“In the past few years, I have come to believe that you truly manifest your own reality. Positive energy breeds positive energy and if we continue to recruit positive we can outnumber and overtake the negative. Every day I continue to strive to grow and learn as a person and struggle to keep my ego in check. Along the way it’s important to remember to deeply love and forgive yourself, stay humble and take responsibility for your own life and live it, love it… passionately and furiously.”
- Aimee Moss
I don’t often buy new handbags, but with my trademark vintage box bag in need of a little TLC and a trip to New York coming up (not a prime time for handbag , it was time.
Not wanting to waste pesos on an investment bag in a rush, I was looking for something structured, neutral, secure, and spacious enough to tote my monster camera around. You may not believe in love at first sight, but as soon as this cream oversized padlock bag was in view, I knew I had found ‘The One’.
… Continue Reading
Having moved – internationally - eight times so far in my life (20+ times overall), I am a dab hand at packing. When you have to shove your entire life into two suitcases (shoes included), you really can’t afford not to be.
With today being The Manfriend and I’s first full day in New York City, I thought I would take this opportunity to share my tips and tricks with you!
Packing your Carry-On
- Put your laptop at the top for a quick security stop.
- Bring a rolling suitcase that almost reaches the airline’s maximum allowable carryon size.
- Remember the security restrictions and 3-1-1 rules. It only takes a Rodial face cream to be chucked in an airport bin to understand the importance of 3-1-1.
- Take advantage of the weight. This is a great place to add any awkward
- Pack a change of clothes and any medication in case of emergency.
- Don’t pack anything in here you want to use during the flight. No-one likes the woman who keeps pulling things out from the overhead cabin.
Packing your Suitcase
- Check the culture. For example, some locations – though incredibly hot – do not allow bare arms or shoulders.
- Choose a staple style to save space. Three dresses can be used for a week-long vacation without becoming boring if you change up jewellery, jackets, belts, etcetera. Interchangeable basics are key for holidays.
- Sensible shoes. Strictly sneakers? Definitely not. I do try to limit vacation shoes to four categories, though: night out (nude pumps), casual (wedges in a neutral colour), airport friendly (boots or wedged trainers), and heat-friendly (Havaianas).
- Limit bulky items. If they are required for the weather, wear them on the plane in layers.
- Pack your cosmetics/toiletries in here in secure containers. I use lightweight see-through boxes that have secure lids to prevent spillage in case my bag is thrown around.
- Don’t fold. It’s bulky. Lay or roll.
Packing your Handbag (BONUS!)
Ah, finally. A chance to take advantage of being a woman. There are still size regulations on your handbag, but considering it isn’t counted as a carry-on and can be almost as large as one, there is no cause for complaints.
Organize your travel documents and personal belongings into folders, then use the rest of the room to pack light items/extra clothing. I usually pack them on the bottom, with my camera on top and a smaller handbag (for day-to-day use) at the side.
Wherever you are going (or dreaming of going), I wish you safe and wonderful travels!
Would you believe me if I told you that Yumi Lashes weren’t extensions? No? I promise, they’re not! While the photos above are both makeup-free, the big (and curly) difference in the ‘after’ photo is the effect of the Yumi lash treatment.
I never curl my eyelashes, so I was taken aback to be greeted by lengthened, curled, and fluttery lashes at the end of the treatment. Remember, this is no mascara…no false lashes…nada.
How do they get these results without committing to fakery? Five steps: a Lift, Fix, Nourish, Adhesive, and Tint process (all gentle and nutrient-rich) which secures the shape of your eyelashes over a small lash-pad which rests on your eye. During the treatment, your lower lashes are also protected with a gel pad which delivers an anti-ageing eye treatment. After 45 relaxing minutes, you open your eyes to the ‘after’ photo.
The treatment lasts eight weeks (the average lash cycle) and Yumi provides a keratin-based nourishing mascara and small ‘lash styler’ comb to keep your lashes in long and strong form.
You can try out Yumi Lashes at Harrods’ Urban Retreat.
Confidence is a funny thing. Funny…and always on my mind. Yesterday, I noticed that in a list of about 10 things I “take in” upon meeting people, I make a point to become conscious of how confident someone else is feeling. I can only assume I’ve been doing this for years, as I tend to overcompensate with friendliness if I can sense someone feels self-conscious.
Contrary to what you may expect, confidence is just as rare in the fashion and beauty industry as it is anywhere else.
It got me thinking about my own level of confidence. The growth of it, to be exact. At 22, I have been told I possess a level of confidence (or a self-assured demeanor) that is few and far between. A confidence that allowed me to move internationally multiple times, pitch to some of the biggest companies in the world, be comfortable when I ‘stand alone’, etcetera. Four years ago, I wasn’t like this.
Let me take you back to high school. Kind of. As a precursor to this story, I have to explain that due to a few traumatic personal problems, I put in some urgent and hard work to graduate with a Honors diploma a few years before my peers. I left show choir (yes, Glee), musicals (the highlight of my teen life), and the ‘security’ of being a Honors student behind.
In 2008, as the rest of my peers went to prom and graduated, I had already attended college and began to build a successful name for myself. Out of the blue, my Freshman year English teacher invited me to come back to attend a small party at the school where the rest of the Honors class would be looking back at the ‘start’ of high school life (when we were in her class) and the journey from that point.
At that point, it seemed like a great excuse to catch up with friends who I hadn’t seen in months (due to my awkward schedules and travelling) and wish everyone my best as they went off to college. My inner ‘expectations vs reality’ video was numbing.
At this ‘party’:
a) I was stared at (we’re talking “why are you here?” stares) by everyone but two kind friends.
b) A boy – who I barely knew – loudly joked to a table of our peers about the fact that I was wearing heels and had a visible tattoo.
c) I was completely ignored by girls who I had considered to be friends.
d) A Looking Back photo slideshow was presented, and every time I was on screen I would hear a table of former friends snigger and make comments.
I can’t tell you anything else that happened in the hour I was there. The words and actions spread from my stomach to my head like a virus. I left the building and climbed into my friends car. Deciding to miss the event herself, she consoled my apparent hurt (“Who died?!”) by telling me that many of the aforementioned girls had been gossiping about me throughout the school day.
Do they hate me because I’m wearing makeup? Do they hate me because I couldn’t explain why I had to leave? Do they hate me because I’ve gained weight? Do they hate me because they’ve always hated me and I’m only realising now? Then it hit me…they didn’t hate me. Be it jealousy, or self-consciousness, or whatever personal problems cause someone to deflect viciously…I had done nothing to deserve the comments and the comments had nothing to do with me.
With that in mind, I made the decision to stop caring. There and then. To never feel lonely or hurt, I chose confidence as my new priority. I was (and still strive to be) a strong, successful, happy, kind, and optimistic young woman. I was actively pursuing the best I had to offer. There is no room for lack of self-confidence in that formula. No need to justify who I am or what I do.
The mind/matter Seuss philosophy is the purest instigation for confidence, and what I suppose could represent the ‘moral’ of this braindump. Confidence is a) a blanket word to cover everything that defines taking chances, accepting the cards you’ve been dealt, pursuing happiness, AND b) vital.
I hope this helps you find yours.
Lela is…
Editor. Freelance fashion/beauty/lifestyle journalist. Former (and when industry friends ask) fashion stylist and makeup artist. Media Executive. Currently based in London. Author of She Said Style.
Messy-haired petite. Shoe blogger. Half Brit, Half Yank. Dalai Lama/Tenzin Gyatso adorer and believer in love. Addicted to Twitter. Mother to a Maltipom (Waffles) and Terreranian (Pancakes). Find out the story of a girl. Be sure to follow on Facebook and Twitter.
