Travelling Beauty Kit Essentials

I don't know about you, but for me, when it comes to the summer holiday, or just for a short trip to the seaside, I always end up with a huge bag of beauty products, not taking into account the special bag for my make-up. I admit, I'm a big fan of beauty products and although, I'm not a heavy make-up user, I love to use all kinds of cleansing products, creams and of course luscious body lotions. Though, lately I've been trying to be more selective about cosmetics, there are some beauty products always present in my travelling kit. 

1. Gillette Venus Sensitive Disposable Razors (for a silky smooth skin)

2. Nivea Sunny Melon & Oil Shower Gel (for a fresh and yummy sensation)

3. Dove Pure Sensitive Stick (effective and without parabens, colorants and alcohol)

4. Nails Inc Nail Polish- Royal Botanical Gardens (I absolutely love this minty shade)

5. Burberry Summer Limited Edition Eau de Toilette (thanks to a good friend I got to discover this new fragrance and instantly became a fan)

6. Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion (extremely practical)

7. L'Oreal Elsève Solar Set (best hair protection for sun exposure)

8. Colgate Max White One Set (your pearly whites will look even more sparkly with a tanned skin)

9. Oriflame Luxury Manicure Kit (definitely a must)

10. Avène High Protection Cream SPF 30 (I usually use protection creams with SPF 30, but for sensitive skin parts I use SPF 50).

11. Avène High Protection Lip Balm SPF 30 (there's nothing attractive about dry & burnt lips)

12. Avène Hydrance Optimale- Light Hydrating Cream (the perfect hydrating balance)

13. Avène Gentle Gel Cleanser (for a clean and soft complexion)

14. Avène Thermal Spring Water (special calming effect against sunburn and redness)

15. Avon Foot Works- scrub and cream with marine salt (for beautiful summer ready feet)

16. Avon Nail Experts- Peeling and Brittleness Solver (for a healthy mani/ pedi)

What are your favorite beauty products, you can't go without when travelling?

Hottest Swimwear for This Summer

Finally the weather is looking more summery, so I finally started planning my future Greek holiday. 

I'm a big fan of making lists, in general, about everything and of course, whenever I'm traveling, I write my What clothes to take list in advance. Since I'm going to an island, the swimsuit (or better swimsuits) is one of the first items on my list and although I'm still in love with my last year's Victoria's Secret two piece, couldn't help but dream about a sweet new purchase. Oh, and when you have so many options, which one do you choose?

I truly believe that this year was and is better when it comes to the variety of swimwear available on the market, in terms of design and prints. This summer we can have it all- from retro inspired swimsuits to sexy cut designs, sporty style and, of course, a print mix bang.

1. Oysho, 2. Emilio Pucci (net-a-porter.com), 3. Mara Hoffman (net-a-porter.com), 4. Karla Colletto (net-a-porter.com), 5. Heidi Klein (net-a-porter.com), 6. Maaji Swimwear (theorchidboutique.com).

7. Zimmerman (net-a-porter.com), 8. We are handsome (net-a-porter.com), 9. Mara Hoffman (net-a-porter.com), 10. H&M, 11. L*SPACE (theorchidboutique.com), 12. Topshop, 13. Tomas Maier (net-a-porter.com), 14. Zara.

Tony Awards 2013 Red Carpet Best & Worst

The 67th annual Tony Awards recently took place at Radio City Music Hall, NY. The Gala, which recognizes excellence in the theater world, was buzzing with celebrities and, of course, demanding attention fashion.

I was pleasantly surprised by Sigourney Weaver's gorgeous gown by Michael Kors, in which she looked royal. At last a celebrity who dresses age appropriate and looks dignified.

Scarlett Johansson kept things simple and elegant in a Saint Laurent LBD. I actually loved the fact that she didn't choose an overtly sexy outfit or the usual red carpet evening gown, therefore stood out form the other divas on the red carpet.

Jane Krakowski shone on the red carpet in a silver Escada gown, while Krysta Rodriguez spiced things up with a sexy burgundy gown designed by Sophie Theallet.

While supporting her fiance for his Best Leading Actor in a Play nomination, Sienna Miller wore a beautiful minimalistic dress by Burberry, and nude Loubies.

Looking a tad to mature for her age, Anna Kendrick chose a custom strapless navy gown by Donna Karen. 

Although she was the winner for Best Original Score for her work in "Kinky Boots", Cyndi Lauper didn't win in my books with her outfit. The lacy black ensemble looked costumy with her fiery red coiff. 

I absolutely hated Valisia LeKae's pink mess of a gown. There was nothing flattering about that gown- nor the design or the color. 

Best Leading Actress in a Play nominee, Laurie Metcalf, wore a really strange gown by Lloyd Klein. The weird design was something, I imagine, a space princess would wear in a far away galaxy.

So sad to see the once ravishing Kathleen Turner choosing to wear this unflattering gown at the Gala, in which her body seems almost manly.

I'm happy to see bold outfits on the red carpet, rather than boring ones, but only when they look good on the person who's wearing them. Unfortunately, the Best Leading Actress in a Play winner, Cicely Tyson's petite figure got lost in all that purple ruffled mess by B. Michael.

 Photo credit Getty/ AP

Top 10 Most Glamorous Women at WOTY 2013

Last weekend was the Glamour Women of the Year Awards 2013. Held in London, the gala honors extraordinary and inspirational women from a variety of fields, including entertainment, business, sports, music, science, medicine, education and politics. As usual, all the present ladies were ready to impress the audience with their stylish outfits. 

Take a look at my top 10 best dressed at WOTY 2013!

The beautiful model, Chanel Iman brought a big doze of sexiness with a lovely one-shoulder embellished Martinique gown by Julien Macdonald, while former supermodel, Naomi Campbell looked absolutely chic and youthful in Alexander McQueen.

If I could pick and buy a single dress from this top 10, it would definitely be the Carven dress worn by Laura Whitmore. I love everything about Laura's look, from the hairstyle, makeup, outfit and of course, her Sophia Webster Speech Bubble Clutch.
The very stylish Joanne Froggatt managed to impress the audience not only with her Alberta Ferretti burgundy dress, but also with her talent, for which she received the UK TV Actress at the Gala.
Classy collegiate is probably the best way to describe Hayden Panettiere's outfit. She wore a Black Halo Eve striped dress with an elegant Helmut Lang blazer.

Jourdan Dunn was turning heads at the WOTY Awards in a hot black Victoria Beckham frock, while the designer of her dress wore a Maison Martin Margiela chic jumpsuit. Victoria was honored at the gala with the Woman of the Decade Award.
Kylie Minogue was peachy beautiful wearing a Moschino ruffled dress. I mean, this woman is unstoppable and still radiant after all she'd been through.
The Solo Artist Award winner this year was Rita Ora, all glammed up and rocking a beautiful Marchesa gown.
Samantha Barks brought some color to the red carpet with a lovely Roland Mouret neon pink dress. Samantha was one of the winners at WOTY 2013, as she picked up the Pandora Breakthrough trophy.

 Photo credit Getty/ PA Photos

The Fashion Oscars: CFDA 2013 Awards

The most prestigious awards in the fashion industry took place this Monday, at the Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. The CFDA Fashion Awards recognizes the outstanding contributions made to American fashion by individuals from all areas of the industry and related arts. And what better occasion for a real fashion expression and style display than this one? So, after cheering for some of the biggest names in the industry, honored with an award nomination, I couldn't help but analyze the different outfits worn by the celebs on the black & white carpet. Below are some of the looks that caught my attention.

I'm absolutely a fan of Jessica Chastain's personal style. She always dresses up for the occasion, without trying to hard to impress. For the CFDA Gala, Jessica kept it chic and simple with a lovely LBD by Givenchy.

Another stunning lady, Alessandra Ambrosio chose white with her sexy sleek dress by Kaufmanfranco. Also on the black & white elegant side of fashion, was Hilary Rhoda who looked gorgeous in her Rebecca Minkoff dress...and that lovely pair of sandals!

Constance Jablonski was J. Mendel's muse, for which he created a divine goddess-like gown, while Candice Swanepoel inspired Probal Gurung to design the perfect dress for her.

The much needed splash of color on the black & white carpet was brought by Miranda Kerr, who looked fresh and bubbly in a lovely Proenza Schouler dress. The accessories and the red lips completed and complimented her look.

Sofia Vergara surely knows how to accentuate her voluptuous figure, and this time she stole the attention in a Herve L. Leroux green mermaid gown.

With two of the most attractive persons as parents, is not hard to explain why Ireland Baldwin is such a beautiful teenage girl. At only 17 she looked absolutely stunning in a red hot David Meister signature dress.

Is it Halloween yet, or maybe a witch gathering? That was the exact feeling I got when I saw this "tragedy of style" on the CFDA carpet. Let's start with the most horrific look; Michelle Harper, I'm talking about you! I know that Michelle likes to be different and eccentric, but this is too much and really, has no excuse.

When I saw Marina Abramovic photo on the CFDA carpet, I had to check and double check who was the creator of this fashion atrocity and still can't believe that Givenchy could be responsible for this.

All she needs to complete her look is a witch hat! It was a really dark night for Jemima's style; and somebody, please stop the see thru/ visible underpants trend!

I really don't know what to say about the Olsen sisters and their fashion sense, and I always thought Elizabeth was different, at least with more reality based style. Unfortunately, their outfits are just a big black nonsense.

It's hard to put a stylish lady like Linda Evangelista in the same pot as Michelle Harper and Betsey Johnson but I really hate that gown on her, it doesn't do any justice for her fit figure. I had the same problem with Teresa Palmer, who is such a young and beautiful girl and usually has a great style, but still chose to wear her grandma's dress to the gala.

We all know that Betsey Johnson is a real life character, but for a 70 year old woman, the Barbie style shouldn't be an option any more.


Photo credit Getty/Wire Image

Must buy & try: Ciaté Chalkboard Manicure

As with any of my shopping sessions at the mall, I save the best store for last, and for me, that's Sephora. I use this tactic for practical reasons, because who could resist the temptation of spending it all on beautiful, colorful, scented beauty goodies. When you have a budget, it's mandatory to prioritize, but, hey!, window shopping is still free and a little research before actually buying is always healthy :).

At my last visit to Sephora, my wishlist became even bigger!

Ciaté is one of the beauty brands that really impress me with their out of the box, innovative products and after colourfoil and caviar manicure, I just feel in love with Ciaté's newest invention: Chalkboard Manicure. This amazing revolutionary concept was inspired by nostalgic fun and youthful creativity found in using chalk crayons and the delicate dusty pastel texture they create...just the perfect kit to turn your nails into unique fashion statements. 

The kit contains: Mattnificent Matte Top Coat, Chalkboard Paint Pot, 4 x Chalk Pens in blue (Teachers Pet), white (Satchel),  pink (Jump Rope) and yellow (Recess). 

It also comes with easy to use instructions:

1. Begin with two coats of Chalkboard Paint Pot and allow to dry;

2. Choose one the four chalk pens and prepare to doodle (to activate the pens shake them and press the nib down on a clean hard surface to activate the ink flow);

3. Create your sketch on the nail and if you make any mistakes, just wipe away the design with water;

4. If you're pleased with your artwork, let it dry and seal it with Mattnificent Matte Top Coat.

Release your inner child, design, draw and play with your nail look with Ciaté Chalkboard Manicure!

Fashion Report: Best of Cannes 2013

After 11 days of fashion delight, the 66th edition of Cannes Film Festival wrapped up last weekend.

With a certain delay, I finally managed to put together my Top 20 from the Red Carpet. By far, Nicole Kidman was my favorite this year and really deserves the Cannes 2013 Best Dressed Award. She succeeded in wowing the public with every single dress she wore, being the most consistent with her looks during the festival. It was really hard to pick a single dress from Nicole's red carpet appearances and I'm not going to forget that amazing Dior gown she wore at "Great Gatsby" premiere, but I really think that the Valentino number was just the perfect match for Nicole's refined figure. 

Take a look at the other 19 fashionable ladies.

 

Zoe Saldana looked like a princess in that beautiful Valentino gown... just perfect! 

I can say that, I pretty much hated all the dresses Milla Jovovich chose for this Cannes edition, but this special Armani piece was the exception. 

When I think of Audrey Tautou I think of charisma and childlike quirky personality, and that translates in the way she dresses- like this stunning Prada gown. I also liked Audrey's Lanvin LBD for it's cool design.

Fan Bingbing was a very elegant and delicate presence on the red carpet. I completely love her fabulous Louis Vuitton gown, although she made a great impression in the yellow Elie Saab dress also.
Freida Pinto is always a stylish lady and knows exactly what kind of outfits work better for her, so I think she managed to steal the spotlight in this silver Sanchita.
Like the perfect diva she is, Dita von Teese impressed in a very classy and elegant retro inspired Elie Saab dress, showing everybody that you can still be sexy without flashing too much skin.
This year, the Asian celebrities were absolutely fabulous on the red carpet and Zhang Yuqi was one of my favorites. In my opinion she deserves the 2nd place on the best dressed list, after Nicole, for being able to look glamorous the entire time at Cannes. My favorite gown was the green Ulyana Sergeenko in which she looked just like a Disney princess. I couldn't forget her other brilliant red carpet choices like the red Alexander McQueen gown, the printed Monique Lhuillier number or the incredible Roberto Cavalli dresses (the pale pink ruffled one and the white siren dress she wore at the AmfAR gala). You should check them out!
Erin Heatherton brought some of the 20's glamour in her silvery Cavalli gown.
Talking about Asian beauties, Zhang Ziyi was eye-catching in that Carolina Herrera gown. I also loved her in that superb pale lilac Elie Saab dress.
Carey Mulligan always has a bold approach when it comes to fashion, but I like her best in this delicate Dior gown she wore at the "Great Gatsby" premiere.
Although her figure changed a lot since her Miss World days, Aishwarya Rai is still absolutely beautiful and I loved her Elie Saab choice on the Cannes red carpet.

Apparently, Roberto Cavalli was the favorite designer this year and just rightly if you look at all his creations. Liu Wen, the first Chinese Victoria's Secret Angel, brought some color on the red carpet with her superb Cavalli choice, while her runway colleague, Alessandra Ambrosio sparkled in another one of Cavalli's dresses.
The brilliant red haired actress Jessica Chastain kept things simple and elegant with her white Versace creation; and who wouldn't like her Elizabeth Taylor sapphire necklace?
Lana del Ray was beautiful as a flower in that superbly embroidered Lena Hoschek gown.

Usually I'm not impressed with Solange's fashion choices, but I kind of like this one. The sexy Stephane Rolland gown reminded me of a summery cropland in the wind.
Another Disney princess was Sonam Kapoor, who wore a flower printed gown by D&G.
Probably one of the sexiest appearances on the red carpet was Joan Smalls, who opted for an Emilio Pucci creation.
Closing my top 20 Cannes Red Carpet is Liya Kebede in a long sleeve sparkly chiffon Roberto Cavalli gown.


Photo credit Getty

On Billboard's Blue Carpet

Last week, the 2013 Billboard Music Awards aired live from MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas. The Blue Carpet was filled, as usual, with some of the industry's biggest stars and also, celebrities from the movie industry ready to enjoy the show. As with any important gala, there were stars that sizzled with their outfits, and others that were far from doing that. Apparently, the majority of stars opted for black/ white and sparkly metallics outfits.

Take a look at the celebrities that best describe the HOT Ness and HOT Mess 2013 Billboard Music Awards lists.

Jennifer Lopez was muy caliente on the carpet with her plunging gold sequin Zuhair Murad gown. Another Zuhair Murad fan was Taylor Swift, who wowed with her sparkling blue mini that showed off her long legs.

Inspired by the undying Vegas lights, Selena Gomez chose to wear a cool Versace 2013 Spring Couture dress with neon accents and slithery cuts. 

Emmy Rossum reminded me of her Beautiful Creatures siren character with her sexy Zuhair Murad number.

Stana Katic, Kimberly Perry and Kelly Rowland looked gorgeous in white with silvery embellished outfits, while Celine Dion showed everyone that you could be stylish, feminine and tasteful at any age, with her beautiful knee-length Atelier Versace gold dress.

I know that Miley's outfit was praised by different periodicals, but I just don't get this. For me, the Balmain onepiece is just too busy and really bizarre.

For Carly Rae Jepsen's dangerous patchwork dress and Kesha's cheeky LBD, wardrobe malfunction was just a step away. Even Jennifer Morrison got the see thru fever on Billboard Awards night!

You would think Jenny McCarthy washing machine and dryer had wreaked if you look at her shredded skirt and shrunken top. The ghetto style doesn't do absolutely nothing for her fit figure.

There can be only one Lady Gaga, Z LaLa and Nayer! And at least Gaga is talented, so she has the right to wear whatever she wants.

Madonna, Madonna, I for one, had it with your underpants! You're probably going through some middle age crisis, but that's enough!

Photo credit Getty

Funk Up Your Look With Special Bags!

Every since I saw Moschino's Cheap & Chic bag collection, I wanted to write an article about all the funky bags out there and their creative designers. 

Not long ago, I discovered Charlotte Olympia's unique bags and feel in love with all her designs; not to mention, another great designer, Olympia Le-Tan's eye-catching book inspired clutch collection which makes the perfect stylish erudite statement. 

Sophia Webster is also an original breakout designer I like. Aside from her out-of-the-box, bursting with color shoes, she creates really cool bags, like quote-bubble shaped clutches emblazoned with different messages. 

Below are some of the funkiest bags...at least in my opinion :). Which one is your favorite?

1. Charlotte Olympia Movie Night shoulder bag, 2. Sophia Webster Hold Me Speech Bubble clutch, 3. Moschino Cheap & Chic Tea Time bag, 4. Moschino Cheap & Chic Jar Print shoulder bag, 5. Charlotte Olympia Toucan bag, 

6. Moschino Cheap & Chic Boat Trip bag, 7. Sophia Webster Sweet Talk Speech Bubble shoulder bag, 8. Moschino Cheap & Chic Pineapple shoulder bag, 9. Charlotte Olympia Take Pandora clutch, 10. Olympia Le-Tan Alice in Wonderland embroidered clutch

Charlotte Olympia and Olympia Le-Tan bags can be bought from Net-a-Porter.

Doutzen Kroes for H&M

Dutch Victoria's Secret angel, Doutzen Kroes joins H&M as their image for the 2013 Summer Collection ad campaign. Following Beyonce's swimsuit campaign, Doutzen definitely spices things up for the Swedish retailer with her beach babe look.

The sensual campaign, shot in Mexico, by the famous American fashion photographer Terry Richardson, features Doutzen wearing H&M's interpretation of this summer's trends- a mix of earthy tones and modern prints.

Take a look at H&M's 2013 Summer campaign video.

A Cocktail of Colors for Your Nails

Didn't you hear? Fruits Rule! This summer you should not only eat lots of fruit, but also, wear them.

One of the hottest summer trend is, as you guessed, fruity fashion- from fruit inspired prints on your clothes, to fruity colors on your nails.

Even if you're reserved about wearing bold fruit printed clothes, you must try painting your nails with savory fruit colors, it will definitely cheer up your outfit. Frankly, it is quite hard not to buy at least a dozen nail polish bottles this summer, when you have so many cool options. And don't forget to add on your shopping list the scented nail polish with fruity fragrance!

What's your favorite fruit?

On my shopping list (brands & shades): Avon Nailwear Pro + Honeydew Dazzle, Divine Lime, Mandarin Magic, Seduce Me Strawberry, Grape Goddess; 

OPI Nail Lacquer A Grape Fit, Charged Up Cherry, Gargantuan Green Grape, Plugged in Plum, That's Berry Daring from Brights Collection;

Orly Green Apple, Life's a Peach, Passion Fruit, Orange Punch from Hot Stuff Collection; 

Revlon Scented Nail Enamel Not so Blueberry, Mad About Mango, Raspberry Rapture, Peach Smoothie, Mon Cherry, Grape Icy, Pretty in Papaya, Sublime Strawberry, Orange Pop, Passion Fruit, Watermelon fizz.

 Photo source Avon Cosmetics
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Ethnic Motifs Mania

A recent shopping spree at the mall made me realise that ethnic motifs are definitely back on the hot trends list and I couldn't be more happier. There are so many different prints that you could choose from, so many colorful patterns and intricate designs, able to satisfy every fashion taste and requirement. What I like most about this trend, is the fact that these prints have a valuable source of inspiration- international folklore. So, wear with pride clothes with ethnic motifs from your own culture!

1. Asos tunic shirt, 2. Topshop skirt, 3. Stradivarius flat sandals, 4. Zara clutch, 5. Zara mini skirt, 6. Pull&Bear dress, 7. Dana Budeanu skirt, 8. Stradivarius beaded bag, 9. Pull&Bear top, 10. Topshop dress,11. Stradivarius scarf, 12, Zara sash belt, 13. Zara flat sandals, 14. Asos dress, 15. Stradivarius bangle, 16. Chotronette dress, 17. Pull&Bear top, 
18. Urban Outfiters dress

Met Gala Gone Punk

On Monday, NY celebrated one of the most expected spring events- the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gala. With an interesting theme as the one chosen for this year- PUNK: Chaos to Couture, no wonder the red carpet was filled with eccentric characters. Every celebrity wanted to steal the spotlight by showing a more rebellious look, fitted to the punk theme. Apparently, many celebrities didn't get the dressing code memo, choosing to wear quiet, princessy outfits, while others succeeded in adapting the punk look to their own style. As usual, we had some extremely spectacular, jaw-dropping looking celebrities, as well as, some wacky, ridiculous looking ones.
Below are some of the looks that drew my attention.

Rooney Mara was my favorite this year, looking absolutely stunning in Givenchy. For Emma Watson, Taylor Swift and Miranda Kerr, black with sexy cuts was the winning combo. Nina Dobrev showed off her vampire alter ego in a custom-made Monique Lhuillier ensemble and Cameron Diaz wowed in a spiky punk inspired, but feminine, Stella McCartney electric-blue custom gown.

There must have been something bad in the Olsen's water, that made them think they look ok for the gala; there was definitely no punk in Ashley's mumu nor in Mary-Kate's Hugh Hefner dishevelled inspired get-up. Unfortunately, the Stella McCartney jumpsuit made Kristen Stewart look absolutely unattractive, especially...in the crotch area.

Madonna...What were you thinking? By far, the worst look of the night, in my opinion, belonged to her. I agree she looks amazing for a 54 year-old, but she has to start dressing more age appropriate and less like some outrageous Russian villain. 
For Miley Cyrus and Nicole Richie the Met Gala night meant death by crazy hair. Trying to hard to impress, Miley missed the mark with her scared chicken hairstyle, while Nicole left me speechless with her frosty coiffe.

Photo credit Getty

The Newest Star to Promote AVON

Olivia Wilde joins AVON in promoting a new fragrance that keeps the essence of the most precious memories. The perfume, called Amour, completes the Today Tomorrow Always collection with a special scent that blooms through a delicate harmony of jasmine, magnolia and lily of the valley.

A lovely fragrance for a romantic spring!

Parfumul este disponibil la pret special de lansare, 60 lei.

Blooming Fragrances for this Spring

There's nothing more uplifting and optimistic than a sunny blooming spring day! With it's innocent and playful game of scents and colors, spring puts you in a jolly mood.  

Get inspired by spring's cheerful and delicate aroma and renew your fragrance collection! This year you have so many options to choose from- even the the pickiest shopper will surely find one.

Wear your new perfume with a smile and, without any doubt, your bubbly personality will be contagious!

1. Dahlia Noir L'eau by Givenchy, 2. CH L'eau by Carolina Herrera,  3. Catch Me by Cacharel, 4. Spring Cherry L’Occitane, 5. Miss Dior by Dior, 6. Valentina Assoluto by Valentino, 7. Cherry in the Air by Escada, 8. Only Imagine by Avon, 9. My Little Chloe by Chloe, 10. Nina L'eau by Nina Ricci

Happy Prints for Everyone!

One of my favorite fashion trend for this year's spring-summer season is Happy Prints. And what is great about it is the fact that, no matter what your personal style is, you have so many options to choose from: floral prints, dots, stripes, bold graphic mixes, all in a color explosion, meant to bring out your happy-go-lucky self. 
Try on, any of these prints, and you'll feel like wearing art!

1. Issa dress (net-a-porter.com), 2. Asos top, 3. Red Valentino Dress (net-a-porter.com), 4. D&G skirt (net-a-porter.com), 5. Asos pants, 6. Alexander McQueen skirt (net-a-porter.com), 7. H&M pants, 8. Moja dress by Lana (moja.ro), 9. Next skirt, 10. Asos dress, 11. Etic skirt, 12. New Yorker pants, 13. Mango blouse, 14. Nissa dress.