INTELLIGENTSIA

 

 

 (Zara Crop Top, Forever 21 Lace Duster (Similar), Vintage Jeans from Melrose Trading Post.) 

The perfect day spent in this 90's crop/mom jean combo - brunch at Restaurant Beatrix in Chicago's River North, meetings and my favourite coffee from Intelligentsia. Also pictured are some of my favourite beauty products of the moment, namely Jo Malone 'Blackberry and Bay' Perfume and the Fresh 'Seaberry Face Oil'.  

GOOD GENES AND BABY AUDREY

(Sandro Talisman Top (Similar), Stylestalker Leather Skirt, Boots from Tokyo, Prada Bag, Celine 'Baby Audrey' Sunglasses, Eve Lom Tinted Moisturiser in 5Linen, Sunday Riley 'Good Genes' Treatment and 'Bionic' Cream.)  

Short hems, long socks and a couple of pricey skincare items that I can't afford to fall in love with on this cloudy day in LA. Space NK apothecary is my kryptonite.   

GREEN BEAUTY

All Products available at THE DETOX MARKET

A few nights ago I was lucky enough to work for the detox market at a 'Fall make-up' Green Beauty event with the utterly gorgeous (inside and out) NYC based celebrity makeup artist and green beauty advocate Katey Denno. Incidentally she also runs the blog 'The Beauty of It Is', which is an awesome mix of how to's and all you need to know about green beauty. As well as having my makeup done by Katey in a demonstration and handpicking a gift bag of amazing products (see details below), I also learned a tonne about what ingredients we should try to avoid in beauty products to help reduce our overall toxic intake. It is amazing how many drugstore and high-end products are not only cheapened by the use of 'filler' ingredients but also contain substances that are known carcinogens! It is my feeling that we as consumers should be doing our best to boycott products and companies that continue to use these ingredients despite the known risks. 

If you'd like a cheat sheet for what to avoid head on over to The Chalkboard Magazine's Beauty Section or check out this 'Never List' of ingredients to avoid which can be printed out and kept in your purse for everyday reference. Also, if you're in LA I would really recommend heading to The Detox Market on Beverly Boulevard to check out all that they have to offer. They are also offering a site-wide online discount for the next two days so now is a great time to try some green products.

Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator

This multi-purpose product is the perfect middleman between cleansing and applying serum as well as delivering a hydration boost when spritzed on the face throughout the day. It contains Bilberry and Neem Leaf which are antibacterial and work to tighten and tone, Fennel Seeds that fight inflammation and Marshmallow Root to brighten, as well as many other natural ingredients for skin rejuvenation. It also smells amazing! 

RMS Beauty "Un" Powder

This super-fine powder is the perfect natural way to combat a shiny T-zone and to reduce the appearance of pores. This powder is so finely milled that it would be impossible to make this product look 'cakey' when dabbed over the top of foundation/BB cream. Most importantly it is paraben and silicone free!    

Alima Pure Luminous Shimmer Eyeshadow in 'Chai'

This shimmering rose gold loose pigment reminds me of 'Naked' Pigment from MAC and is perfect lightly dusted on the centre of the lid for added dimension.  

Antonym 'Kabuki Brush'

I've been searching for a kabuki brush for quite a few months now and this one is a great price as well as being vegan and ridiculously soft. The handle is made of bamboo. 

Hurraw! 'Chai Spice' Lip Balm

This deliciously scented raw and organic lip balm is formulated with only natural oils such as coconut, sweet almond and jojoba oil for a perfectly moisturised lip. 

Taza Stone Ground Chocolate 'Coconut' Bar

It's chocolate with coconut...what's not to love?! 

ACLAND

 

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 (H&M Blazer, Minkpink Top, Cheap Monday Jeans, Vintage Belt, DV by Dolce Vita Boots.) 

Just a quick post throwing it back to last week pre-surgery in wintery melbourne (Any of you who follow me on instagram will know I had my wisdom teeth out last week!) A nice day of hanging out along Acland St. in St. Kilda eating pastries, then coffee at a nice little place called Einstein's 251 in Caufield North, followed by a quick trip to the Priceline's 40% off skincare sale where I restocked on some old favourites. The antipodes eye cream is hands-down my absolute favourite eye cream and I was running dangerously low on Bioderma, which I haven't re-stocked since last year while I was in Paris. A new product for me is the Hydraluron Moisture Jelly, which is not yet available in the States (it still wasn't last time I checked). I'm sure it will feature in a skincare favourite post sometime soon after I've tried it out for a while longer as so far I am loving it.
I'm back in California now and although happy to be back at work, I am definitely missing my family a lot already. Also, this weeks revelation would definitely have to be that Cheap Monday jeans are just so damn comfortable. I wore them on the 15hr flight back and I almost didn't have to change into my track-pants they were that soft! Nice one Cheap Monday.       

REDISCOVERY

 The best thing about getting your hands dirty for a great big spring clean is definitely rediscovering tried and true favourite products. Introducing the fruits of my labour, some Aesop favourites and one holy grail French Pharmacy cult product. 

Aesop Parsley Seed Facial Toner and Serum (here and here) 

The Parsley Seed range from Aesop is definitely one of their more well-know ranges in the beauty community and these two products are some of my absolute favourites. The Toner is very calming and I love this at the end of a long hot summers day after i've spent too much time in the sun. This incredibly hydrating Serum is Aloe Vera based and therefore not too oily and perfect for combination skin, whilst also being very soothing on any dehydrated or sensitive skin. 

Aesop Rosehip Seed Lip Cream (here)

I love this product overnight when my lips are feeling super dry and cracked as the cream formula sinks in rather quickly, which I find easier for before bed as it leaves my lips feeling ridiculously soft. I also love this in summer when I don't want anything too greasy on my lips.  

Nuxe Réve de Miel Lip Moisturising Stick (here) 

The tub version of this un-scented and very compact lip conditioning stick has long been a favourite of mine (so much so that I bought multiple while I was last in France). However, this stick formula is quickly becoming a favourite out of convenience alone. I love having this in my bag especially as I have been riding around on the back of a motorbike a fair bit which is drying out my lips like nothing else. 

 Porter Magazine (Summer Escape 2014)

Just a side note, I am really loving porter magazine primarily for their feature articles which are all really interesting. Be sure to check it out at your local news-stand (or you can order it online through net-a-porter here)  

BIRKS

(Birkenstocks - Arizona Amalfi Leather Black, Elizabeth and James 'Nirvana Black' Eau de Parfum 1oz, Michael Kors Chronograph Layton Watch)   

So...I finally caved. Welcome to BIRK-NATION!

 I'm not going to waste your time by telling you all about how ghastly Birkenstocks are, or how much of a struggle I went through pondering whether to buy or not to buy. I'm sure that has been covered by every other fashion-blogger out there. The truth is; a) This trend is so far gone that I no longer feel like  a freak for donning a pair, b) I like them and c) my word they are comfortable. 

The lady serving me at the Birkenstock store (which by the way is a terrifying place filled with all manner of nurse shoes) assured me that "they are so durable and will last for years and years and years," which was mildly terrifying, as my real question is more along the lines of, do I want them to last that long? 

In my time I have done some strange things fashion-wise, but this sartorial choice doesn't rank nearly as highly on the bizarre-scale as the time that my seven year old self paired sneakers with her oshkosh b'gosh mum jeans. Man was that embarrassing and I agonised over those photos for a great deal of my teen years ....but wait it would seem that now it's ok to do that as well! *Normcore fashion high five*. Fashion is a funny thing, isn't it? I think that all I have learnt is not to hate on any trend...at all...ever, as sure enough next season you will find yourself eating your words and wishing you had kept your big mouth shut.   

P.S. On a side-note, after a week of intoxication with every roll and the increasingly despairing thoughts regarding how quickly my rollerball of the Elizabeth and James 'Nirvana Black' will run out, I did the unthinkable and got the medium sized bottle (my first bottle of perfume in two years.) No regrets so far as I am well and truly hooked! 

N.B. apparently it's quite like Black Orchid by Tom Ford (here) so if you're a fan of that you should really check it out.