Giuseppe Zanotti Design Fall'12

Check out one of my (and celebrities') favourite shoe desginer's Fall Collection. Powerful.

Rachel Zoe Fall 2012 Jewelry Collection

Rachel Zoe is GOD of celebrity style. She has styled such fashionistas as Nicole Richie, Demi Moore, Anne Hatheway and Lindsay Lohan. I love her bohemian, but very glamorous style. Rachel launched a fashion line over a year ago, and now comes her jewelry collection. It's very vintage and art deco inspired. And of course, it's in gold.

Abs Inspiration

Since moving to California and realizing I don't fit into half of my clothes after all the mindless eating and no excersizing during the last few stressful months of my final university year in London, I have been super concerned with loosing weight and very into fitness + healthy eating. I definitely do love being more curvy, but just not in the belly area, which happens to be my problem spot. I have always admired Nicole Scherzinger's hot bod. She's not too skinny. She's just perfectly fit.

Also, after watching J.Lo's newest video I was really surprised how amazing her abs were! Talk about killer abs. May I remind you that she's a mother of two kids and is in her 40s! Yes, that's right: I am 21 and dream of abs of a 43-year-old mother of two. Where is this world going? :))

Here is the video for you to understand what I'm talking about:

                      

Style Profile - Wendy Nguyen

I love checking out other people's styles for inspiration, and i'll tell you it's very rare for Vietnamese people to have great OUTSTANDING style (sorry, motherland), so I was especially suprised to find out about Wendy Nguyen, who is a Fashion Youtube phenomenon. Proud.

Here a few of my fav looks of hers:

 

Check out her 25 Ways to Wear a Scarf Video, which is brilliant:

                      

L*Space Swimwear

The beach (read bikini) season is still going in strong. In fact, in California it has only started. The whole June and July were freezing on the beach and no one was swimming. Now it's sizzling hot, and it's the perfect opportunity to show off some bikinis purchased, or stock up with new styles. I have recently discovered L*Space swimwear, which are drop-dead gorgeous! These are my  fav styles: Love the fringe top and gold-chain details on the last few models. Very glamourous.

I also adore bikinis from Vix Swimwear. They have very cute styles as well. And of course, Missoni and DVF are classics (not in a boring way). As of this summer's collections, I have also been dying over these two styles from Agent Provocateur and Jean Paul Gaultier for La Perla (my two fav underwear brands).

                                                                 Agent Provocateur

                                                          Jean Paul Gaultier for La Perla

Makeover Yourself: A Girl's Guide To Being The Ultimate Hot Chick

I was web-surfing the other day, and randomly ran into this post by Tia, who runs Hot-Chix-Rock blog. I juts had to share it with you guys ;)

Being a true hot chick requires much more than lip injections, a skinny waist, hair extensions, makeup, and stylish clothes. Looking fabulous on the surface is always great, but it's being fabulous that makes you a standout beauty in the eyes of the world. We are so focused on our outer appearance that sometimes we forget to fine tune everything else. So, here's a guide that will help you master the art of being a fabulous hot chick.

Rule #1: Love Yourself

First, you have to love yourself before you can love anyone else or even allow another person to love you back. It is important to celebrate yourself and your beauty because if you don't completely embrace the woman you are, no one else will. Also, no matter how busy you may get, you must find time to pamper yourself, exercise, and eat properly.

Rule #2: Makeover Yourself Into A Fabulous Woman

You are your own brand, and you want to strive to represent yourself to the best of your ability. Whenever you walk out of your front door, you should always be totally put together from head to toe because you never know when a big life changing opportunity is going to come your way and you want to be prepared. You have one time to make a good first impression, so make sure you always bring your "A" game and nothing less.

Rule #3: Be Naturally Sexy

True sexiness is achieved when it occurs naturally. Never fake it or force it because it will appear as if you are desperately trying too hard. The secret to sexiness is not having a great body or wearing revealing clothes, it is pure confidence. The next time you walk into a room, put a smile on your face, hold your head up high, and let your confidence bring out your natural sexiness.

Rule #4: A Hot Chick Never Lets Anyone Treat Her Like A Cheap Date

This rule applies to life, business, and love. You have to know your self worth and the value you contribute to any given situation. Knowing your value is where you will find your power and strength. Never allow anyone to make you feel less than worthy because you decide how the world should treat you.

Rule #5: Intelligence Enhances Your Beauty

Physical beauty can get you so far in life. It's your brains, saviness, and determination that makes you a fabulous hot chick. Allow yourself to be exposed to other cultures and education beyond the limits of formal schooling. Start by catching up on current events, traveling more, or simply visiting a museum or art gallery. Be an interesting woman with something interesting to say and you will charm the world.

Rule #6: Be A Little Mysterious

The most beautiful women throughout history, from Cleopatra to Marilyn Monroe, were so alluring because people were intrigued by them. Avoid sharing too much information about yourself to others, and you will appear even more fabulous because people will want to know more about you. You don't have build a brick wall around yourself, but you shouldn't divulge your every flaw, feeling, or personal detail.

Rule #7: A Hot Chick Is An Independent Chick

Independence equals freedom. Knowing that you are able to take care of yourself gives you the power to write your own rules for your life. You are in control because you do not have to depend on anyone else. Some people may disapprove of your independent streak, but in the end they will respect you for it.

Rule #8: Makeover Yourself Into A Trendsetter

Do you want to be an "It" girl or just another average follower lost in the crowd? Be a trendsetter in everything you do whether it's fashion related or at work. A true hot chick knows how to shine and be recognized for who she is and what she does. Discover ways to make your own path in life, and never be afraid to be different because that's the key to fabulosity.

Rule #9: Don't Be Afraid To Reinvent Yourself If You Have To

You have the power to be the woman you want to be. It's never too late for a new beginning. You are the character and the world is your stage. If you are not happy with yourself or your circumstances, change it! If you want to be a fashionista, study fashion trends. If you want to lose weight, change your eating habits. You do not have to play the hand life dealt you, you can be the dealer.

Rule #10: Being A Hot Chick Is All About Attitude

Showcase an attitude of confidence in everything you do. It's not what you wear, but how you wear it. You want to walk, talk, and dress in a manner that exudes an air of poise and confidence. Always present yourself to the world the way you want to be seen and watch how people respond to you. When you see yourself in a positive light, everyone else will begin to see you that way. On the flip side, if you view yourself in a negative light, people will see your flaws and more.

Glamorous Sunscreen

I have recently moved to sunny and beautiful Califronia. As nice as it is living here and enjoying the sun every single day, it is also important to remember how damaging the sun can be when it comes to your skin, so I had to add layering sunscreen on my body to my every day beauty ritual (I have been using sunscrreen for my face everyday for years anyways, even back in London). However, it's a pure joy when such an amazing lotion as Hawaiian Tropic Shimmer Effect Suncreen Lotion is available (it comes in SPF 15, 20, 30 and 40). It has the most beautiful summer scent ever (a mixture of flowers and fresh coconut), which is pretty convenient for people that cannot tolerate perfume in summer (like me). It is extremely important for me that the sunscreem I use is not sticky, and this product absorbs very quickly and does not leave any greasy residue. Plus, as the name of the lotion points out, this sunscreen gives a glam golden-bronze shimmer, which gives your skin such a radiance. I am totally in love with this product. In addition, the brand has an after-sun moisturizer with equally delicious papaya & coconut scent and golden shimmer, which I can't get enough of either. After trying so many (some very costly) body oils with shimmer, this lotion gives the most beatiful golden glow, so I'll be using it for nights out as well. The fact these two are very affordable doesn't hurt either ;)

If you don't like shimmer, there is another sunscreen which I really love and is very light and non-sticky as well.

As for my face, to me there is no sunscreen better than those by Neutrogena, which have high UVA/UVB Broad spectrum protection (i.e. protects your skin from both harmful UVA AND UVB rays). It is very important for your daily moisturizer/sunscreen to have broad spectrum protection. If it only has an SPF indicator but does not say 'broad spectrum' or have little pluses right next to the SPF number (which indicate the level of protection from the UVA ray), that means the product will only protect you from the UVB rays. I have tried much loved by the beauty world La Roche-Posay sunscreen, however, my face always gets really greasy with the classic one, and the oil-free one is too dry, so I have been giving my preference to Neutrogena, which is also widely recommended by both dermotologists and beauty gurus. My favourite one is Neutrogena Clear Face Break Out Free. It's absolutely weightless, non-sticky and does not leave your face ghostly white (like Shiseido's Ultimate Sun Protect Lotion does). I have also used Neutrogen Ultra Sheer, which claims to have a 'dry touch' and 'clean, weightless feel', but my face still got oily in the middle of the day with it. Therefore, Clear Face wins!