Grey-er Sage like this  &           Mossier green like this.

For once this is a bigger decision than which eye shadow of the day, or even which frock on the rack I’m choosing. This time it is carpet.  Since we moved into this house some five years ago, there has been a list of aspirational renovations we’ve wanted to do that are a mile long. Some were tackled immediately, (purple ceilings anyone?), others a slower process like when I stripped all the wallpaper and went peacock blue in the bedroom.  Then my fix it up streak went on AWOL. That is until I can no longer live with the carpet I have in my most often used rooms; my studio and the family room. As much as I’d like to replace the floor in the whole house, it looks set to cost the sum of a decent car, so for now I’m applying a bit of make do and mend to the situation. Which brings me to my dilemma.

The January sales shortly come to a close and I’ve managed to secure a deal on two carpets that I like. One is a safe option, a rather modern grey green called sage and the other a thicker and rather more adventurous moss green.  Of course my instincts tell my that adventure is always my chosen path, and from everything I can see in my research on mid century homes, colour was all the rage.  So do I go bolder even though Miss Seven says it looks like frog vomit?….  This is the serious conundrum of my Wednesday. Will you weigh in and help me decide?  ;)

Today’s outfit draws on some very diverse inspirations. When I first got this red top and blue skirt ensemble from Bernie Dexter, it has obvious cues to style it up in either a military or nautical fashion. The high waist skirt, the gold button trim, the navy and blue combinations; all of these have the classic hallmarks of the cute pinup style I know and love. But when something comes with such a strong personality the challenge for me to shake it up and give it my own personal style stamp is just too much to resist.

Taking a cue from Dolce & Gabbana’s campaign featuring Madonna, as well as a good dose of 1960′s Mod style, all combined with my signature twist on cute vintage chic; I came up with this ensemble that ticked all the right boxes for me.

Outfit Details from head to toe

Sunglasses – Portmans

Silk scarf in hair -Vintage Oroton

Necklace – Crystal Dollies

Red “Venice” top – Bernie Dexter

Navy “Maria” high waisted pencil skirt with gold button trim – Bernie Dexter

Black and Gold “La Box Bag” – Estilo Emporio

Black & White cut out mod heel shoes – “Komfi” from Paragon Dept. store in Bangkok

All original images by Helen McLean for Super Kawaii Mama.com – Images may be reproduced with appropriate permissions. Feel free to add to Pinterest etc.. with linking credits.* 

So while I wallow in my self induced misery (I kicked a chair I’d moved and not put back where it belonged), I’ve put together this fabulous list of all the wonderful shoes I want to be wearing and their no less impressive flat counter parts.

Polka dot twins 

Spiked up Sisters 

Friends of Flame 

Glitter Girls 

Jackpot Cherries 

For the circle skirts.

………….

Now I’m off to the shops in the one pair of pool side flip flops I own to try and hunt down something even remotely this stylish!

Given the strong 1940′s style of the dress, I wanted to style the look with a more modern for the day, and so I anchored the light floaty fabric with a chunky hot pink suede wedge heel. With unstructured hair and a silver sequinned bag, it was perfect for a stroll in the morning sunlight, while the breeze carried the heady scent of chocolate brioche our way.

Outfit Details

Vintage Style Sadie Dress – by Trashy Diva and available in Australia from Miskonduct Klothing

Pink wedge shoes – Tony Bianco

Silver sequinned bag – unknown label and origin (picked it up at Camberwell market)

Beaded ring – handmade market find

Floral clay and ribbon earrings – Crystal Dollies hand made accessories

Diamonte crystal bangle – Chomel

Lip colour – “Frosty Berry” by Savvy @Priceline

Nail colour – “That’s my little secret” no.215 by Misa

* All original images by Helen McLean for Super Kawaii Mama.com – Images may be reproduced with appropriate permissions. Feel free to add to Pinterest etc.. with linking credits.* 

Results and verdict:

The pallete is nicely presented with an easy to use mirror in a long ‘landscape’ format.

The colour range creates a good variety of looks and applies smoothly.

I found the pigment to be less intense than I like meaning I had to use much more shadow than I usually would to get the intensity I desired.

I found blending these colours took more time to achieve as they didn’t seem to have the same ‘spread’ that many of my non mineral options do.

Products Used:

Eyes-

Nvey Eco eye Pallette.

Maybelline Falsies mascara in black

Prestige brow mascara in clear

Lips-

Liner by David Jones in Cinnamon

Models Prefer lipstick in City Chic

Bourjois – Effect 3D lipgloss in shade 23

Lip brush by Missha

The colour wore very well, lasting all day without separating or settling into lines.

Overall a good option for complimentary colour combinations, wear and the benefit of knowing that I have a safe and eco friendly option available to my clients.

A full list of Nvey Eco stockist can be found here.

This tutorial from Cute Nails may or may not be your thing, but it is certain to make you smile.

Check out her channel for some of the most fantastic DIY nail art.

Notebooks from Flirty Bird. Plush cactus in a pot from San-X Sabo. Sleep mask from Click for Art.

For many of us this back to work time is one of the hardest of the year. Especially if you’re currently struggling through winter as well and haven’t seen the sun in a long time. I’m one of those odd creatures that actually looks forward to this time of year, as I love the feeling of new beginnings that it brings. So I thought I’d share some of my tips for remaining upbeat and optimistic in the face of the back to work grumps.

1. Be Organised AND Cute!

Treating yourself to new co-ordinated stationery was always one of the greatest things about heading back to school, so do the same for your work. Even if you don’t work in an office, just a cute notebook and matching pen so you can write down thoughts and ideas as they come to you.
If you’re not a paper person and have made the transition to keeping everything electronically, these treats can be new phone cases, iPad/tablet cases, updated wallpapers and lock screens, even new list making apps like Wunderlist (I ADORE this!).

2. Take the time to clean.

Cleaning out your handbag, desk, car and emails is a great way to start the year without feeling the burden of the year before. Many of you will be on top of this already, but how’s that inbox looking? Don’t be afraid to liberally apply the delete button, unsubscribe from unwanted updates, check your FB settings to make sure that your privacy is protected and you’re not getting notifications all day.

Now that you’re on top of the organization front, you can at least go back to work feeling like you have a head start.

3. Beautify your space.

If you have a desk, keep it clear – but not so clear that there is not something to rest the eyes on when you need a “calm blue oceans” moment. Fifty nick nacks is not a help, but a small plant, a picture of puppies/ kittens/ unicorns/Johnny Depp, will!
If you work in a store, or somewhere else where the space is not your own, think of things you can have on you at all times that make you feel a bit more special. Try silk knickers, a new fragrance, a locket with a picture of your happy making place. For chaps, things like gorgeous tie pins, a fresh manicure and even an old fashioned hot shave will go a long way to making you feel brand new.

4. Prepare the snappy come back.

This may sound a little pessimistic, but undoubtedly there will be those who will think nothing of ruining your holiday buzz with their kill joy attitudes. Let’s try-

“ I love being back at work, the dog wasn’t quite enough of an audience for this level of awesomeness.”
“Being back at work is just great. It really makes the weekends that much more fantastic.”
“I’m so thrilled to be back at work, I was really missing those LOL cats.”
“Lucky I’m back at work this week. Now I can stalk you in real life instead of just on FB.”
Or just mess with them and tell everyone that you can’t talk to them unless they hold up this giant @ reply cut out, cause that’s the only way you’ll pay attention these days.
… but seriously..

5. Eat well.

If you were fortunate enough to take your taste buds on a tour this break, bring the flavours back with you. Went to Thailand? Learn to cook a mean green curry and bring some to work. Sip of coconut juice for that tropical flavor. Add Pawpaw to your breakfast and relax with lemon grass tea. I know a few of you should be trying your hand and Malaysian food. And if you didn’t get away, just pretend you did and give your stomach a rest from the peanut butter sandwiches for a while.

6. Sleep.

After the New Years you had you’re still going to need it! It’s hard enough to get our body back into routine, but burn the candle at both ends and you’ll be ruined before the week is out. Plan to spend the evenings of your first week back in the most relaxing way you can. Skip the alcohol in favour of non caffeinated tea. Give yourself a foot spa or a long bath, then relax for half an hour with a chilled or warmed eye mask before hitting the hay before 10pm if you can.

These are my top tips for avoiding the post holiday blues. If you have some excellent ones that work for you, please share them in the comments. Goodness knows we can all do with a hand at this time of year!

Here are the in depth tricks to creating Sophia Loren’s classic cats eye liquid liner look. I spent many hours studying photos of Ms. Loren and just how she achieved this look over the years. Now I’ve broken it down into simple steps for you!  I’ve started this look with my face already made up with a matt base, pink pouty lips and lightly smokey eye. There are new tutorials coming on how to achieve this basic look too, but for now we’re concentrating on the liner which is all you need to add to your current day time look for a sexy alternative.

 

Products Used

Essence – Liquid liner in black with brush tip

Flat angled brush

Maybelline ‘Falsies’ mascara in black

Dark brown shadow by Physicians Formula from the Baked Sweets Trio

Lash Grip clear lash glue

Flat Nose tweezers from Manicare

There are lots of new tutorials in editing at the moment. Hair, makeup, skin care; even cooking!  If you have any suggestions for things you’d like to see, please ask away. In the meantime, make sure to subscribe to my Super Kawaii Mama You Tube channel where all the new video content appears first!

~Sophia Loren & Guess Jeans~

When it comes to high voltage casual looks, no one does it better than the classic hollywood bombshell. And nothing captures this look better for me than the iconic Sophia Loren.  When I started thinking about what I wanted to wear for today’s date to the playground with my daughter and my girlfriend, I turned to Ms Loren for a bit of inspiration – vamping up the look with some killer cats eye makeup. It was once I’d actually dressed and looked in the mirror I was drawn by the parallel between the classic Loren look and the gorgeous Guess Jeans campaigns.  This wasn’t a tricky look to achieve by any means, and was perfectly practical for a day spent in a seaside park, eating burgers and playing on the grass.

Outfit Details

Gingham western shirt with pearl snaps – Harris Scarfe

Denim stretch capri jeans – Bernie Dexter

Lucky Horseshoe necklace – Etsy

Rope soled wedges – Target (years ago)

Carved scrimshaw style bangle – Diva

Eye makeup – Inspired by Sophia Loren and a new tutorial coming soon!! (Currently in editing)

* All original images by Helen McLean for Super Kawaii Mama.com – Images may be reproduced with appropriate permissions. Feel free to add to Pinterest etc.. with linking credits.*