I haven’t finished my blog posts for Hong Kong yet, but I just wanted to share very quickly with you the latest addition to my winter wardrobe in this custom made Kuwaii winter coat.

When I went to the press showing of the A/W 13″ collection last year I spied that they had done a version of the Oasis trench that proved incredibly popular, particularly as a trans-seasonal wardrobe piece.

This is the Imperial Trench and it doesn’t actually come in this colour: I had it custom made. That’s the beauty of working with or buying from local designers- they can make clothing just for you. I loved it in charcoal but noticed that they had a fabric swatch of the lavender wool from other styles. It was no problem to have one made especially for me as it was a pre-order.

I have done that before with other designers as well, particularly if they have their garments locally made which Kuwaii do. And I would say that it doesn’t really matter where you are in the world, shop with your local designers and support an industry where you have clothes tailored to suit you.

What I’m wearing:

Trench: The Imperial Trench, Kuwaii
Necklace: Doury
Bag: Fashiondacci. Use the code freshvintage for 15% off on vintage collections at www.fashion-dacci.com for Lady Melbourne readers!
Shoes: Peep Toe

What is Shopper of the Year?
It takes a skilled shopper to put together a street-style-worthy look. And to create fabulous on-trend outifts, you definitely need a flair for hunting out the best store finds. DFO love fashion as much as you do and want to celebrate this talent, so they’re giving $5000 to the style-savvy bargain hunter judged Shopper of the Year.

Shopper of the Year in a nutshell
200 finalists get $200 and 45 minutes to shop for an outfit at one of four DFO locations. A panel of expert judges (fashion editors from Australia’s leading magazines) will select the best eight looks. These will be professionally photographed and uploaded in an online gallery where the public vote for their favourite.

The prizes
The Shopper of the Year banks the $5000 grand prize, while each of the 200 finalists takes home the outfit they styled. Vote online for your favourite look and a 6-month subscription to your favourite fashion magazine could be yours.

How did I go?
This isn’t as easy as it looks, but I do consider myself a pretty good bargain hunter! My outfit rather than being award winning had to consist of pieces I could take with me to New York shortly, and that would work with what I already had in my wardrobe. I think if I’d had more time I could have put together something really special, that said I’m really happy with this outfit!

Silk/Cotton top: Forever New, $59
Leather heels: Joanne Mercer $39
Silver painted denim leggings: Levis $79

TOTAL: $177

Sometimes if you are lucky, you have once in a lifetime experiences that you know won’t leave you. And I’m not talking about a wedding or the birth of a child, I mean things that happen that at the time you may not realise are special until you leave.

When I walked into The Horizon Club on the 56th floor of the Island Shangri-La where we stayed, I have to admit, I’d never been anywhere like it before. As you can see, it is luxury done to a tee complete with linen napkins, silver wear, velvet upholstered chairs, wood panelled walls and chandeliers.

The sheer attention to detail blew my mind along with the impeccable service. You can pretty much have what ever you want on demand, along with high tea served daily, complimentary evening drinks and of course breakfast with honey you scrape straight off the hive as just one example.

We stayed in a Horizon Club Harbour View room and there were times as I gazed over the view of Hong Kong harbour that I thought,’I could stay here all day.’

But alas, as with all special and once in a life time experiences, they are usually short, but very, very sweet.

You can check out all you need to know about the Island Shangri-La on their website.

What I’m wearing:
Top and culottes: Fame Agenda
Heels: RMK
Necklace and earrings: Hong Kong Industrial Center- more on that coming!
Bag: Finders Keepers

There is a rather complete juxtaposition in Hong Kong between uber luxury experiences and the goings on of every day life.

One of the most exciting things for me about the city is the colour and vibrancy which you can find on almost every street corner- the neon lights that hang over the streets in Kowloon, the wet market with red lamps in almost any residential neighbourhood, the bright yellow and green chairs and tables on Lamma Island.

Staying at the Island Shangri-La meant that we were able to capture some of the best luxury locations on offer in Hong Kong. On the rooftop there is an indoor garden full of orchids and tropical greenery with long, sweeping windows that enable a view of the harbour right around to the mountain side of the hotel.

It has a 1930s vibe with the pumping ceiling fans, columns and floor boards and I fell in love with the space the moment I saw it. There is plenty more to come on my time in Hong Kong, but I hope you enjoy this first installment- I loved shooting it!

What I’m wearing:
Dress: Mina and Katusha
Heels: RMK
Scarf: Nomad Project
Necklace: Kirsten Ann
Swimsuit: Kini Swimwear
Belt: Kookai,bought at an op-shop

If you would like a glimpse into the every day musing of Lady Melbourne then you should check out Instagram. It’s all sorts of stuff that might never make it to the blog, but is still pretty cool!

@ladymelbourne is the handle you need to search for, or you can check out my feed here.

A couple of weeks back I did a blog post about how The Gardener and I are off to Hong Kong to shoot for a couple of days. Well, we’re here, it seemed to take a lot longer than I remembered it would (Sydney first, then onto Hong Kong) but by god it’s good to be back!

This is just a little sample of our flight with Virgin Atlantic flying upper class- I have never in my life had an upgrade and let me tell you, there is nothing else like it to change your perspective on long haul travel.

More on all of this to come, until that time I shall be roaming around Hong Kong in search of the perfect light and photo opportunity!

Vicki F!

Thank you to everyone who entered the competition to win a Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream pack!

Don’t forget that you can still get your FREE sample of the products simply by heading to your nearest Clinique counter.

I love a good bargain, whether its shopping at outlets, hunting in second hand stores or hitting the sales. Last week I discovered the latest offering in Melbourne’s outlet shopping in the form of Brand Smart.

Basically Brand Smart is an exciting and innovative destination where you can shop, eat, drink and basically shop, shop, shop. A lot of information comes across my desk for various kinds of sales, so when you hear it every other week it can become a bit of a yawn fest….10% off you say? Big deal!

So I headed out to Nunawadding (Nuna-where?! I hear you say, not as far as you think!) to see if the claims were true- up to 70% off retail prices.

You’ll see in the gallery below as I chronicled what I found, but I’m happy to report that yes, it is true: there are genuine bargains to be had. I think the best deals I could find were:

• All bags at Oroton $195 or under
• Silk pants at Sass & Bide for $190 down from $350
• Lizard print clutches at Decjuba for $17

But I also found rose gold heels at Mollini for $70, Pleasure State bras for $20 and if you love your home wares like me then Royal Doulton and Laura Ashley has some amazing deals.

As I am about to embark on a lot of travel and I’m really not supposed to be spending any money….but I just couldn’t help myself with what you see in these photos!

I picked up this gorgeous red, leather clutch from BASLER for $95, and these glass necklaces from Decjuba for $31 for both.

So if you heart bargains like me then jump in the car with the girls (I took Mother Melbourne) and check out Brand Smart. I will come back with a lighter wallet, but you’ll be happy!

Brand Smart Nunawading (Melbourne)
288 Whitehorse Road
Nunawading VIC 3131

Melway Reference: Page 48 E9

Phone: (03) 9894 0811
Fax: (03) 9894 0822
Email: info@brandsmart.com.au

Trading Hours:
Monday-Friday 9.30 – 6pm
Saturday-Sunday 9.30 – 5pm

I don’t mind wearing silver and gold together. I started to think about it because last week I was doing exactly that and someone said to me, ‘Can you….do that?!’

I didn’t know that you couldn’t to be honest, unless you are still dressed by your mum every morning then really, you can wear what ever you like when you get dressed every day as far as I’m concerned!

I’m off shortly on some faaaaaabulous overseas adventures and while I’m not going to take very  much with me, there are some things that I’ll have to pack. A good bag is one of them, not too big, roomy, classic and that will go with EVERYTHING IN MY WARDROBE.

I think I will be on a search for that bag for the rest of my life (!), but in the meantime this Lainey Silver Crushed Silver leather bag from Sambag is the bag that’s coming with me. I’m thrilled that I’m taking and wearing a fabulous Australian label as well.

What I’m wearing:
Top: Trenery
Sunnies: Fashiondacci. Use the code freshvintage for 15% off on vintage collections at www.fashion-dacci.com for Lady Melbourne readers!
Earrings: I think I got them at Diva on sale for something like, $3, but it could have been Colette.
Round cuff: Fashiondacci
Bag: Sambag
Triangle gold bracelet: Karla Deras for Roman Luxe
Pinkie ring: Benjamin Black Goldsmith

What do you wear when you go shopping for new clothes? I usually try to wear something comfortable, but that makes me feel confident at the same time.

It’s not always easy, and from previous posts you should be well aware of my love of carbs and a glass of vino to end the day, who doesn’t?! I don’t like spanx but I do like a flat tummy so….what’s the solution?

Berlei challenged me to a day out shopping wearing their new Dig Free range that is designed without a front seam and with a smoothing waistband.

They are on a mission to let the women of Australia know that with Dig Free, they can choose whatever they want to wear, regardless of their busy schedules or if they’re having a ‘not hot’ day. Me most Mondays.

I found them comfortable and they don’t ‘dig in’ around your waist as other hosiery I’ve tried has in the past. Having said that, the waistband while smoothing isn’t too tight and because it’s seamless you can’t see it under clothes.

I live in opaque tights in winter and as you can see in these photos I wear them under shorts but also skirts, dresses and even my jeans if it’s fre-fre-fre-freezing cold. I’ve tried the Dig Free range under all of them and it’s just a lovely, seamless, smooth fit.

While this is all rather wonderful pour moi, are you yet thinking, well, wouldn’t it be nice if I too could share this experience with a thousand dollar spending budget? Thought so.

Courtesy of Berlei, share your favourite ‘off’ day go-to outfit in the comments below to win $1,000 spending money to enjoy choosing whichever clothes you like & Berlei Dig Free product!

UH-MAZING!!

Competition closes on Friday 10 May 2013 at 5pm AEST

Full terms and conditions here.

What I’m wearing:
Jacket: Siricco
Opaque tights: Berlei ‘Dig Free’ range
Boots: RMK
Blouse: ASOS Blouse with Eyelash Lace Overlay
Belt: Finders Keepers the Label
Shorts: Fairground from St Frock online store

Years ago I used to be really experimental with my hair, this was a time before digital cameras mind you so I don’t have that many photos but none the less I’d tried it all. Pixie cut, every colour you can imagine, blunt bob, blunt fringe, I chopped and changed it all the time.

Then I decided to grow it a couple of years ago and I did what I usually detest in others: I became emotionally attached to my hair. I couldn’t bear to part with it, I even became paranoid about getting a trim. ‘Now you’re only going to take  ONE INCH OFF OK?!’ I’d hear myself saying.

It’s really stupid, in the main part because it’s hair and it will grow back. I’m shaking my head as I write this.

So I made the snap decision to chop it all off, rang Oscar Oscar to make an appointment and voila: a new me.

I went to Kristie at their new Highpoint salon and I think she may have been more excited than me at the prospect but she was right when she said before I had even had my hair washed, ‘You will love it.’

Thank you Kristie, I do!

What I’m wearing:
Vintage lace top: Etsy
Necklaces: Fashiondacci. Use the code freshvintage for 15% off on vintage collections at www.fashion-dacci.com for Lady Melbourne readers!

Did you know that the average woman smiles 60-75 times a day? I had no idea myself, but it sort of makes sense in my case because of the expression lines I have around my eyes.

I smile a lot but you’d also know from recent beauty reviews that I covet beautiful, refined skin without the use of injectables or any invasive treatment.

Although you really need to give it 12 weeks, I’ve tried Clinique’s ‘Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream’ recently around my eye area and have noticed how silky smooth it feels.

The reviews have raved about the results and what you can expect- visible results within four weeks, refined skin and eye area, dark circles improved and a decrease in fine lines.

I would love to know what you think however, so, courtesy of Clinique one lucky Lady Melbourne reader is going to have the chance to win a Repairwear Laser Focus prize pack that will include:

Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream 15ml

Repairwear Uplifting Firming Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 15 50 ml

Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector 30ml 

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me why you would love to win this awesome prize! 

Competition ends Monday 6th May 5pm AEST 2013. Competition winners will be published on www.ladymelbourne.com.au

And in the meantime, don’t forget that you can go to your nearest Clinique counter to receive a free sample to get your started. Lady loves you!

Sometimes it really is a case of chasing the light as it fades if you don’t get out there early enough during the day. I’m still reacting to daylight savings changing only a couple of weeks ago, the sun sets a good hour or two earlier than it did only three weeks ago, so if I go about my day and get distracted I am then literally running about the neighbourhood chasing the light.

ANYHOW!

This is a high tea outfit, in that it’s what I wore recently to a lovely afternoon tea service with friends. I like to put on a frock when you go to high tea, seems fitting for the occasion don’t you think?

The bag is latest collection Vintage Princess inspired by none other than New York. It’s called the Manhattan in bubble, grey leather with soft gold hardware and I’m pretty sure that it’s what I’m going to be carrying around the city when I visit for a month in May. I lurrrrrve it! Oh and you didn’t know I was going to New York? I’ve blogged about it of course!

What I’m wearing:
Dress: ASOS
Heels: RMK
Bag: Vintage Princess
Belt: Vintage
Necklace: An old belt I turned into a necklace

I am off to Hong Kong in early May for a couple days of shooting the fashion, sights and sounds of lets face it, one of the world’s most incrediable cities.

I have some pretty special locations arranged and so I’m looking for some pretty special outfits to take with me.

The look?

The Love Boat- meets 1970s- oriental-luxury. Colour, scarfs, halter dresses, Diane Freis, luxury jewels, oversized sunnies, platform shoes.

If you would like to contribute then send me an email to phoebe@ladymelbourne.com.au

These neon paste ups match my glow in the dark legs don’t you think?!

I’ve had this dress for almost a year now, it’s the ‘Galactic’ dress from Backstage and I bought it at an op-shop in Brighton. I love it when I find designer clothing that really is only a season or two old in op-shops. Why I haven’t show cased it until now is beyond me, I suppose when these nude ‘Opulent’ pumps from RMK arrived in the mail I thought they were perfect for each other.

What I’m wearing:
Dress: Backstage
Pumps: RMK
Belt: Kookai

I’ve been working with Oscar Oscar salons the last couple of years to achieve my long, glossy locks and to generally keep my hair in shape. Over the years they have been so generous to Lady Melbourne readers with offers of makeovers, products, services and of course free haircuts. More on that later!

I thought it might be interesting to meet Oscar Cullinan, the man behind Oscar Oscar and talk about their expansion into the Victorian market.

You have quite a bit of expansion into the Victorian market in the last couple of years- Doncaster, Southland and now Highpoint- what is it that Melbourne ladies love about Oscar Oscar? 

I believe that the Melbourne client is extremely savvy when it comes to fashion and beauty, they know what good quality services are and they want
to spend their money wisely. So I think that Oscar Oscar Salons have been so
popular in Melbourne because we provide a high-end luxury service but it is
 still great value for money!

Is there a Melbourne look? 

I’ve noticed a lot of long hair in Melbourne, very groomed and very polished. Think Olivia Palermo or the Duchess Kate, hair that is long glamorous, refined but still sexy.

What would you say is the most popular look or treatment for your Melbourne salons? 

Every client that visits Oscar Oscar Salons should indulge in a Kerastase Fusio Dose treatment and booster for their hair type, they are the best salon treatments we have ever used and are incredibly popular with our clients. We use a hot towel treatment with the ritual and you get to enjoy a scalp massage, plus the Kerastase Fusio Dose treatment totally transforms the hair for extra shine and gloss.

Oscar Oscar is one of Australia’s leading salons for colour and style direction, especially with your stylist Paloma Rose Garcia who was a finalist for the 2013 Hair Expo Awards. How important is is that you have creative stylist working with your Oscar Oscar teams? 

It’s really important that we nurture all of our stylists to try and achieve their dreams and goals. For some stylists, like Paloma, their dream is to be a creative hairdresser and to work backstage on fashion and runway events, for other stylists their dream might be to travel and educate other hairdressers about trends and techniques and for some hairdressers they might want to open a salon and achieve business success. Whatever the dream is for our hairdressers we try to give them the tools to fulfill their ambitions whether it’s creative, educational or business based.

We’ve seen pastels on the European catwalks for a couple of seasons now and of course it being a huge trend in beauty. How will Michael Kelly’s collection ‘Lumier’ translate to the Oscar Oscar customer?

The Lumiere collection has been a favourite with our clients! I have actually been surprised by how many requests we are getting for dip-dyed colours with pastel pinks, blues and yellows! There are some clients that want an all over pop-colour look, which is incredibly daring but for most clients they just want to flirt with a little bit of fashion colouring, which can be achieved with the balayage technique. Just a few highlights of pastel pink or dip-dyed ends can give you a really fun new look without the commitment of a complete change to your colour.

Anything new you can share with us for whats happening in Melbourne?

Yes! Watch this space we are hoping to open another salon in Melbourne later this year!

It’s still all about layering in Melbourne at the moment, as my previous blog post on the topic suggests.

It’s nice showing you how it’s done, I suppose because you take it for granted you don’t always think to show off how many layers you are wearing!

You’ll also notice that I have a new home wares addition: a porcelain phrenology head all the way from Germany. I just love it! As soon as I moved to my new place I knew I wanted to add various curiosities and this was one of them. I’m still learning about phrenology itself, but here is a brief explanation from Wikipedia:

“Phrenology (from Greek: φρήν, phrēn, “mind”; and λόγος, logos, “knowledge”) is a pseudoscience primarily focused on measurements of the human skull, based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or modules.”

I have to be completely honest and say that I just like the way that it looks, and that I’m not a ‘believer’ as such in this pseudo-science. I like things that have a curious history (as long term readers will know!) and I think it’s great to have things that are a talking point and that make you think surrounding you.

Or am I just a little bit strange?! I know you will tell me

What I’m wearing:
Anorak: Episode Vintage Clothing
Jeans: Goldsign
Singlets: Both from Supre
Clutch: Feathers Boutique
Boots: Latest season RMK
Rings: Etsy, Edenborough Evans and Benjamin Black Goldsmiths
Watch: Longines

As you all well know, I spend a fair bit of time in and out of op-shops, scouring like a bowerbird for vintage delights that I can add to my home.

So I see a fair bit of stuff: trash, treasure, ordinary and the occasional gem.  A blog post that I wrote quite some time back titled, ‘Are Op Shops Getting Too Expensive,’ (which incidentally is still one of my post popular of all time) got me thinking when someone commented recently.

What value to do we place on the things that surround us?

I bought this beautiful Aran wool, hand knitted jumper at Savers just last week, for $10. I could hardly believe that it was priced so low, having just walked past ‘vintage’ polyester dresses at upwards of $19.95.

Here is a pure wool, hand knitted jumper that would have taken someone hours to knit. It’s a natural fiber and will keep the wearer warm, nay, toasty hot in the winter months. Because of the craftsmanship in its making, it has no doubt already, and should last for decades.

Yet it was priced at $10.

So I’m wondering now, how and why do we place a value on certain items? Why was this jumper that by all accounts could be purchased elsewhere for a starting price of $100 be so cheap?

I’m wondering if this is something that you take into consideration when you purchase clothing and home wares as well?

We are having a very long autumn here in Melbourne- not that I’m complaining about it!- so it means that I’m still yet to bust out the ankle boots, jackets and coats.

I figured that this outfit, which is a sort of every day look for me will work well trans-seasonally in that I could quite easily add a pair of ankle books, a gillet (see picture below) and a scarf.

For anyone who has visited Melbourne knows, we more often than not have four seasons in one day. Most visitors don’t believe it, until they get here of course and realise that you can wake up in the morning to pouring rain and grey skies, only for it to clear by 11am to sunshine, then back to grey and high winds in the afternoon, only for the sun to come out again before a thunderstorm.

It’s true, and that’s why they say Melbourne has such a distinctive ‘look’ fashion wise. People tend to layer more because you simply end up taking off and putting on clothes all day long. In these photos I’m wearing three layers, but into winter I would probably add another two for warmth.

It sounds kind of crazy now I have articulated it, but in a funny way you just sort of, get used to the frenetic weather and thusly adjust your wardrobe to cope.

The upside? You simply have more of everything, which really doesn’t phase me one bit!

What I’m wearing:

Leather jacket: Siricco
Breton top: Zara
Top: Sussan
Leggings/pants: Indy C

Necklace: Indy C
Sunnies: They were a gift with purchase
Heels: Therapy
Clutch: Feathers

My custom manicure as done at Miss Fox. Sarah mixed artistic colours ‘Foxy,’ ‘Majestic,’ and ‘Fashionista,’ to get this deep ox-blood colour. I love that they will custom mix colours to get a colour that is exact and just for you. And I do like my nail colours exact!

For winter I’d probably add these types of items:

Number 5. Belinda, Number 20. Tony Avery and Number 64. Dean!

You have all been notified by email of you fabulous prize in the recent competition to win one of 3 x $50 vouchers to spend at Belinda Jane’s.

Thank you to everyone who entered and make sure you stay tuned because there are some pretty special give aways coming up!

I get asked about my beauty, skin care and hair care regimes a lot. All the time. And whenever I write about beauty the posts are always really popular. So why don’t I do it more often I got to thinking?! If you like this post then please let me know, I don’t like to deviate too much from general fashion but I am obsessed with beauty so I could be onto something!

I digress, in this post I thought I’d share with you what I’ve been using on my skin for the last couple of months, and give you a review of some products that have been sent to me, or that I’ve bought. Straight out this isn’t a sponsored post, I’m just sharing with y’all what I do/don’t like.

Let’s go!

SKIN

Okay so turning 30 not so long ago got me thinking SERIOUSLY about what my skin was going to look like when I’m 40. Since the age of 20 I’ve used SPF 30+ on my skin daily (even when I lived in rainy London) and have largely avoided being in the sun.

From the outset I also need to say that I don’t smoke, drink 1-2 lts of water a day, run and eat lots of fruit and vegetables. I truly believe that as your skin is an organ,  you have to  give it the best start by considering what you put into your body every other day.

Don’t worry, I eat bread and drink white white every other day of the week. See:

Anyhow, late last year I went to Miss Fox and had a skin analysis done. It was fabulous because it highlighted where my skin was at, and what it potentially needed. While my skin tends to err of the oily side, it was still dehydrated and I had pigmentation developing under the upper layers of dermis.

Plus I wanted to just generally ‘glow,’ and start a course of action that would keep my skin looking ’30′ for as long as humanly possible.

Sarah who did my analysis put together this regime of Cosmedix products specifically for my skin. Cosmedix is a cosmeceutical line that works to enhance the physiology of the skin through the use of only the most purified, chirally correct and effective ingredients that are safe and beneficial for the skin. As they are medical grade and used by dermatologists, physicians and aestheticians it’s not something you can just buy over the counter at your local Priceline.

But I left with very strict and clear instructions on how to use the products and have since been in for a follow up consultation. It has taken a couple of months but I can most definitely see a difference in my skin since starting to use them in December last year.

They aren’t cheap and you really need to be shown how to use them, but if you are about investment in your skin care then I couldn’t recommend Cosmedix more highly. I am now absolutely hooked on the products and love how they make my skin look and feel.

The ‘Define‘ cream above is my favourite product, night time only and you absolutely have to wear an SPF 30+ as it has  unique blend of gentle acids and 2% of CosMedix’s proprietary retinol complex. Below is my skin specific regime as prescribed by Sarah of Miss Fox.

Since December I’ve also had a RENEWAL PEEL (unbuffered Lactic Acid 30%, 40% or 60%) and a TIMELESS PEEL combining 30% AGP Complex with lactic acid. These were suggested as part of using the Cosmedix products and I’ve had two over the past 4 months. To be completely honest I really didn’t notice any difference after the Renewal Peel, but the Timeless Peel was something else. It felt stronger and warmer on my skin, and these photos have been taken two weeks afterwards when you really start to see the results. I have another two to go in my course of treatments, and so far I LOVE THEM!

Check out Miss Fox’s detailed page on what they offer in terms of skin peels.

About four weeks ago I had a Vibradermabrasion done at Vitruvius, other fabulous Melbourne cosmetic clinic. The clinic employs renowned cosmetic doctors and nurses who are passionate experts in injecting, skincare and dermal treatments and I found that Kristine who did my treatment was knowledgeable and honest about what they could do for my skin. There is nothing worse than going to a salon and being up-sold on the products or being told that you MUST have ‘X’ product in order for your skin to improve.

Vibradermabrasion is basically deep exfoliation to help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, sun damage, acne and acne scarring done with using disposable personal treatment paddles as seen above.

I found the treatment completely non invasive and relaxing, I’m hoping that it will help reduce the chicken spot scar you can see on my forehead in these pictures, and the fine frown line that’s beginning to develop between my eyes.

I have another treatment booked in next week so stay tuned for the results of that one!

MAKEUP

I use either Natio mineral makeup foundation, or Innoxa as they are both great for sensitive skin and feel lovely and light. Because of that I usually turn down offers to try foundations but for some reason when Vapour Organic got in touch with the offer to try their Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation I said, ‘What the hell!’

When you first apply it, it feels oily but not greasy. That immediately made me think, ‘oh no!’ but it very quickly becomes silky under your finger tips. I just apply all over my face and neck with my fingers and once it’s set, it finishes with a dewy appearance as you can see from these photos. I have come to really love this product, the only downside is that there is no SPF element which I do like in my makeup, however its light weight and breathable and provides beautiful coverage.

In this post I’m also trying out some new makeup from Natio. On my cheeks I’ve used the Sheer Delight Blush and Bronzer which gives off a nice dewy, light colour. The cream eyeshadow in ‘Cinnamon’ below is ok, I had to apply about three coats to get the best coverage. I’m not really a fan of cream eye shadow, while I admire it’s benefits, it just gets stuck in the creases of my eye lid and I never seem to be able to get the consistency like I can with a brush and powder.

My cat-eye look eye liner was done with Natio’s new Pen Eyeliner which is a fabulous size and really easy to handle. I didn’t find that it was as dense as I usually like, but that said it is from the ‘Sheer Delights’ range! I’m looking forward to using it more and getting to know the product better.

And finally on my lips in this post I’m wearing Maybelline’s ‘Pink Me Up,’ #045 with two lashes of Natio’s Colour Creme Gloss in ‘Calm.’ I love both of them separately, as they are almost the same colour for the purpose of this post and to get a really lovely, deep colour I just layered them.

So there you go folks a nice, long, bumper post of what I use on my skin at the moment!

If you have any questions about the products, or suggestions on what else you’d like me to write about beauty wise just let me know, I know I really enjoyed doing this post.

Sometimes when I lose all desire to blog, take photos, be creative, write (as someone who is self employed this is sort of like firing yourself) I have to stop being outward and look inwards for inspiration.

What I do with my blog, most of the time, leaves you extremely exposed. Putting photos online, updating four social media platforms daily all the while trying to have something new to say (literally and metaphorically) just leaves the creative well dry sometimes.

So I’m spending a bit of time in my new home at the moment, taking photos of little things around me and trying to organise my brain into action for new ideas.

I am quite sure that I’m not alone in this so help me friends: what do you do when you have writers block? When you have a wardrobe full of clothes but nothing to wear? When the desire to be creative just isn’t there?

New York!

That’s right folks, I’m taking myself off in the not too distant future for a month in New York. I’m going to eat, breath, write, see, hear and live New York.

But I know that I’m not alone in this quest and that many of you have been before me, so I’d love to hear where I should go, what I should see, who I should meet- basically your ultimate New York experience. I have 4 weeks so plenty of time (but never enough) so rather than sight seeing I’m looking to experience the local side of the city.

I’ll be blogging from New York and beyond and will surely mention your tips in my blog posts!

Last week I got to meet Samantha Wills. Full stop right? As you can see from the photo above she is stunning and radiant and it was so inspiring to meet a designer I’ve been wearing for a couple of years now.

The purpose of the meeting was a showcase of her latest collection ‘Bowerbird,’ and to talk about the inspiration behind the latest collection. In my opinion, one of the reasons that fans of the brand are so devoted to Samantha Wills is her use of social media and I learned on the night that she does most of it herself. No outsourcing,  no social media strategist or expert bought in to develop ‘campaigns,’ it’s basically just Samantha sharing her world with us on Twitter and Instagram.

Behold…

From my Instagram account @ladymelbourne

From my Instagram account @ladymelbourne

From Samantha Wills Instagram account @samanthawills

From Samantha Wills Instagram account @samanthawills

Going through my photos of my recent trip to Singapore I realised that there is still so much that I haven’t shared with you.

On my last day I decided to visit Little India and Arab Street in Kampong Glam in search of fabric, good food and just to discover places that I hadn’t visited in Singapore before. It was nothing short of wonderful and I’m so, so glad that I stepped away from the hustle and bustle of Orchard Road and into a completely different side of the city.

If you get a chance when you are next there, just grab a cab to either place (all you have to say is ‘Little India,’ or ‘Arab Street’) and you will find fabric shops jammed up against cafes, beauty parlours and gold merchants amongst everything else you can possibly imagine. The Mustafa Centre in Little India is Singapore’s largest department store open 24 hours and as the local saying goes, ‘If they don’t have it at Mustafa, it’s not invented yet or you don’t need it.’ Let me say from the outset this is not luxury shopping, rather it is racks, tables and floor to ceiling shelves jammed full of products from all over Asia. It is stuffy, overwhelming and absolutely worth a look.

I travelled to Singapore on Singapore Airlines as a guest of the Singapore Tourism Board who made it their mission to see that I had the time of my life. And I did let me tell you! I arrived sick as a dog and they couldn’t have been kinder and more considerate of my sneezing, coughing and snivelling needs.

The Quincy Hotel where we stayed in Mount Elizabeth was also amazing, a boutique affair with only 108 rooms they pride themselves on making sure that each guest has a tailor made experience. Oh and did I mention the infinity pool, cup cake baking classes, pool side cinema and complimentary mini bar? Yup, as I said, time of my life.