SHINING TRENDS

Blake Lively - Alessandra Ambrosio - Cora Keegan

Even if the SUN is starting to lose its power on European lands, there are still sunny months to look forward to on the Eastern territory. I have started to see the Fall 2012 sings and trends everywhere now: darker shades, stricter lines, thicker fabrics and all the metallics which are so frequent during the cold season dominance.

But somewhere, not over the rainbow, but over the ocean, there is still time for swimwear and sexy beach hair! Summer gets wilder this time of year in Australia. Surfing season is around the corner and conventional styling does not stand any chance.

It’s time to try the extraordinary and to forget about the rules. This experience is made up by an entire ritual because the beach has it’s own way of influencing our style. Starting with the natural hair and make-up, the smell of our sun lotions or the beach wear, tight surf gear, cold water … they all fit in the perfect wild summer.

The key to achieving this type of wild summer look is not to focus at all on being polished.  Check out surf wear lookbooks, such as O’Neill or cool hairstyles at ghd Australia. Try to focus on more sporty and casual wear and use the sun-rays to highlight fresh skin and sparkly hair. It’s not about the boho-styles anymore, it’s about freedom!

I am going to miss the long walks and the long summer days! This summer has passed so fast but somehow I managed to collect enough nice memories along the way… August has been the best so far and it made me realize that there is so much more that I need to feel and do! I have met amazing people and I have gone “deep sea” and did not shy away from adventures!

These photos are taken in a fortress city, citadel on a narrow street called - Rope Street. I absolutely adore - BRASOV. It can be quite a picturesque and romantic getaway in the heart of Transylvania! :) And I am so proud to call this my home.

I am wearing a white Topshop Dress and my River Island camel wedges, all mixed with an emerald skinny belt from Asos, golden aviators and a multi-colored bracelet.

I will see you around… :X

My girls and I - @the beach this weekend!

As we reach the end of summer, many of us may have a few holidays planned in the very near future. Summer holidays generally mean investing in a whole hoard of new summer clothes. Swimwear is one such must-have item in any girl’s summer wardrobe, but luckily now there are a lot of sales and promotional prices so you can invest in some really cool swimwear!

If you have an apple shaped figure, a great investment is a tankini. Not all tankinis need to be super tight and such a style is a great look if you wish to hide any flaws. The tankini offers a longer length top and often comes complete with boy style shorts, which offer a lot more coverage than your standard string bikini.

Another great investment is a miracle suit; this particular style of swimsuit is a must-have for those with a fuller figure as it enhances your assets, hiding any imperfections. Choose a darker colour such as black or navy blue as opposed to a heavily patterned swimsuit. Darker  colours are always more slimming and therefore flatter the fuller figure. You can check out a few plus size clothing stores and pick out various swimsuits that best suit your figure.

Detailing such as a bow at the bust can work wonders on a fuller figure,  as it will draw the eyes upwards and away from other areas. It is also a great feminine touch that will add that little extra to your style!

Bright swimsuits are a great investment if you wish to get in the holiday mood and also a great way to brighten up any summer wardrobe.  If you must invest in a print-style suit, opt for a floral design in more muted tones. Floral patterns were a feature on every summer catwalk. Team such a design with beaded accessories, again in muted shades, in order to finish your look with a bit of sophistication.

It’s funny how many magazines have chosen to feature the dotted pattern in their editorials this fall. Even if this focuses on dresses, blouses or even tights you can practically see that the polka dotted designs are becoming a rising trend for fall 2011. I’ve seen them in the fall collections for Marc Jacobs or Diane von Fustenberg but now it’s time to see them in action. So get inspired!

Jessica Hart photographed by Santiago Esteban in Gucci for Elle Spain August 2011

Freida Pinto photographed by Mert Marcus in Interview Magazine

The gorgeous Hailey Clauson is featured in these extravagant  shots from Vogue Russia

The same dress but a different model, this time the actress Katie Holmes. Same magazine though, Vogue.

I just love this mix! It’s official : shirts and skirts make quite the perfect outfits for this summer season.

I have actually started to notice several fashion bloggers who are hitting the streets with pretty cool interpretations of this look. The general guideline is to keep the outfits part smart - part casual. So a pretty relaxed skirt would look best matched with a simple shirt and vice versa. The hottest shoes seem to be the shoe-boots, however the summer heat can indulge multiple forms of footwear.  I just love the wooden platforms right now and I think they’d look awesome in an outfit like this. Will definitely give it a try this week.

Chiara from TheBlondeSalad.com and Emily at CupcakesandCashmere.com make a pretty good choice with the light jeans shirt which pretty much counts for a basic piece for putting together this entire look. Love the nude shoes! :X

I’ve taken these 2 looks from Lookbook.nu and my-wardrobe.com and they particularly caught my interest because of the cool pattern skirts. Even though the shirt is simple, it is the signature piece of the entire look because it manages to bring out the cool effect on the skirt. Like a white canvas :)

Mary Kate and blogger Keiko Lynn match the shirt to a lady-like midi skirt. I think this combination is pretty surprising but it somehow manages to bring the midi to more casual and modern peaks. Would you try it? I sure would….

XoXo

No, this is not London,…but it’s an equally cool place in Vienna called the Hundertwasser-Haus and it had this red phone booth outside which looks so like London! I am wearing my striped aka. “convict” dress from H&M :)) a leather jacket from Zara which I also wear on top of my Mango maxi dress

My newest obsession is the Shirt Dress! I’ve bought two amazing dresses from Next and I can’t wait to wear them. Even if you choose a maxi shirt dress like Olivia Palermo wears from Mango or you decide to go for a shorter version - > I have, you won’t feel sorry at all. The shirt dress is such a cool and relaxed style for summer not to mention that it allows you to sport all sorts of footwear, starting with flats or wedges or even high-heels.

My favorite looks are of course from Asos: BLUE, PINK and KHAKI, but I will be uploading my own looks very soon! ;-)

XoXo.

I am attending a wedding in August and have just bought this dress. I would be really grateful if you could advise on what would be the best way to style my hair to suit this dress.

V.

First of all V, your coral maxi dress is amazing!!! I am a huge fan of summer weddings and I think that it’s the perfect time to have the dream garden wedding party, despite the high temperatures that the month of August brings. Therefore this should also be reflected in the way you style your hair.

Forget tight, sleek, perfectly pulled hair-dos, as they are completely not applicable in the hot season. This also goes for straight hair, it will definitely get frizzy and you will feel like your hairstyle is getting “curly”.

Instead, try to think of volume and loose waves. I think it also depends on the length of your hair. If you have longer hair, I think the perfect choice would be to pull it up or back, or create a side hair-style.  Braids can also work and all those bohemian hairstyles.

Shorter hair can either be let loose and combed to a side - the side where you don’t have the ruffle.

I really like the hair-styles sported by Olivia Munn and Mila Kunis and that you can also accessorize your dress with a pair of amazing earrings, just perfect for the coral goddess dress that you have.