Tsi-La Organic Fragrances

Model Annie Morton and her sister-in-law Natalie Szapowalo have created a line of natural fragrances without synthetics or preservatives called Tsi-La Organics. The perfumes are made of essential oils, plant botanicals, and organic ingredients. They come in beautiful glass bottles which are handpainted.

Tumi

Tumi
Forum Shops at Caesars Las Vegas

Phone: 702.369.5885 (Caesar's Palace), 702.313.2050 (Miracle Mile Shops)

Address:

3500 Las Vegas Blvd. So. Las Vegas, NV 89109-Caesar's Palace
3663 Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89109--Miracle Mile Shops

From the Tumi website--

Tumi is the leading international brand of luxury travel, business and lifestyle accessories. Since its founding in 1975, Tumi's commitment to design excellence, functional superiority and technical innovation has made it the brand of choice for the world's most discerning and demanding consumers. Today, Tumi's award-winning products range from luggage, business cases and handbags to wallets, writing instruments and watches.

T-shirts by Harlow

The t-shirt is still an essential piece of my wardrobe and when I see ones like this I get really excited. The patterning on this is beautiful. I have also seen it in red and black but couldn't find one online to show you. Keep your eyes out for Harlow, they are doing exciting things.

This Week BG is Loving. . .

. the New LAMB bags by Gwen Stefani!

I've been missing LAMB bags since Gwen stopped collaborating with Le Sportsac. And when I saw these babys on the catwalk last seasn, I practically drooled! They are chic, cool and oh-so-versatile! I am especially loving these two, Capri and Venezia

In addition, they also have matching clutches to go with it! The top stone colored one (top left) is the large Catania, and you can get a sense of its size on the right. Its quite big. I prefer the white clutch/wallet (bottom left) more. It looks so simple and cool.

And of course, there were some cool funky things too like this Signature Carlisle Convertible Clutch Tote. Can you believe it? They are both the same bag! Even though that rasta/saddle print is a little bit too funky for my tastes, I just LOVE the idea behind the bag.

As much as I like this new collection, the thing I miss most about the old LAMB/Le Sportsac collection though is the price- this new collection now ranges from $75 to a whooping $750! Oh, and the light Le Sportsac material. It made them very good for travel. The rest of the collection can be found on the nordstrom website here.

The Softest Tees I: Splendid

I've recently been obsessed with super super super soft tees from the States. In my mind, there are two such brilliant brands, one being Splendid. Last Friday, I went to Selfridges, (the even more stylish than Neiman Marcus department store of the UK) because it was on a 20% off sale, (but I didn't buy anything.) My friend and I stood in the Splendid section just touching the shirts for a few minutes, oohing and ahhing. Seriously, they're so smooth and soft. I would have tried them on, but Selfridges only stocked the boring-looking tees which I wasn't in the mood for.

As shown by shirts like these, most of the Splendid shirts you will find in department stores are *yawn* boring. But they're great if you're just looking for really plain tees.

One thing my friend did complain about is that these tees are quite hard for non-super-skinny people to wear because they're quite body-fitting.

Don't these tees look nice and comfy. So perfect for lazy people like me. One could just roll out of bed, slip one on and run to class.

Ooo... I love this top. I'm showing it in both colours because while olive is not a particularly loveable colour, black just doesn't fully show the cut of the top. The tee has got that not-body-tight comfort while still being a nice, simple tee.

Another top I really like, although maybe preferably without the hoody. These kind of tops which come down to the hips are perfect for skinny jeans. In the picture, the model wears it with leggings and it somehow reminds me of a stylish Peter Pan. In real life though, please wear skinny jeans underneath!

One thing to keep in mind though, is that these shirts are more expensive than your typical plain tee. But I think owning one or two classic ones is worth it. You seriously can't appreciate these lovely tees until you feel or own one, and wear them over and over again.

The Softest Tees II: Clu

Yesterday, I mentioned there were two soft tees brands I love. The first is Splendid, the second one is Clu. Clu's shirts are so so so soft and light to wear. Clu's shirts usually have some sort of special design to it, but they're still relatively simple shirts. Nice, casual and relaxing. I first learnt of this brand when I went to Barneys NY. Later on at the beginning of fall, I bought a Clu long-sleeved pleated shirt and have been loving this brand ever since.

Clu makes some basic tees, but they're not totally boring. The pink tee comes in many colours, and there are actually ribbed banding around the sleeves and on the back.

These shirts are quite similar to some of the ones by Splendid, but I think Clu pays more attention to details and cuttings. (Again, please do wear pants underneath such tops!)

Doesn't this remind you of a tent? I can't decide whether it's a top or a dress but it sure looks comfy though.

Such sweet, super casual dresses. Both colours give off a summer, relaxed vibe. Looking at the pictures, wearing leggings, boots and pumps with the dresses do make the dress look a less California-ish than if worn with flip-flops -which instantly adds style points.

I LOVE this top. It's so perfectly casual-looking without looking like any old tee. I esp love that silverish grey (left.) It's such a perfect shade. I've been staring at these shirts are quite awhile, (a better alternative to doing econ homework.) Sigh, if only Clu was available in the shops where I live...

Like Splendid, Clu is pretty expensive for a cotton shirt. Actually, Clu is even more expensive than Splendid, but Clu does have more interesting designs. Anyone tried on or love Clu shirts too?

Again, most of the photos are from shopbop.com. Go check out more Clu clothes there.

Travel Essentials: Bags

Having travelled a lot lately, I've constantly faced this dilema: Which bags should I bring??
It's been tragic. I always want to bring absolutely everything. When I went to Paris for 10 weeks, I brought with me my big Coach tote for school and since I'd just gotten it then, my Miu Miu leather Satchel. Function and style (like this YSL Muse bag here) is obviously high on my list.
Although during that 10 weeks, there were times when I wished that I'd actually brought a smaller size bag just to save my shoulders and for days out when I don't need to bring my school stuff and I don't want to use my super stylish bag. Something like this Longchamp bag (which is SO french) and this Vuitton bag (which I very smartly brought with me to Sydney this time) would've been nice.
The other bag I'd brought to Paris was a black Prada sparkly evening shoulder bag (which I'd "borrowed" from my mom's collection)that can barely fit anything. While these evening bags are nice, sometimes I just wished I'd brought something more casual that is not limited to nice evenings out. (above: LV (left) and Rodo (right)).

Something like these small shoulder bags/clutch would've been ideal. I really missed my blue LV shoulder bag (bottom). A simple black shoulder bag like the top one from Juicy would not have gone amissed. And come to think of it, I REALLY want that small Chloe Paddington Clutch (middle)!! Its stylish and can be both casual and formal. Dear Santa.....

So now that I've shared my travel bag essentials, care to share what bags you can't live without?

Travel Essentials: Shoes

One of the things that take up the most space in a suitcase is footwear. Seriously, when I packed up my dorm room, I literally had a whole box full of shoes and I didn't even realised I owned that much footwear. So what are the essentials one packs for a holiday?
A must have are nice comfortable sneakers. Shown here are Hogan (left) and Puma by Alexander McQueen (right) sneakers. I personally am loving my black patent Hogans, because not only do they look good and are comfortable, they're waterproof too! No wet feet-ever.
As a girly girl, I must also have a pair of comfortable pretty shoes to go with everything. What better than flats? For winter, I am loving flats, whether is it ballerina style or loafer style (as the one shown above from Tod's). For summer, I have my metallic RL thongs, although these one shown are Musa from net-a-porter.
Then of course there is the fashionable and not neccessarily comfortable shoes. For winter, I bring classic ankle boots (they also save space!), like these ones (left) from Steve Madden. For summer, I love my Miu Miu platform sandals from last season. These ones shown here (right) though are much more seasonally versatile and they're from Burberry.

Last but not least, there are the party/evening heels that one simply MUST bring. Bring black pumps (pointy or otherwise) for winter (these adorable ones are from Dior) and bring silver sandals (like these sexy Jimmy Choo's) for summer. That way, they match all color outfits. Every girl needs a pair of smashing heels right?

So these are my footwear essentials (I know, I don't live lightly!), what are yours?

This Week BG is Loving. . .

This gorgeously delicious rose buckle belt from McQ!
I love the beautiful and intricate design of the rose buckle. It is feminine yet cool. Matched with the perfect width belt, they will be just the thing to spice up and pull together an outfit. I’ve been looking for something like this for the longest time.
Although I might just end up with something even simpler this season. A black patent leather belt with a simple buckle and the perfect width, not too wide or too thin- like this one here from Shop Intuition. I saw something very similar the other day at Lafayette and I really wanted it because it would just match with everything, but alas they were 65euros. I’m not sure something so simple is worth that much. Thoughts?

The British Fashion Awards 2006

Last night was the British Fashion Awards, which is a big thing in the UK. (Unfortunately, not a lot of big names actually attend British events -it's really more of a British fashion insiders' thing.)

Laura Bailey looking like her normal gorgeous self in Burberry.

Erin O'Conner -No idea why she was nominated for the Model of the Year Award, since I can't remember her in much shoots this year, but she does look great in the simple but funky dress.

Daphne Guinness in a Chanel dress and Christian Lacroix coat.

Vivienne Westwood, who won the Accessory Designer award, dressed up... different from the others as usual.

Kate Moss not surprisingly, won the Model of the Year Award. I know a lot of people are complaining about how it's not right for a highly-publicised drug-user to get the award, but honestly, compared to the other two nominees (Alex Wek and Erin O-Conner), Kate Moss has obviously worked a lot more and achieved more success. Anyways, see my old post on Kate Moss's ads this season.

(Left) Giles Deacon, Designer of the Year winner. (Right) Eugene Soulieman, Fashion Creator winner.

Since Giles isn't a well-known international brand, I thought I might remind you of the clothes. Above is a snapshot of the Giles FW06 collection.

This Week HG Is Loving...

The new topshop.com!
I've always loved topshop.com. It has always been one of the very few good British fashion-online-shopping sites out there, and it recently changed it's format. Now, it's waaay easier to navigate -you can actually use the 'back'button! It's also much easier to save the pictures of your favourite outfits into your computer now.

There are now more clothes online, including the Boutique, Unique, Preen collections. Plus, there are lots of new features, such as a Daily Blog, a Daily Fix subscription via RSS, podcast and editorial features. One of the features is the Christmas Lookbook, which has many simple, funky and totally-doable outfits, mainly in black:
The page I check out at least once a week is the 'New In' page. There was ALWAYS new clothes to wish for on this page.
Unfortunately, not all the links work perfectly at the moment. But good news is that rumour has it, topshop.com will start to deliver INTERNATIONAL soon!

The Non-Photographic-Looking Ads

OK, I admit the title is weird and most probably grammatically incorrect, but you'll get what I mean when you read on. As I'm sure all of you magazine devotees have noticed, there are two ads this season that look more like fine art than photographs.

Firstly, there are the Moschino ads. Def not my favourite ads, (perhaps I'm just too dense to get the message and theme of the ads.) Don't these ads look like pencil sketches to you? At least they do to me, especially the second one.
Secondly, there are the Dolce & Gabbana ads. Again, they're not my favourite ads this season, (the SS06 Dolce ads were waay prettier), but I certainly stared at them the longest of all the FW06 ads. Because if you look at all the images in one go on the Dolce website, you feel sort of like you're walking in a museum, looking at a set of paintings. All the (female) models are wearing gorgeous dresses, and some look rather... dead in the images.
This girl is probably thinking, 'At least I'm going to die with my beloved Dolce & Gabbana handbag.'

Personally, I prefer advertisements to be clear and focused photographs. But it's always interesting to have variety. Do you like this kind of ads?

And yes, I do realise all these ads are actually photophraghs.

This Week BG is Loving. . .

. Gucci platforms! They are sleek, versatile AND incredibly sexy.

For the more classic style, there are these Veruska pumps. Although I don't like how they have the white platform bit shown here, it looks cheap. The silver platform one is much better. But the good news here is that not only does it come in a range of shades, but they also come in different heights! For those who live in heels, they have it at 4.1" and for those who are completely inept in heels like me, they have it at 3.3" so if you do fall it won't hurt quite so much.
For something a bit more special, there are these Jerry platform pumps which are basically the same, except they are shimmery and at the platform there is this tiny little "Gucci" logo, which is really quite cute.

This Week HG is Loving...

2 Things this week: Ashley Olsen at the Teen Vogue cover party and Nicole Richie's brunette do.

Ashley looks absolutely AMAZING. That Calvin Klein dress is so sheer, so hard to look good in, and she managed it. And very importatnly, she managed to look sensual, as opposed to slutty, in that rather revealing dress. (It could be that the CK dress was simply extremely well designed too.)

I'm still undecided on her new dark brunette do though, so hopefully there'll be more photos of her soon.

Nicole's brunette locks may be less glam than her previous blonde one, but I'm loving the stylish edge it gives her. I've always wondered, how does she achieve those perfect bangs? Must be a lot of hairspray for them to stay in place!

Since we're talking about Nicole, for those who are out of the loop, Nicole fired Rachel Zoe and hired a new stylist this week. It's not exactly the most grateful thing for Nicole to do, afterall, Rachel Zoe did transform her from a rather trashily-dressed, BFF of Paris Hilton, to the ever-fashionable, stylish Nicole, whom we all look upon now (for style inspiration). But Nicole fired Zoe to get rid of bad influence, so that's definitely a good thing. Look out to see if Nicole's 'style' changes!

This Week BG is loving...

People watching on the streets of Champs-Elysees, a LOT of people were already wearing boots. Inspired, I went online to do some boot hunting of my own and came across these incredibly sexy Platform Knee Boots from Miu Miu.
The classic boot shape makes it a perfect match for any occasion, with skirts, with jeans tucked into it or with winter shorts- just everything. The little bow on the top gives it some more style that is feminine but not too cutesy. I’ve actually tried them on before at the store and they were FABULOUS. Even though they are extremely tall (they don’t look it, but they are 4” high!), they are relatively comfortable. I’m not much of a high heel wearer myself, but even I could walk around comfortably in them because of the solid pumps and the platform. Sigh, can we say gorgeous??

This Week HG Is Loving...

Patent flats!
So before school start two weeks ago, I was on a desperate hunt for a pair of back-to-school, everyday flats. My requirements were:
a) Bought from the high-streets so they’ll be cheap and I wouldn’t be too heartbroken when they stop looking new.
b) Preferably black, but any neutral colours would be fine too.
c) Must be made of patent leather –trendy and waterproof, which is so essential for the moody English weather.

In the end, I settled for this pair of flats (in cream & black) from Top Shop. (Sorry about my terrible shoe-photographing skills!) While it wasn't exactly what I had in mind, (I was hoping for a pair of pointed, black patent leather flats,) this pair is still pretty and very comfortable. The only thing I wasn't big about were the huge bows and the size issue.

And can I just say how much I love this patent leather shoe trend? It's been raining almost everyday in London in the past two weeks, and my cream-coloured flats still look clean -how great is that?