bikini.

I was having a little play around on Stylish Circle one afternoon and decided to create a number of outfits for summer.

Hello, My name is Antoinette and I’m a outfit planner. It’s something I tend to do, without even meaning too. I plan what I will wear to an event well in advance. (Does anyone else do this??) Even though my outfit normally changes on the day, the intention is still there, and I still have a rough idea with what I will be wearing. So creating these outfit collages is kind of perfect for me. Rather than just visualizing in my head how it’s going to look I can actually see if a particular outfit will work. So Stylish Circle is perfect for a OCD gal like me!

I created 8 outfits (with some basic styling tips) that I think would work really well this summer, I hope you enjoy!

summer

 

Outfit One;

Rose Gold Pendant | Black Crop Top | Irregular Body Con Skirt | Deux Lux Mae Pouch

Outfit one is a sexy black two piece paired with one of the most gorgeous necklaces I have ever seen! I love this outfit- it’s definitely one for when your wanting to feel a little more glam and confident. Perfect for a night out on the town.

Outfit Two;

Asymmetric Sleeveless Dress | Norlina Pumps | Hyde Park Leather Clutch | Sertie Rose Gold Watch

I love love love this outfit! White looks so amazing paired with summer skin and this dress would show off your tan perfectly. This reminds me of something Jenifer Anniston would wear out for dinner and drinks.

Day trips

Outfit Three;

White Playsuit | Gladiator Sandal | Green Leather Tote | Forever 21 Fedora

This outfit is something I would typically wear out for a summer day trip to the beach or maybe a nice little BBQ. I love the colour of the bag and cut of the playsuit. It’s a really cute and casual no fuss outfit.

Outfit Four;

Apricot Diamate Embellished Vest | Mateo Boot | Darryl Culottes | Leather Tote

This is something a little more glam, while still keeping it casual. Culottes can look really sexy when styled the right way and I think this outfit would be perfect for a winery tour or a fancy lunch.

Same Top, Four Ways

Same top, four ways

Top: Boat Neck Top

Outfit Five;

Pleated High Waisted Skirt | Chunky Necklace | Leather Tote

This outfit is a great way to give a simple black top a stylish bohemian look. The high-waisted skirt and little boots give are so stylish and effortless and are both really easy to wear. High-waisted skirts are really flattering and create a beautiful silhouette.

Outfit Six;

Denim Short | Norlina Pumps | Hyde Park Leather Clutch

This is cute look for a gig or a low key party. It’s casual but sexy and is a really low maintenance outfit.

Outfit Seven;

B + W A-line Skirt | Green Leather Tote | Claudette Pump

I wore a similar outfit to a work party last year (it was a winery tour during the day) and it received multiple compliments. The skirt is such a flattering shape and the nautical stripes are my favourite. This is the perfect outfit for when a daily outing but your still wanting to look a little dressy.

Outfit Eight;

Mango Textured Cotton Skirt | Emerita Dress Pump | Leather Clutch

If your not a fan of stripes, this would be another great option for a work party, just a slightly dressier clutch with a cute skirt from Mango. I adore the shoes as well! The strappy sandals seem to be everywhere at the moment, and I’m really loving them.

I hope you got some inspiration for your summer outfits out of this post and if you want to create your own outfit collages, you can head to stylish circle and get your creative juices flowing!

Thank you so much to Stylish Circle for sponsoring this post, and supporting my blog.

Features

First Impressions; Mostly Accessories.

November 6, 2015

IMG_1311 (2)

Hey guys! Hope your Friday is off to a great start!

This week, I had one particularly good Mail Day. Everything seemed to arrive on the same day which was kind of funny. So I decided to share with you all what was sent to me because they all look so wonderful!

These products have come from all over the world and (apart from the hair colour) are all hand made and have been beautifully crafted! This is something I really value and can also be quite hard to find, so I hope you enjoy this post and maybe find some cool brands you love yourself!

1,

I have only opened the pink one to show you, because the second one was for my sister (I feel mean opening someone else’s gift!!) These purses are so amazing though- better than I initially thought actually. They are leather purses complete with studs and a skull charm. Utterly in love! I won these on Instagram and I’m so glad. This is probably the best purse I have ever owned (no joke)

IMG_1313 (2)IMG_1323 (2)Pink purse skulls and studs

Leather purse details

2, JORD Wood Watches

Jord watch first impressionJord Watches, His and her

So excited that these beautiful watches have arrived! One for me and one for Richard! These were hand crafted over in Missouri in the United States for us and the quality of watches are amazing. The detail is the beautifully made watches is outstanding. The box that the watches come in is also really beautiful in itself. The design and appearance has well and truly won me over and I’m so excited to wear mine!

3, Directions Hair Colour

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Sorry for the bad quality pic, the packaging was really hard to take a nice clear photograph, and seemed to have messed up the focus haha. 

I ordered these over on E-bay and now that they have arrived, I’m freaking out about applying it. I ordered the shade “Lilac” and this looks intense! Well, hopefully it only looks that intense because it’s still sitting all together in the tub. I’ll do a little test strand this weekend just to avoid it looking too strong.. Has anyone else used these? Did you like them..?

4,  Flower Headband and Sequin Bow

Lovely Littles and Co Sequin Bow

I seem to be having some good luck with Instagram competitions. I won this cute little set through the Lovely Littles & Co Instagram page. They do a range of bows and flower headbands for all ages, but create some seriously cute things for little girls too! I’m thinking this little bow would totally make my cousins day! You should definitely check them out, these would make amazing Christmas presents for little princesses (or just for yourself!)

What do you guys think of my new accessories? Would you wear them?

Enjoy your weekend guys!

 

Features

#WCW

September 9, 2015

wcw bonbon girlsMy Woman Crush Wednesday…… The three ladies you should be stalking.

 

Tara Milk Tea

Adorable illustrator and foodie, Tara is one of my newest girl crushes. I mean look at her! What a cutie!! Not only is she adorable but she is really talented, I just love these little drawings she puts together for her blog posts. Check out her Instagram for hours of inspiration.

 

Rachael Brook

Rachael is a sassy make up artist from Australia who creates you tube tutorials, but her 15 second Instagram vids are what initially got me hooked. She is super entertaining with a undeniable love for hip hop. Got to love this girl, and that highlight….

 

Sjana Elise 

Talented yogi and photojournalist, Sjana is the one girl everyone wants to know. Her Instagram is famously known for her extraordinary yoga poses in some of the very best locations, worldwide. This girl could possibly have the very best job in the world and lets be honest- she’s a total babe 😉

 

 

 

 

Beauty Features

Bossy Haul

August 21, 2015

 

Hey guys and welcome to my very first Haul post! I feel like this is so long overdue and I’m really excited about posting it! It is long so please feel free to only read the bits your interested in :)

Today I’m talking about the amazing New Zealand made, natural and vegan products, by the name of Bossy. Everything about Bossy is insanely cute. The packaging, the idea, the website, and of course the products themselves. I also just wanted to mention that the service given by Stephanie (who owns Bossy Cosmetics) is so rare and wonderful and I wished that it was more common but unfortunately that is not the case. So please, take the time to look at her wonderful site (linked below) and hopefully you will find a thing or two to try yourself, I promise you will not regret it!

Everything that is sent out to you is hand packaged, comes with a personal note and a little bag of colourful jelly beans.

I discovered Bossy Cosmetics on Instagram not too long a go. I think it was  who posted a photo of her lip scrub and then it went from there- Alyssa also has an amazing beauty blog by the way you should definitely check it out!

Anyway, lets get on with the haul!!

Bounce Deep Conditioning Hair Mask ($8.99- $16.99 on special!)

I’ve never done a mask like this one before. Usually I buy the masks where you use them like a conditioner, comb through, leave for 5mins and then rinse out. This was a slightly different process in the sense that you apply to dry hair. I quite liked that though, the fact that the water doesn’t dilute down the mask is great. I left in for an hour or so because I got distracted doing other things. I don’t think it makes a difference if you decide to leave it for longer. When you apply the mask its extremely oily and quite easy to comb through. The mask contains the much loved Argan oil, so not only is it extremely repairing it makes my hair feel really soft too (which is quite hard to achieve when your a bleached blonde) I honestly think this mask is just as good if not better than the salon quality masks that I’m used too. I have been using masks from the salon for years and I feel like Bounce makes my hair feel just as soft, shiny and healthy as the others.

Would I buy again? Yes, it’s such great value and works just as well as a Kerastase mask.

Boudoir Under Eye Butter Melt ($18.99 on special now!)

I have been using this morning and night under my eyes and between my brow. I have started noticing this fine line above my brow and I’m in no way shape or form ready for that, so this was at the top of the “things I want to trial list” It works against puffy eyes, fine lines and wrinkles. The packaging is very similar to that of a lip balm. You just twist the bottom and apply directly to the area and I usually dab into my skin gently. The star ingredient of this Under Eye Melt is the Carrot seed essential oil, which contains a large amount of antioxidants. The Carrot seed oil is extremely repairing and has been proven to rejuvenate skin cells, it’s also known to help improve eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis. I have only been using the treatment for jus over a week but I am absolutely sold. I love it and I have definitely noticed a difference. My fine line is a distant memory… for now…

Would I buy again? Yes!!

Bubble Bath Scoops ($16.95)

Oh hell YES! Hehe I had so much fun with these babies. How cute is this? It looks good enough to eat and I have to say- these are probably some of the biggest bubbles I have ever had in a bath. My bath was literally exploding with bubbles, the lights in my bathroom are really yellow so I didn’t manage to get a pic of them in action :( Their are two scents to choose from – Tangerine or Sweet Dream Lavender. I trialled the sweet dream lavender and the pack came with 3 bubble bath scoops. I haven’t had a bubble bath in a while so  really liked getting to play with these! My skin felt really soft afterwards and it had a really light lavender scent left on it which I really liked. I was super relaxed after my bath and because the bubbles made the bath more “fun” I laid in there longer then I normally would, making me that little bit more relaxed and my skin that little bit more soft.

Would I buy again? You bet! Next time, I’ll try Tangerine just to change things up

Using both the Lip Scrub and Butter Whip

Plumping Lip Scrub in Cinnamon Bun ($8.99 on special now!)

I was so excited to try this. Ever since I finished watching Orange is the New black I have been completely obsessed with Ruby Roses’ lips. I’m not game enough to get lip injections and when I have joked about it with friends, they just tell me I’m being ridiculous, so I have to find some effective natural remedies! When I opened the container I’m immediately impressed by the prettiness of the scrub, a pale pink, crystal like texture and I’m automatically obsessed. So I read the instructions and apply the scrub to my lips. Wooo… Feel the burn. Yep, this scrub is TINGLY but only for a minute or so, the peppermint and cinnamon oil cause your lips to plump up in a matter of minutes. When I rinsed the scrub off I was super impressed by the results, my lips are noticeably fuller and plump. I’m not sure what the longevity is like because I obviously don’t stare at my lips the whole day but the immediate results are amazing.

Would I buy again? Yes, this is a total game changer.

Oh la la Lip Balm Butter Whip ($6.99 on special now!)

I go through so much lip balm. Like a ridiculous amount. In fact, this tub is almost finished! Needless to say I have enjoyed using it. It’s light and creamy and lasts quite well. Like the rest of the range, it’s a very natural product, containing coconut oil, cocoa butter, manuka honey and vitamin E, which also means the texture changes up slightly, not on your lips of course- just when it’s in the container. Depending on the weather, if it’s a cold day it goes quite hard and in the warmer weather its a lot creamier, which makes it a lot easier to apply. I don’t mind this because I’m used to using coconut oils on my skin and it is the exact same thing. It makes it a little harder to apply when it hardens but it’s a small price to pay when your using a natural product.

Would I buy again? Yes I would. The pro’s outweigh the one con and the container is very easy to carry around in your bag.

Sugar Scrub Scoop ($4.99)

The smell was divine and I love that it looks like a cute scoop of sorbet, but I usually prefer my scrubs to be a little more “scrubby” than this one. It was quite gentle and left my skin feeling amazingly soft but in future I’ll stick to my full on body washes or scrubs. I just prefer something that make’s you feel like you’ve had a really good scrub.

Would I buy again? Probably not. But only because I prefer a rougher textured scrub, if you prefer something a little gentler, this is a beautiful product and the caramel scent is lovely.

Glowy Strobe Effect ($11.99 on special now!)

This is actually my first ever highlighter (I know, very late to jump on the bandwagon!) What can I say? I’m obsessed- this highlighter has been so much fun to play around with. I find that introducing new products into my make up bag gives me a little more inspiration to try new looks too which is always fun. I’m not sure what other highlighters are actually like, so it’s hard for me to review, but what I can say is this is a very shimmery light powder which I dust over the top of my cheek bones and lightly over the centre of my forehead. I feel like it highlights my features really well and lasts all day too. I have already made the mistake of going a little overboard with the highlighter causing me to look very cakey, so make sure you only use a little and then you can work your way up! When done right this highlighter is so amazing, and that price is ridiculous!! I look forward to many more glowy days.

Would I buy again? Abso-friggin-lutely!

 

The Ooh La La French Clay Mask ($12.50 on special now!)

Ooh La La in deed. I used the French Clay Mask for Oily, Combination and Acne Skin. I really liked that the mask itself came in the powder form which you then mixed with equal parts of water to make a paste like texture. You can make up to ten treatments from one pack which I thought was also really good value. The mask came with the cute wooden spoon to mix everything up and I also used it to help apply the mask ( I mostly just used my fingers though) The day that I used this mask, I had woken up with a slight reaction from my bleach which I had done the day prior. Small red bump around my hairline (eeep) I was a little hesitant to putting any products on my skin as I didn’t want to cause more of a reaction but decided that because Bossy is so natural and repairing, it could just be the best thing for it. My skin felt super tight while the mask was on and I left it to dry on my face for about 20minutes. After I rinsed the mask off my skin felt clean and refreshed, and yes the irritations had definitely settled down! (Life saver)

Would I buy again? Yes! This mask is the perfect little skin pick me up!

 

That’s all for today guys, I have a few more products I still need to review, so keep your eyes out for a Part two coming soon. Let me know if you enjoyed this post by leaving me a comment below, and of course if you have any questions about Bossy or any other products, let me know!

You can check out Bossy for yourself, 

Features

Features/ 2 Many Bloggers

July 10, 2015

 

 

Today’s Friday Feature is by one of my favourite Instagram accounts, . What can I say, I’m totally hooked. Her photos and style are the perfect blend of minimalization and pretty pastel tones. I knew I just had to feature her when I found her account. If her style gets you going, make sure you give her a follow and check out the rest of her flawless feed!

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Features/ Anna Higgins

July 3, 2015

If your not already following her on Instagram, then what are you even doing with your life? Kidding (kind of!) Anna Higgins creates the cutest and quirkiest illustrations that promote girl power and engage with your inner sassy self.

 I can’t help but adore them!

For more sass, check her out on  or

You’ll thank me later x

Features

Features/ Can Dagarslani

June 18, 2015

Flicking through Frankie one night, I came across one of the most beautiful shoots I had ever seen. Every image that was printed just made so much sense to me, like it told a story. It’s like when you see a cute boy for the first time or when you first try on a pair of shoes, that you could no longer imagine your life without. That is what it’s like for me when I look at Can Dagarslani’s work. If you can even call it work- it’s pure art.

So for this Friday Feature, I just had to share the magical work that got me hooked, plus a few more images I later discovered on the internet. I really hope you enjoy and if you do, make sure you check out his website which is linked above :)

Happy Friday and have a good weekend guys x

Features

Features/ Jenna Baydee

June 12, 2015

Hi guys and welcome to my very first “features” post! Every Friday I will feature a new shoot/brand or any “creative thing” that inspires me (and hopefully you as well!) For my first post I have a shoot that I instantly fell in love with, shot by the talented . She shot dream couple Alexis and Mikka recently and the final result is just a spoonful of dreamy pastel goodness that will leave you wanting more.

Make sure you check Jenna out on facebook to see what she’s up to next! (linked above)

Happy Friday guys xx