Do Sweat It!

A bit over a month ago I've tried vanilla custard rice pudding and I loved it so much that's all I've been having as dessert since then. I've also been wearing the same deodorant and foundation for the past couple of years and the same makeup remover for about ten years. I've even been with the same awesome guy for the last four years. That's the thing with me. I don't need variety and quantity and I'm not constantly on the hunt for the next best thing, I just need to find something that I like and I just stick with it. I've always liked to believe this was an option, but deep down inside, I know it's just one of my many compulsions and as most compulsions, this one takes hold of all aspects of my life, including my wardrobe. My most recent obsession are sweatshirts. I bought a few completely by accident and now it's all I wanna wear. They're just so me, which is so weird, because I'm such a cleavage kind of girl and these sweatshirts are so baggy and sporty and show no hint of boobs whatsoever. But hey, an obsession is an obsession and there's no reasoning with it! I'm so obsessed I even did a whole fashion shoot inspired by baggy sweatshirts (more on that and on how to make them less sporty and more luxurious very soon). Needless to say I need a few more, cause going through winter wearing the same three just isn't gonna work.

These were my purchases this season: Left: Penneys/Primark, Right: both from Pull & Bear

Now, my future purchaces:

All from Pull & Bear 

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Straight From The Shoulder

"If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life!" This was a foreign concept to me until I decided to put fears aside and enroll in a fashion styling course last September. The course in the LA College of Creative Arts was created by Irish fashion personality Darren Kennedy and my wonderful tutors are freelance stylist and journalist/blogger Claire Weightman and fashion editor for Stellar and Kiss, Corina Gaffey. In the course we cover everything from editorial to personal styling, fashion PR to fashion photography and my personal favourite, fashion journalism. Last week we were given an assignment that I'd love to share with you. We were to look at the fashion shows for Spring 2014 and choose a trend we picked up from the shows. Then we had to write a small text about that trend and give some tips about how to wear it. It was easy enough to choose the trend and choose images, but it was painfully difficult to write the smallest text. It was kinda like giving birth, you know you have to do it, you know you'll be proud of what you get out of it, but it still hurts like hell. I was in labor for hours, which seems ridiculous by the size of the text, but once you learn from the pros what makes a successful fashion page, the pressure is on. This is what I came up with.

Straight From The Shoulder

Forget about breasts and stomachs. This spring is all about lifting the weight off your shoulders.

Taking up where Prada and Miu Miu left off last season, fashion houses like Chanel and Balmain are taking the focus up to our naked shoulders.

Chanel rtw Spring 2014 and Balmain rtw Spring 2014

But how much you want to bare is completely up to you.

For rubbing shoulders with your girlfriends on a night out the daring Balmain look would be the way to go, but to get that tap in the back from your boss a faux off-the-shoulder, as seen in David Koma and J.Crew, would be ideal.

The bold Balmain look, rtw Spring 2014 and the more conservative David Koma and J.Crew, rtw Spring 2014

So whether you go conservative or care free, just grab your strapless bra and let your shoulders do the talking.

From left: Dior, Ralph Lauren, Prabal Gurung and Jeremy Laing, rtw Spring 2014

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Wild Irish Rose

Hi everyone! Yeah, I haven't blogged in a while, I know... I've just been busy. Not that kind of busy you use as an excuse not to go out with that creepy guy from work you've been avoiding, but that kind of busy that doesn't allow you to do your dishes for a week and wash your hair for five days, yes, that's right, FIVE days (thank God for dry shampoo). But I'm back, at least for today and I want to show you the most beautiful place I've seen in a long time, Kerry in Ireland. We rented a car and headed down to Kerry for the bank holiday weekend last week. It was the best call after a couple of months of madness. The place is magic and oh-so-romantic, specially if you stay in an awesome b&b with a view to the mountains and award-winning macarons for breakfast (a big thanks to Sam at Seaview House btw). I can't believe I've been living in this country for two and half years and had never been there. Loser! I could totally show you the crappy pictures I took, but Annie Leibovitz was there recently and she did a better job. So here is my favourite place in Ireland (so far).

Wild Irish Rose

Daria Werbowy and Adam Driver by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue US, September 2013

Fashion Editor: (The genius) Grace Coddington

Hair: Julien d'Ys

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The Simple Life

Even though I grew up in the city, my country roots were always there. My summers were spent in my grandparents' houses in the country, riding bikes, swimming in the river and reading under a big fig tree. Growing up I got used to the quiet country life. To the cosiness of a small place and community. To the comfort of never having to buy fruit or eggs or cabbages. I was accustomed to a simple life with simple pleasures. And although I might have rebelled against it for a while, I now see there's no point in denying the small town girl inside. And to celebrate that girl that I'm proud to be, here's an editorial that just transports me back to that pine tree heaven in Portugal.

Apesar de ter crescido na cidade, as minhas raízes do campo nunca me deixaram. Os meus Verões eram passados nas casas de campo dos meus avós, a andar de bicicleta, a nadar no rio e a ler debaixo duma grande figueira. Durante toda a minha vida, estive habituada a esta vida pacata. Ao aconchego de um sítio pequeno com uma comunidade pequena e unida. Ao comforto de nunca ter de comprar fruta ou ovos ou couves. No fundo, estava acostumada a uma vida simples com simples prazeres. E apesar de durante algum tempo ter negado essa parte de mim, percebi que não vale a pena negar a cachopa da terrinha que há em mim.  E para celebrar essa cachopita, que até tenho muito orgulho em ser, aqui fica um editorial que me transporta para esse meu paraíso de pinhais em Portugal.

Simple Life - Elle Ukraine, August 2013

Photography:Nikolay Biryukov

Model: Yuliana Dementyeva

Styling: Natalia Osadchaya

Hair: Natasha Braslavich

Make-up: Katya Boulakh

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Overcoming My Online Shopping Phobia

Fear is a primal human emotion. It prevents us from getting hurt and making really big mistakes. But it can also be a energy usurping parasite that stops you from living at all. Some people even live in that constant fear or making decisions just because they're scared they are not making the right one and that can go from picking what take-out restaurant to order from to taking your next career move. Sadly, I can include myself in that group of annoying creatures. However I have great news, I've managed to overcome one of my greatest phobias: ONLINE SHOPPING!!!

That's right, I've put aside all of those "will it fit? will I like it?" fears and just ordered something: This jacket from Asos.com that I talked about here. It was on sale and I thought "What the hell! Just order it!" And so I did!  (Just realized it's no longer on sale. I bought it on sale about a week a go for half the price. Wop wop! It really pays to take chances!)

I got it in the mail yesterday and I can say I was not a bit disappointed. It arrived in perfect conditions and it looked exactly like I expected it to look, which it was not like it looked in the pictures. I believe we always need to have realistic expectations when it comes to that. It also won't look as good on you as it does on the model! Duhh!

I just didn't get it so right on the size. I ordered a size 22 and it's a bit big on me. I'm usually a size 16/18 but it kinda works because of style and shape of the jacket. I could send it back, but it's really not worth the trouble. And it was my own fault really, I measured myself with a tiny metric tape and kinda calculated a size. Not smart! However it was an overall positive experience and I might do it again if I ever fall in love with an item like I did with this one. Just don't expect me to stop shopping in physical stores, because that's a pleasure I'm not willing to give up.

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It's a Latin Thing

Drama, drama, drama! The Dolce & Gabbana family is back with more passion, tears and well more drama. And while most people are tired of the Italian clan, I can't get enough of this excessive family. It somehow reminds me of my own family and my own small village in Portugal, where every event, no matter how big or small, is felt and lived with extreme emotion (but slightly less fashionable clothes). I guess it's a Latin thing!

Drama, drama, drama! A família Dolce & Gabbana está de volta com mais paixão, mais lágrimas e, bom, mais drama! E enquanto já está tudo fartinho deste clã, eu não me consigo cansar desta família excessiva. Por alguma razão, lembram-me a minha família e minha terrinha lá em Portugal, onde todo e qualquer evento, grande ou pequeno, é vivido com toda a emoção (mas com um bocadinho menos de estilo). Deve ser uma coisa latina!

Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2013 campaign

Models: Monica Bellucci, Bianca Balti, Kate King and Andreea Diaconu 

Photography: Domenico Dolce 

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Ghost of Summer Past

Black sporty swimwear, primary colors, fanny packs, denim vests and what seem to be walkman headphones can only mean it's 1995 and I'm 9 again. Which is a good thing because I just spent a lot of money on anti-aging products when I totally could have spend it on candy and friendship bracelets.

Fatos-de-banho pretos, cores primárias, bolsas de pôr à cintura, coletes de ganga e o que me parecem ser phones de um walkman só pode querer dizer uma coisa, estamos em 1995 e eu tenho 9 anos outra vez! O que até é bom, porque acabei de gastar um dinheirão em produtos anti-idade quando queria ter gasto tudo em gomas e pulseiras da amizade.

Anne Vyalitsyna for Elle Russia, June 2013

Photography: Asa Tallgard

Styling: Daria Anichkina

Hair and makeup: Helen Borg

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The Eighties I Know and Love

DISCLAIMER: I wrote this post under the influence. I had two and ONLY TWO ciders. I really can't hold my liquor...

It's the year 2000 and I'm going through my mom's old fashion magazines: French Elle, German magazine Burda and a Brazilian classic, Carícia. I've read them over and over again, amazed by the fact that they were made before I was even born. But the older I got the less interested I was in that and the more fascinated I got by the fashion historic value of those pieces of paper. It was the beginning of the new millennium and I suddenly went back in time and realized I loved 80s' fashion. The obvious problem was the 80s weren't cool yet. They were a decade of fashion experiments gone wrong. A collection of embarrassing hair styles and the correspondent embarrassing photos. But fast-forward 13 years and here we are: wet hair, sporty clothes in neon colors, tribal influences and metallics. And these are the 80s I know and love. Not just shoulder pads and hair spray. But the 80s that had color and smelled of exotic beaches. Even if no one else can see it, this is the 80s! My 80s! My mom's 80s! It's the 80s of the first fashion magazines I've ever read (even before I could read). I know they might go again soon, but for now, I'll just enjoy them while they last!

Jacquelin Jablonski for DuJour Magazine, summer 2013

Photography: Hans Feuer

Styling: David Vandewal

Hair: Ward

Makeup: Vicky Steckel 

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