A POP of colour

Looking back, I am surprised at the amount of colour that has creeped into my wardrobe in recent years...Bright yellows, plenty of red, even pink - I seem to have an affinity for colour after all, especially primary colours, which is a surprise to someone who at one time solely wore navy, grey and black.

Even though for the longest time my answer to 'what is your favourite colour' was 'navy', I realize that I have a slight obsession with red. I mean, how many people can say their wedding gown featured some bright red (and not in the form of a sash)?

One of my favourite way of adding a pop of red on a daily basis is with lipstick. I love a clean and minimal face worn with a bold red, especially a blue-red like Clinique's Lip Pop in 'Cherry Pop'.  Although I'd love to wear it as a bold lip, usually I end up patting it on with my third finger as a lipstain.  Maybe because after so many years of mostly wearing 'nudes', I feel a little shocked when I see full colour on my lips.  I particularly love Clinique's Lip Pop range because it is a primer + lipstick in one, and my lips are always in an embarrassingly dry state (seriously, I once popped by a Clinique counter, and the lovely SA was so horrified, she layered almost an entire tube of lip treatment on me, determined to restore my sorry lips to life - I have been trying to diligently use this lip treatment to avoid this scenario from occurring again).

Another way I love wearing my lipsticks is by layering them, especially after learning a trick from my favourite makeup artist Lisa Eldridge: patting on a bright-coloured lipstick (like Clinique's Cherry Pop), one that instantly makes you look brighter and livelier (and that perhaps you would normally save for evening), and then layer a favourite 'nude' over it (like Clinique's Mocha Pop).  This technique works especially well when the nude layer worn on top has a moisturizing formulation, so Clinique's Lip Pop is perfect for this.  The result? I 'bright nude' of sorts (or nude with oomph), some colour but still easy for day (although there isn't usually much of a difference between my day and night looks - except perhaps a few more layers of lipstick or mascara).

This way I have managed to incorporate more colour on my face, whilst staying within my more pared-back and 'easy' makeup look I feel most comfortable with.

What is your favourite lipstick? And what is your favourite way of wearing it?

Earrings: Céline, Chocolate: Sweet Stone,

Bag: Cult Gaia (available for pre-order at Moda Operandi, Need Supply, Bergdorf Goodman), Scarf: silk pocket square for GM2NY (this beautiful flamingo print silk scarf also comes in a gorgeous large size)

This post was written in collaboration with Clinique.
Thoughts and opinions are my own. 
 All images are my own also. 

Lipsticks in all images are from Clinique's Lip Pop range.

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Growing older, getting smarter...

Bag: Gucci mini Sylvie (at Gucci, Farfetch, Net-a-Porter, and MatchesFashion)

I recently realized that next year will be my 10 year blogaversary, which means in the almost 10 years since I first started my blog, a lot has changed in the last (almost) 10 years:  I have gotten married, had not one, but two children, gained a pound (or twenty), changed careers (more than once), it has been quite a ride, thanks to those who have been riding with me!

Last year I celebrated a milestone birthday, I won't tell you which one, but you can gather I am definitely not 21 (yeah, not even close, haha), ahem...moving on.  Thankfully (for me) I have never been one to panic about birthdays or getting older, I think it is because I see how young and sprightly my own mother is, and how neither of us really think of who we are in terms of how our age.  Age truly is just a number, really.

Having said that, there are areas that have started to think smarter about, about how to take better care of my body and myself:

Diet
I gave up eating two macarons for breakfast every morning when my daughter told me: "Mommy, when I grow up, I'm going to eat macarons for breakfast just like you". Eeps, talk about role model! I have tried choosing better fuel for my body, despite my love for food (I love healthy and unhealthy foods, I'm just trying to stay on the healthier side most of the time), not only because I then feel better (in the last few years my body has been increasingly telling me to eat better, as I certainly don't feel good when I eat too much refined sugars and such). And of course, being a role model to my children.  I am so diligent about teaching them good eating habits, I should follow what I preach, so that is what I'm trying to do now.

Exercise

Ok, I used to love exercising before I had children, and I know having children is not an excuse not to exercise.  But for the past 7+ years, I have not set foot in a gym, did 3 pilates sessions last year (and didn't follow through), and now my body is paying for it (and I don't even mean the many pounds I've gained), my back (and shoulder!) have finally said: enough is enough, and now I need to change my ways.  All those years of carrying kids with one arm, and bending over to take flatlay shots have not treated my body well, so I am determined to start moving again, and strengthening my back with pilates again.  I also want to start cycling regularly, I prefer incidental exercise as opposed to pounding a treadmill...

Skincare

I have been blessed somewhat in that I have never done much with my skin, and have gotten away with it.  My mom has nice skin and both my grandmothers did too.  In fact, my beloved maternal grandmother's favourite skincare product was simply Clinique's 'yellow moisturizer' (as I called it, now referring to its proper name: Dramatically Different Daily Moisturizer), which was a staple of hers for decades, proving that it is a bestseller for a reason.  In addition to using Clinique's 'yellow moisturizer' (DDDM) as part of my 3-step skincare regime I also love their 'Smart' serum and moisturizer (and treatment oil - not pictured below), because these products understand the particular needs of my skin, even before I even know what those needs may be.  It is a multitasker, whether you need to visibly erase wrinkles, even skin tone, firm or hydrate, it does it all, so I don't have to sit down and figure out the 1001 different products I need to use (it also anticipates a breakout before it happens - so smart!)

Tee: Uniqlo, Bag: Valentino (avail. at Farfetch and in black at Matches)

Fashion

Ok, this is one area I have never quite changed because of my age, and that is probably because I dress for whatever shape I am in, and not so much the age.  My love for wearing Mickey Mouse shirts and overalls has not changed, but I do find myself dressing for comfort more and more each days, even though I do love dressing up now and then.

What have you found yourself doing as you grow older, I mean, smarter? 

x

Post written in collaboration with Clinique Australia.

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The eyes have them...

If your eyes are the window to your soul, and eyebrows are frames for your eyes, then good 'window dressings' in form of mascara and brow products are a must to show them in their best light, don't you think?

If I could only pick four makeup items to use before I head out door, mascara and a brow product would definitely be two of them.  Just a few sweeps of mascara after curling my lashes (a very important step!), but it makes the biggest difference to your face.  If you're wondering, concealer and blush would be my other two items, my dark circles would scare any child I might bump into at school drop off, and blush just makes your face look fresher and more alive; but that is a story for another day.

Back to mascaras, my favourite kind of mascaras are of the 'tubing' variety, and there are many reasons for that.  Instead of the traditional oils and waxes used in mascaras, tubing formulas use a flexible polymer that goes on slightly wetter than regular versions, and when it dries, it shrink-wraps around each lash, creating a "tube" around them so that the lashes are smooth and well-coated.  As more of the polymer is brushed on, the tube builds up and out, as if it is stretching out the lashes, but with a precise, pristine finish.  But most importantly, I love 'tubing mascaras' because not only does the emulsion create a smooth, shiny surface, but it’s also water soluble, so while normal sweat and tears won’t disturb it, several splashes of warm water will cause the tubes to swell and loosen their grip on lashes, easily rinsing off. That means they are smudge-proof (no panda eyes here please), great for days I wear contact lenses, and last through rain, sweat, humidity and tears, BUT are easy to remove.  No smudging on my eyes when washing my face, I can actually see the mascara washing off, and see my lashes in its natural state after, without needing makeup-remover.

I also love an arched wand, just to hold a curl that bit extra after using an eyelash curler.  Clinique's High Impact Curling mascara's arched wand in particular, scoops up, and lifts up every last lash. Smudge, flake, smear-resistant for up to 24 eye-opening hours, and is then easily removed with warm water (39 degrees being the ideal temperature, I've been told).  The High Impact range of mascara is designed to kick up the volume and length of each and every lash with pure, deep colour for added impact, giving lashes instant volume and length.  It comes in its original version, as well as waterproof, extra volume and curling, and I love them all (in black - 'Curling' being my favourite for reasons outlined above).  The waterproof version is great for when a reliable, waterproof mascara is essential, such as weddings, rainy days, swimming, sports and humid climates.  Also, the formula is good for those who find that non-waterproof mascaras don't hold the curl.

I have spoken previously about my need to fill in my brows (which I sadly over-tweezed in the 90's), and have since discovered Clinique’s Just Browsing Brush-On Styling Mousse.  It is a 24-hour-wear light-wear cream gel that tints, tames, and fills-in brows with natural-looking color for thicker, fuller brows.  I love that with the little applicator brush I can do so much and do away with having to use lots of different products to achieve the same effect (but can still also use pencil and/or brow powder if I want a little extra). I use it in black/brown, but it comes in four different shades, that would suit blondes, redheads and brunettes alike.

I use the side of the wand to sweep through brows from tail to front, brushing in an upwards motion, then giving it a slight horizontal flick at the end to smooth over the edges, then very gently use the tip to put some more product in sparse spots, and brushing through again.

L-R: eyelash curler, All about Shadow quad in Morning Java, High Impact Curling mascara, Just Browsing brush-on styling mousse, Long Last Lipstick in Blushing Nude (all from Clinique)

My fabulous 'window dressings':

Top: High Impact Mascara in black 

Bottom: Just browsing Brush-on styling mousse in brown/black

Loved the curved brush on High Impact Curling mascara wand

I'd love to hear which are your favourite mascara and eyebrow products you use?

This post was created in collaboration with Clinique Australia.

All images taken by me.

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