To celebrate the brand new fashion season, 7 West Australian celebrities were invited to put together a winter outfit for Rockingham Shopping Centre … to raise money for 7 different charities.

And I have been chosen to be one of those “celebrities”. Haha! I’ve never actually been called a “celebrity” before!

Also participating, are 3 Australian Football League players, a radio DJ, a local Mayor, and another fashion blogger. Each celebrity nominates their favorite charity… and my chosen charity is The Ride To Conquer Cancer, with funds going directly to the internationally recognised cancer research at the WA Institute of Medical Research.

We each were given some time to”go shopping”. The guys (apparently) went into 2 stores and grabbed their outfits in 15 minutes flat.

Me? I took nearly 1.5 hours… I went into something like 20 shops and I grabbed soooo much stuff. I picked out 3 or 4 possible outfits and I couldn’t really decide which to go with. The poor marketing coordinator was following me around with a rack on wheels, full of my chosen clothes. I felt so embarrassed for my indecisiveness and I was so grateful to her!

Later on I bumped into Will Schofield of the West Coast Eagles – and in case you don’t know, AFL players are all massive, tall, young, hot, super athletes with the bodies of gods… and most of them seem to have too much facial hair ;)

Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to get his autograph – which would have been very cool for my sons, who regard him to be a REAL celebrity.

Anyway.

This is me wearing my styled outfit. When I picked out the items I was a bit nervous that the bits and pieces might not work together… but when I eventually wore the outfit, I just adored it! It’s very me and very much in my style – modern classic, feminine, and polished.

For the actual styling challenge, I was asked to choose one “expensive item” and then try to keep the cost of the rest of the outfit around $150. That’s why I took so long to shop around!

My most expensive item was the Portmans White Blazer ($99.95) and the rest of my outfit was $166.75, which is excellent value for one whole outfit.

Navy tank from Temp ($6.95), lace skirt from Dotti ($9.95), monochrome metallic clutch from Valley girl ($16.95), t-bar studded shoes from Novo ($79.95) and silver necklace from Valley Girl ($12.95).

This is my final outfit on a model… check it out here!

If you vote for a celebrity’s outfit, Rockingham Shopping Centre will donate $1 to their chosen charity and YOU go into a draw to win $150.

And even better, if your celeb’s outfit receives the most number of votes, you go into the draw to win $1,000!

Voting starts NOW and ends 5pm Thursday 27 June 2013.

Please vote for me!

All you have to do is leave your name, email, suburb and postcode. It takes less than a minute!

You can vote as many times as you want but are limited to once per day, per celebrity.

According to the terms and conditions, anyone (from anywhere in the world) can vote, but if you win the $1000 (or $150) gift card, it is only for spending at Rockingham Shopping Centre. So I guess you have to be a resident of Western Australian. Or at least, have a friend who lives here :)

Thanks for your support!

xxx

Looking up at the trees this morning, I was struck by the thousands of leaves waiting to fall to the ground… with each leaf being the brightest and happiest yellow I’ve ever seen.

New beginnings. Fresh start. Anticipating the new. I’m not exactly sure what kind of symbolism inspired me.

But I was filled with the warmest sense of happiness and contentment… about life, about my loving husband, children, parents and friends.

And I was once again humbled by how blessed I am.

So here’s me wishing all my readers a wonderful start to the week!

Love and sunshine to you all xxx

Meet my new favourite jacket! It’s a light weight, classic tweed jacket with a speckled blue and metallic colour.

While my overall dress style is not so ”ladylike”… I like that it gives a big nod to Chanel’s iconic tweed jacket and I like that I can wear it with boyfriend jeans, for a bit of modern contrast.

I popped it over my black and white outfit, to amp up the style and also to soften the leather pants.

I’m already looking forward for the weather to warm up so I can wear it with summer shorts and mini skirts.

Outfit Details:
Blue Tweed Jacket by Shinn from YesStyle
White top by In Good Company
Leather pants from Topshop
Black wedges by NineWest from The Iconic
Handbag by Rebecca Minkoff from Shopbop

( See all my Daily Outfits here )

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

We rode through parks and playgrounds, and eventually we stopped at the top of a little hill, looking down into a small pond. Our eyes widened.

We know this pond quite well. The edge is usually full of green water reeds, and it is teaming with ducks, water birds and insects.

Today however, the pond looked as if there was some major construction or dredging going on. The water was gross, brown and septic looking. It was dirty, muddy and messy.

“Whoa! What’s going on??” The both of us exclaimed.

Upon careful observation, it looked like the local gardeners had dug up a whole lot of dying water reeds and made piles of the rotten debris. It was not a pretty sight. Or smell.

I was going to turn around and explain my observations to my 4 year old, when he asked,

“Mum what happened to the pond? Why is it all blogged up like that? It looks seriously blogged. Yuck I hate all this blogging stuff. Hang on. Don’t you have a blog? Is this what you do?”

I stood there looking at the pond. At that exact scene in the photo above.

And number of thoughts ran through my head.

Yes. The word “BLOG” is not a very pretty word.

Yes. If you join the words “Blocked” and “Bog” you do get the word “Blogged”.

After 13 years of running my blog, I think my 4yo had possibly pinpointed the most natural-sounding meaning for the word.

I wanted to laugh and cry.

And I just said, “Yep, it looks seriously blogged.”

So I’m currently lusting after some silver heels!

Metallics are set to be my new neutrals.

You?

Outfit:
Zoe Karssen sweater from Shopbop
Veda leather skirt from The Outnet
Michael Kors watch from Amazon Fashion
Silver heels from ASOS
Dannijo earrings from Shopbop
Pink Lips clutch from LuisaViaRoma

( See all my Daily Outfits here )

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

While we were in Dunsborough, some friends took me to Samudra Cafe for breakfast.

I’ve heard of it before, as it seems that *everyone* who comes to visit Dunsborough, manages to pop in for a coffee and look around.

It’s a very pretty place. The interior, furniture, decor, outdoor setting, garden and vegetable garden had been designed beautifully and in-keeping with the whole cool, organic, hippy vibe :)

The whole Samudra centre is actually a yoga school, wellness centre, retreat, clothing store and they hold little community events for like-minded people. They have a fancy vegetarian and raw food menu, boasting produce from organic, biodynamic and fair trade sources. I must admit, I was really excited to try it out.

There was a large group of us and we had just come from an early morning run by the beach. We were a bit sweaty… and unfortunately we had to sit outside in the cold. The waitress was kind enough to bring us a wooly blanket to keep us warm.

My friends ordered some Banana Pancakes (Activated buckwheat pancakes with fruit compote, coconut cream and hazelnut chocolate syrup). They were amazing and tasted very different to any pancake and topping I’ve ever had!

The others ordered Green Smoothies (pear, apple, lemon, banana, kale).

I ordered an Organic Coffee with Organic S0y Milk – and it was divine. It was a really well made coffee, I was impressed.

A little later I got a bit hungry, so I ordered the Yallingup Fruit Toast (Organic sourdoaugh fruit toast with house jam and cashew butter) while my friend ordered the Tofu Scramble Wrap (Tofu and butternut scramble, with mushrooms and avocado, mountain corn bread, side salad with a camu-camu and passionfruit dressing). It all sounded delicious!

Unfortunately, the 2 food orders took  over 45 minutes to arrive and we were getting sooo cold sitting outside, so we had to cancel our order and leave. It was a long weekend, and it felt like the whole city of Perth was down in Dunsborough for the weekend… the cafe was crazily busy. I was pretty disappointed and hungry.

Nonetheless, the coffee was awesome, so I do plan to come back for lunch the next time I’m down here!

Samudra Kombi Cafe
226 Naturaliste Terrace
Dunsborough, WA

The kind team at Beauties Closet Korean Fashion sent over a few samples of my choosing.

A-line skirts are up on the rise in the new season.

I chose this Lady Kelly coloured lace dress, because I adored the romantic texture and the sweet A-line skirt. It is such a flattering, simple and pretty dress. The fabric is a soft, stretchy lace, with a jersey lining (very comfortable!).

There are no buttons or zips, you just pull it over your head like a jersey t-shirt and it all springs back into place, skimming over your waist and hips perfectly.

Dresses with some structure and sculptural aspects have hit the catwalks this season. Especially dresses and skirts with a “wrap” or “a fold over”.

This Lausanne Chiffon Dress is quite a nice and simple wrap dress, which looks great for an evening event. It’s made from a light polyester fabric, so it drapes nicely, looks feminine and it’s not too heavy (perfect for warm weather).

The folds are a bit random, and sometimes I wished the folds would stay in place… but it just means that the dress is more drapey and loose, than the traditional “tightly wrapped” wrap dress. It also means you can eat a lot during dinner and it covers up your tummy hehe.

It also comes in a beige and black.

This dress is possibly priced a little higher than usual dresses of this make and fabric, but hey, it’s genuinely made, branded and styled in Korea, and it’s in a unique style that I haven’t come across before.

Beauties Closet are based in Singapore and local shipping costs are nice and low, starting from $2.24. But for international customers (like in Australia), it’s about $20, depending on the weight and the items will take about 2 weeks to arrive. So honestly, this is a fab place to shop if you’re a die hard fan of Korean fashion and style!

Happy shopping!

( See all my Daily Outfits here )

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.

Last week, I attended an 1 hour, private Makeup Lesson run by Napoleon Perdis, courtesy of Red Balloon.

What I liked most about the lesson was that it was like a personal trainer showing you makeup techniques on your own face.

Sure you might watch lots of online tutorials, but there’s nothing like being able to talk and interact with the person applying the makeup to YOUR face, specially customised to your skin colour and complexion. Plus you get to decide what you want to learn.

You can ask to learn the complete basics for putting on a “going out, night time look”.

Or if you don’t go out that much, you can ask to learn a more stylish “everyday natural look”.

For me, I already have a basic “everyday natural look”. But I only use two “going out looks” – 1) The “winged eyeliner look” and 2) the “smoky eye look”. So I wanted to learn another style of eye makeup for a more “sophisticated night time look”.

I also was looking for a new lip colour. And I needed some new finishing powder, because I was about to run out.

The other thing I liked about this experience was… the makeup lesson cost $95, but you get to redeem $95 worth of products. So in a way you’re buying $95 of products, but getting a 1 hour long, personalised, one-on-one, step-by-step, real life tutorial and advice for free.

This is me, at 10am in the morning, about to start my makeup lesson!

My makeup teacher for the day was Lisa. She wiped off my existing makeup (which was just tinted moisturiser and a bit of powder) and she cleaned my face.

On the left, Lisa put some Napoleon Perdis Pre-Foundation Primer (which I already own and use) on my face. Then she applied some concealer (which was really nice!), some tinted moisturiser with a stippling brush (which I’ve never used, but I liked the effect), and she powdered my face.

The finishing powder that I have been currently using at home (for the last year or so), also happens to be by Napoleon… but I was using Shade 3. Lisa matched my colour today and it was the same product, but Shade 1! OMG I can’t believe I was using a powder shade that was so much darker than I needed! Hence my silly face in the mirror. How embarrassing.

I must’ve had a tan when I bought the earlier powder :P

On the right, she applied a bronzer on my cheekbones with an angled contour brush (which I didn’t like much, because it looked too dramatic) and she added some pink blush on the apple of my cheeks (in a really nice colour).

Before and after each step, Lisa showed me the brushes and the products she used, and explained why she was doing something and what kind of effect it would have.

I asked lots of questions and made mental notes about which products I liked and felt good on my skin.

After that, she filled in my eyebrows using a brush and brow colour. I usually use a Chanel eyebrow pencil at home. But I really adored this brushed brow style…  it looked much more natural. I made a note on the type of brush she used.

For my eyes, Lisa suggested the “classic eye look”. I know what it looks like, but I’ve never tried it on myself, because for some reason I just thought it wouldn’t suit my Asian eyes.

I told her, “I only ever use blacks, greys and blues. I don’t like using browns, because I think it looks a bit old fashioned and it makes me look and feel older. What are the most popular eye colours for people with my skin colour?”

And she said, “Um.. actually, browns!”

So I said, “Haha ok just use browns… and I’ll see how I feel about it at the end!”

I was a bit hesitant about the browns, but I decided to trust that she would give me a “modern classic look”.

She applied my mascara, eye primer, base colour, shadow, eyeliner, everything. I stopped her a lot… to take photos and to look closer at where she applied the shadow, so I could try it myself at home.

On the right was my final, finished look. I really liked it!!

The browns (and a bit of bronze) looked pretty good too… and it wasn’t very BROWN at all. More like black and dusty grey.

Plus I loved the colour she chose for my lips.

In the end, I looked at the makeup table and saw ALL the products and brushes she had used.

I was both impressed by all the great products she used… and equally shocked by how many were needed for a nice face of makeup. Us women are crazy, I tell you! :)

These were the products I eventually chose:

From the left -
Precision Angle Sable Brush Eyes ($25)
DéVine Goddess Lipstick – Colour Andromeda ($35)
Camera Finish Powder Foundation – Look G1 ($65)

My total value for the products was $125, but since my course allowed $95 of redeemable products, I paid $30. Also they had an in-store promotion, if I spent more than $120, I received a complimentary 3 piece bath and body pack hehe.

Overall, it was an excellent learning experience. And I completely recommend it :)

It is just fantastic for someone who is looking to polish up their makeup skills (like me!), or for someone who is a complete beginner, or someone stuck in a beauty rut and need some inspiration, or someone wanting to try some new products and colours (like me!), or just someone wanting a new and fresh look!

It also makes a lovely gift for a girlfriend, sister, wife, or mother.

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The team at Red Balloon are offering my readers a special promotion!

Receive $30 off when you spend $129 or more on ANY experience.

To redeem: Visit www.redballoon.com.au and enter the promotional code REDKC13 at the checkout to receive your discount.

Terms and Conditions: Offer valid until 31/12/13. Promotional Code can only be used once per person. All purchases are subject to RedBalloon T&Cs, for full details read here.

The adults and older kids organised a bit of “proper” rock climbing and abseiling. While the little kids played on the beach and did a bit of scrambling over the rocky landscape.

My 4 year old and I tiptoed over these rocks (in the photo above) and climbed up the rock face (in the background of this photo) which doesn’t actually look as scary and steep in real life!

During afternoon snacks of apples, bananas and cheese biscuits… I wandered down to the edge of the water for 15 minutes of quiet time.

I sat on a rock and enjoyed watching the slow, wave movement of the calm ocean, rising up and down the rocks. The crystal clear water looked like a mesmerising looking-glass into another realtity, rising and falling like a breathing creature.

It was a magical and so peaceful.

This is pretty much my go-to formula these days – a bold, print skirt with a print top.

I really enjoy the visual clash of odd pairings… feels a bit wrong and naughty, but in a fun and “who really cares” kind of way.

And yes I did throw on a huge black coat over the top, before I stepped outside.

As my whole outfit is pretty loud and busy, I wanted to add just a touch of jewellery on my neck and fingers.

Bring on some new delicate pieces from Wanderlust + Co!

I’m wearing Petite Bar Necklace from the Les Petites collection.

So classic and versatile. You can wear it with a graphic print tee, a blouse, a simple top. Wear it on its own, or layer it with other necklaces in the same metallic hue.

Also comes in silver.

I’m also wearing it with a gold layered necklace by Collette Dinnigan.

How pretty is this Gold Infinity Ring from the Simple Things collection?!

It is so simple, small and pretty, and it matches nicely with other rings I own.

Also comes in rose gold and silver.

Special Discount Code

To celebrate the launch of Wanderlust + Co’s brand new website, they are offering my readers a special discount code :)

Enter the code “yaykaren20” at the checkout to receive 20% OFF EVERYTHING in the store. Offer ends 21st June 2013.

My outfit details:
Star shirt by SHINN
Sequin skirt by Forever New
Rebecca Minkoff handbag from Shopbop
Nude heels from ASOS

( See all my Daily Outfits here )

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Check out more of my favourite online shops in my Women’s Online Fashion Shopping Guide.