Heel in Mint Fashion and Style Blog

Spring Alive

2013-05-14T21:23:00.003-05:00

Spring is refreshing, rejuvenating and makes everything come alive. The beautiful sights and scents of spring can last forever, turning into memories that you can look back on. These below scent inspired products are perfect for spring and summer to refresh, rejuvenate and make you come alive inside out.

Smell the Roses

Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate fruit & seed oil, urban outfitters, West Elm Paper Flowers, Weleda Wild Rose Body Oil

Who doesn't like to wake up and smell the roses? Roses symbolize love and is a classic yet simple way of expressing your love. Roses are also known for its skin regenerating properties so anything with rose extract is a perfect addition to our everyday skincare routine. A dozen of hand-folded paper roses from West Elm can be used at home as a long lasting beautiful bouquet of love or you can go for products with rose oil as a beautifying concoction of love for your skin.

Products to try -

Weleda wild rose body oil, Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate fruit & seed oil, Dr. Bronner's rose soaps, Ren Mini Rose trio gift set and Ila Rose oil. Weleda wild rose body oil smells like an early morning visit to a dewy garden filled with fresh roses and leaves a beautiful smooth silky finish.

Lost in Lavender

Ingrid0804, Badger sleep balm, Dreamtime sleep mask, Eminence lavender age corrective concentrate

Lavender is soothing and relaxing making it a perfect scent to have around, especially at nights. Lavender is also known for cell regenerating, skin rejuvenating, antiseptic and antibacterial properties (read more about it here and here).

Products to try -

Badger sleep balm, 100% pure organic lavender hydrosol facial mist, Eminence lavender age corrective concentrate and Dreamtime Sleep mask. You can also make your own DIY Lavender pillow (click here for instructions).

Wide Awake

mamaslatinas, beautyeditor, 100% pure

Coffee extract was featured on Dr. Oz show (see video here) for its weight reducing benefits but it can also be used to reduce puffy eyes and dark circles, increase circulation and overall make your eye area look more alive.

Products to try -

100 % pure coffee bean eye cream. This cream can be very strong so if you are caffeine sensitive then try a sample before you decide to buy the full sized version.

Have you tried these products? What do you think of them?

“The deep roots never doubt spring will come.”
― Marty Rubin

P.S - Weleda wild rose body oil, 100% Pure coffee bean eye cream and Badger sleep balm were bought using gift certificate by skincareRx.com. All three products are absolutely amazing and highly effective. I'm glad I got to try them out.

Heel in Mint

Hair Inspiration for Spring - Do The Twist

2013-04-22T23:01:00.004-05:00

Effortlessly twisted hair is perfect for spring and summer. Messy or polished, this trend looks beautiful and fresh. Beautiful side sweeps or delicate braids can add splashes of romance, freshness and feminine feel to this style.

Alessandra Ambrosio and Jenny Packham SS 2013

Temperley London, Jenny Packham

Naeem Khan, Oscar De La Renta

Nanette Lepore

Ralph Lauren, Reem Acra

Bottega Veneta, Honor

A bit of lift or stripe of unusual colors can take the cool and effortless factor to a whole new level. Do you like this trend? Which one do you like the most?

Image credits -

Stylebistro

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
— Leonardo da Vinci

Heel in Mint

Floral Shower

2013-04-12T22:12:00.001-05:00

This beautiful floral shower themed editorial captures the essence of spring perfectly in a fresh, soft, romantic and feminine way. Are you ready for some may flowers?

I think the yellow Alexander McQueen dress looks absolutely beautiful in the above picture. Isn't it amazing how a little twist in theme, styling and background can make the pieces from the runway look so different? Click here to see the runway picture. Do you like this editorial?

La Vie En Rose
Harper's Bazaar UK May 2013
Model: Karen Elson
Hair: Kevin Ryan
Makeup: Tyron Machhausen
Stylist: Leith Clark
Photographer: Alexi Lubomirski

Feel the Glow
Wonderland April May 2013
Model - Steffi Soede
Photographer -Pietro Birindelli

No first of spring, no song to sing. No April rain, no flowers bloom.

- Stevie Wonder

xx
Heel in Mint

Fresh in Pastels

2013-03-30T22:09:00.004-05:00

Pastels are perfect for spring with their soft, fresh and energetic vibe. Here are some of my favorite pastel looks from the spring runways to go with your easter spirit.

Wild and Creative

Erdem, BCBG Max Azria, Balmain, Giambattista Valli, Christopher Kane, Giorgio Armani, Giles

Stripes and Checks

Alexis Mabille, Fendi, Dries Van Noten, Alice + Olivia, Cacharel, Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani

Cut and Sheer

Badgley Mischka, Temperly London. Jill Start, Emilio Pucci, Dolce Gabbana, Erdem

Florals, Asian and Nature

Blugirl, Peter Som, Emilio Pucci, Cacharel, Versace, Christian Siriano

Feminine Flow

Blugirl, Chloe, Acne, Alberta Ferrati, Chloe, Christian Siriano

Shimmer and Shine

Bottega Veneta, Donna Karan, Jenny Packham, Christian Dior, Carolina Herrera, Christian Dior

Makeup & Hair

Christian Dior, Nanette Lepore, Peter Som, Donna Karan, Oscar De La Renta, Emilio Pucci, Nanette Lepore

Editorials Campaigns

Vogue China, Vince Camuto, Chanel Resort, Pierre Balmain, Mulberry

Celebrity in Pastels

Selena Gomez at Nickelodean Kids' Choice Awards 2013 in Oscar De Le Renta

Hope these pictures inspire you to incorporate some pastels in to your spring / summer wardrobe. How would you style your pastels? Happy Easter! :)

Image Credits:
Stylebistro
fashiongonerouge
Fashiongonerouge
catwalkqueentv

The direct, colourful nature of pastels is ideal for capturing the qualities of immediacy, spontaneity and sparkle.
- Patricia Greenwell

xx
Heel in Mint

Giveaway: The Honest Life book by Jessica Alba

2013-03-20T21:19:00.000-05:00

Jessica Alba just released her first book, The Honest Life, which launched this month. This book, which is all about living naturally and true to you, is a guide by Jessica based on her personal experiences and interactions with experts in the field to live a healthier lifestyle that is not only good for you and your family but also the environment.

The super stylish actress and a mother of two, who launched The Honest Company, a safe and non-toxic line of baby, bath & body care products, wrote this book to help people everywhere to adopt a safer, healthier, fun, stylish and balanced lifestyle that is also affordable, achievable and simple.

In this book, she covers various topics, from her tips on looking chic and reading beauty product labels to balancing multiple roles and avoiding toxic home products. It covers everything about living a healthier, non-toxic, eco-friendly and a balanced lifestyle but in a chic, simple, practical and affordable way that's perfectly fit for the hectic lifestyle we lead today. She has everything covered from beauty, motherhood, fashion, family, kids and food to living space and career balance. Take a look at the pictures and videos to learn more about new book.

It’s about having a more balanced perspective about this lifestyle. It doesn’t have to be extreme. I’m not a vegan. I don’t wear hemp every day. You can make healthier choices that are realistic and inexpensive - Jessica Alba on Tory Burch Blog

I read a few pages from the book and these are some of the reasons why I like the book -

There is something in there for everybody. The book is very organized and the topics are grouped well so if you are not a mother or a parent and you are more interested in beauty or style then you can easily skip the parts that you cannot relate to. (see contents list in the above pic)
It's not about taking extreme steps or being perfect. Jessica calls it as "honest" and not "perfect" living. The goal is to stay on track most of the time and following a consistent pattern (more like 80 - 20 rule). If you focus more on perfection then there is a good chance you'll give up and go down the lane of having negative emotions such as regret. It's important not to be hard on yourself and try to do the best you can.
It's not just about focusing on the purity and the functional aspects but also on style, affordability, achievability, simplicity and chic factor.
She shares a lot of DIY, family recipes and tips / strategies that are resourceful and affordable.
There are lists everywhere in the book that serve as a quick reference guide or short dicitonary while you are out shopping and these are very easily accessible. For example, if you want to know which veggies fall under dirty dozens or the type of materials to avoid while buying furniture, you can go straight to the page to glance at the easily readable and color-coded list.
There are also mentions and links to many informative websites for further reading.

Overall, this book is full of information for people who want to look good and live well in a balanced, practical and realistic way.

Here is a chance for one of my readers to win this interesting book by Jessica Alba. This is an international giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hope you'll like the book and find it interesting. Goodluck to everyone who enters! :)