Charlotte Olympia: Poodles & Paris

It's Friday! Let's do something light 'n fluffy today! A little frou frou shoe & handbag candy if you will.

Has everyone heard of Charlotte Dellal Olympia? Yes! No! Maybe So? Well, here's a quick synopsis. She's 32 (5/6/81). She interned at Ungaro & Giambattista Valli and opened her first store in Mayfair, London May 2010. When asked how she would describe the Charlotte Olympia woman. She replied, "Someone who dresses from the feet up!" (source) (source)

Charlotte always comes out with several fantasy (some designs are practical), over-the-top collections each year. I always look forward to seeing the themes. Her Spring 2013 shoe and handbag collection is all about poodles, Paris, kitties and floral creations. Yes, think PINK! Think rose gardens! Yummy croissants! The Eiffel Tower! That's what it's all about. The collection is huge and surprisingly somewhat still available! Her 2013 Fall Collection is all about The Big Bad Wolf, Sleeping Beauty, The Frog Prince and more...yes, Fairytales!

I put a couple of inspiration boards together for your viewing pleasure. The shoes in the middle are flats. What type of shoe girl are you? You guys already know, I'm a ballet flat/sandal kind of girl. Do you go for over the top? Conservative? Comfy? Shout it out in my comments section. Have A Great Weekend Everybody!

Net-A-Porter The Edit: Lucy Liu

I've never known what to think of actress Lucy Liu? I've never been able to figure her out. Never any scandals. Always private. She would temporarily be in the spotlight and then she would suddenly disappear. She's been in movies (Charlie's Angels, Kill Bill), television shows (Ally McBeal, Sex and The City, Ugly Betty) and has done voice character work for movies (Mulan, Kung Fu Panda). But the question always remained! Who IS she? I never judge a book by it's cover, but I always detected sadness, frustration, anger and discontent as it relates to her career & personal life.

Well, I came across a photo shoot for Net-A-Porter and found her interview to be very enlightening. On how she wants to be viewed,  “I wish people wouldn't just see me as the Asian girl who beats everyone up, or the Asian girl with no emotion. People see Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock in a romantic comedy, but not me...You're not Asian enough and then you're not American enough, so it gets really frustrating.” On dating (in 2010, she was linked to billionaire financier Noam Gottesman), “It's a giant question mark for me, as well. I wish I could answer – I wish I knew the answer myself!” She also talks about her parents struggles and non-support of her entering the acting field.

Liu, at 44, looks awesome in these designer gowns. However, when I look in her eyes I still see what I saw years ago: sadness, frustration, anger and discontent. To be in the business for almost 25 years and not achieve what you desire professionally or personally would be frustrating for anyone. She seems so unfulfilled. I'm not saying she's not thankful for what she has accomplished, but she doesn't seem to be where she wants to be in life. I think we've all had times like this (maybe even now). When I feel that way, I try to think about how bad things could be. Then my life doesn't look so bad :) Maybe, just appreciate what is now and know there's a reason why some of your wants or desires go unanswered. It's not to say, they still won't come true. What are your thoughts?

 Interview: Net-A-Porter, May 9 2013

Photographer: Mariano Vivanco 

Stylist: Tracy Taylor

Bright & Colorful Days

Chic 'n Cheap Living blog, wrote a beautiful and heartfelt post just for my readers today. I hope her words inspire you. I love her outlook, positivity and encouraging words. Be sure to check out her fabulous blog. It's a great read.

Thanks for having me Kim and I hope you enjoy these festive pictures.

You have your good days and you have your bad days. Some days are just gray and overcast, while others are beautiful and full of color. I was reminded to remember these bright days when I saw these pictures of the Holi festival. This Hindu festival of colors is a guaranteed fun time. You get together with loved ones and douse each other in colored powder. Can you really remain mad when you and your friends are filling the sky with color and everyone looks like they walked into a rainbow? Just remember to wear something machine washable! We may not always have bright and color filled days. But we can create our own bright days and let go of the darker ones. Have a lovely week!

{Source}

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” ― Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds

Jessica Alba Glamour UK: The Honest Life and Company

I've always admired Jessica Alba. She has beauty, brains, a supportive husband, two beautiful daughters and has lent support to a number of charities throughout her career.

Jessica recently authored a book entitled "The Honest Life" and co-founded a new business venture called The Honest Company. Each focuses on safe, non-toxic, and Eco-friendly products for babies & family. The website sells non-toxic bath & body products, cleansers for your home, and baby products. The book offers great tips on everything above, and so much more (check out the video). It's truly refreshing to see a celebrity market something other than perfume, nail polish or another clothing line.

I came across Jessica's photo shoot and interview with  Glamour UK Magazine (May 2013). Click HERE to read it. She talks about her new business venture and encourages other women to do the same! I always love that. She offers a lot of positivity, encouragement and motivation. I'm not surprised, knowing her history. I think we need more of that in today's society. Wouldn't you agree? Check it out! It's a great read! Have an awesome Tuesday!

photographer: Simon Emmett / stylist: Charlotte-Anne Fidler

hair: Eric Gabriel / makeup: Fiona Stiles

nails: Lisa Jachno

OPI Couture De Minnie Review & Swatches

Hey Everybody! Happy Monday! Below are the polish swatches you requested from last week's post. The only bottle that's missing is Minnie Style (glitter). It didn't come with the "minnies". If you get Innie Minnie Mightie Bow, I think Minnie Style would be the perfect compliment for it. 

Excuse my stubby and uneven nails. HaHaHa I didn't think I would be doing nail polish swatches for awhile and chopped cut them down. HaHaHa Ok, here are my thoughts! Have A Great Week! :)

Sweet-Bittersweet-Not Sweet

Innie Minnie Mightie Bow - Supersweet - 2 Coats- This was my favorite shade out of the entire collection. Think candy apple red, that has a nice shine to it. I've purchased a lot of red polishes, and I must say that this one is truly gorgeous. Skip the mini-size and buy the full-size bottle for this shade. You won't regret it.

Magazine Cover Mouse - Sweet - 1 Coat - This is OPI's new Liquid Sand formula (click HERE to learn more about Liquid Sand). I was pleasantly surprised how much I really liked it. I'm glad they included it in the "minnies" because I probably would've never bought it for myself. It has wonderful texture and sparkles. When applying, take your time. There's not much room for error (it dries quickly). If you look at my pinky, I went over part of it again and it doesn't give the same effect as the other nails (gets lumpy & smudgy). Taking this polish off is much easier than glitter polish. 

A Definite Moust-Have - Supersweet - 2 Coats - This was my 2nd favorite out of the collection. It's a really gorgeous shade of pink. This shade will look pretty on ANY skin tone. Again, skip the mini collection and purchase the full-size bottle of this. 

Chic From Ears To Tail - Not Sweet - 4 Coats - I threw my bottle in the trash! HaHaHa I don't know what is up with this formula, but it's horrible. It's milky. It's streaky. I struggled with it. Don't waste your money. The name should be, Shit from beginning to end! HaHaHa