Dedicated Follower of Fashion

Style Soundtrack: Sublime, What I Got.

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01 What I Got 1

 

Shopping Links:

Dress: Gypsy05, Cardigan: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Sandals: BC Shoes, Panama Hat: J.Crew, Necklace: Forever 21, Bracelets: Haute Betts.

Kelsi Smith.

Nailed It. On Trend Fingertips.

Ordinarily I post shots of my nails exclusively on my Tumblr, but these, these are a little too epic to not share here. Yes, I did paint them myself, so yes I am "tooting my horn" but perhaps worthy of toot or two, no?

Anyhoo, so here's how I did them. I started with Essie's Absolutely Shore - two coats. I then used Milani's Nail Art in White Canvas to paint a variety of lines and squiggles onto each nail. Some lines were wider than others, and every nail was different.

Next I used L.A Color's Art Deco in Flamingo and Seafoam Green (I picked these up in a Chinatown Market for a $1 each - so heading back for more colours!) to paint more lines and add shapes (the odd triangle or curve). Lastly I used L.A Colors Art Deco in Black to add detail around the shapes - extra lines, dots and chevrons. Finish with a top coat, and voila. The whole process took about an hour (including drying time!) - so pop on a movie, and have fun!

Kelsi xx

About Face (and body, hair and nails!): 5 Things I Love.

As a fashion blogger, I am fortunate enough to court the attention of those in the beauty world as well, as a result I do get to try lot of beauty products, a lot. As a beauty junkie - it's certainly not something I'm complaining about, as a fashion blogger, it is a little tougher to integrate them into the site in a natural way - sometimes it works well and sometimes it just feels awkward.

However, at this point I have a zillion products I've been gifted, and have really, really good things to say about all of them but to write about each individually would be a little ridiculous and likely involve a name change to blog...so - problem solved - I'm going to break my reviews down into manageable chunks - 5 products, I'm loving, at a time!

1) ProActiv Make-Up Removing Cloths - $11.95

These wipes are a God send for the lazy/busy girl (aka me) - if it weren't for convenient wipes like these I shudder to think the state my skin would be in. I've been using wipes for years (it's the traveller/festival goer in me) but these are some of the best I've come across. They really remove everything (even stubborn mascara!) and they stay super moist - so you only need one wipe. Yayness.

2) StrivectinSD - Eye Concentrate - $59

Every time my Mum see's a picture of me at an event she always comments on how tired I look (this is a Mum thing - non?) I always respond with the fact that it's probably because I am tired - because more often than not I got up at 6am on two hours sleep to produce the event that I am being photographed looking tired at. Le sigh.

Well this fancy cream I picked up at the Kari Feinstein Lounge for the Golden Globes (yes it's been that long and I've now been using it a month...) seems to be fixing the problem quite nicely. So now all I can expect from my Mum are calls asking why I look so awake - am I not working hard enough?! ;)

3) Sheer Cover by Leeza Gibbons - Dual Compact Concealer - $19.95

This concealer was popped in my giftbag after a lovely breakfast with the lovely Leeza Gibbons herself (you can read about that here) - I'm a concealer fiend. I tend to not wear a ton of make-up - I rarely wear base, if I do it's a tinted moisturizer, so concealer is a must for me. Have to fix those dark circles that the Strivectin hasn't quite gotten rid of yet and my nasty spots (pimples in American)

The great thing about this concealer is it's thickness and coverage - you really only need a tiny smudge to conceal even the worst hormonal spots (anyone else get them - I swear - a week before my period my chin becomes a swollen lump - not fun!) The dual colours are great too - lighter for under the eyes and a little darker for spots - and totally blendable too. Yay.

4) Cover Girl - Nature Luxe Mousse Mascara - $8.99

I'm pretty fussy about my mascara I find I favourite and I stick with it, for years that was Lancome Defincils - but being short of funds I have ventured to the make-up aisle of the drugstore, I've tried a few and been horribly disappointed but after being gifted the new Cover Girl Nature Luxe mascara by Amy Nadine (Cover Girl make-up artist) herself I am incredibly impressed!

It goes on super smoothly, no clumping whatsoever, one coat creates naturally long and luscious lashes - and it's completely buildable - a few more coats, no more clumping and a great dramatic look. All for under $10. Amazing!

5) Degree Motion Sense Deodorant - Clinical Protection

Nothing particularly glamourous about a deodorant, but this stuff is as good as it gets. It smells good, and keeps me smelling good, all day. It leaves no marks on my clothes and goes on easily. Sure it's a wee bit pricier than your standard deodorant - but it's entirely worth it.

As a side note you can still win prizes in Degree's Get Moving Program throught their Facebook page plus you can get 5 extra points if you use the code 'GetMoving053' - so go have fun with it!

Kelsi Smith.

 

Gym Bunny: Yoga Force Mat

Ah it's a Gym Bunny...and it's been forever. I have a stack of these saved up for y'all and have been getting fit all summer and whilst I'm steady at 172lbs (yep exactly 172lbs - no change, isn't that weird?!) my clothes fit better and I feel healthy (of course that could be something to do with also giving up smoking...)

Anyhoo, one of my new favourite workout tools is the Yoga Force yoga mat. I was fairly skeptical when it arrived, I mean really - how much difference can using a fancy yoga mat with lines on make? Well, quite a lot.

The most exciting feature of the mat is it's lines and shape. Ergonomically designed and featuring "orientation lines" it completely revolutionizes my yoga experience. Being able to align my feet, legs and arms up with the "grid" printed on the map really improves my overall alignment and most importantly, my balance. For those reasons alone, this mat is worth it.

In addition, this mat does not bunch or move, something I have experienced with cheaper mats that totally ruins my workout flow - adjusting my body constantly is one thing, having to adjust my mat is a whole other. Another feature I completely adore is it's built in carrying system, the mat rolls up easily and the attached straps clip together to make a handle. So easy and so convenient.

Overall I don't have a bad thing to say about the Yoga Force mat - the price is a little steep, but, if you're a devoted yogi - or even hit up a class a few times a month - it's totally worth it and will improve your yoga experience immensely.

Yoga Force Mat courtesy of Yoga Force - available here at $79

Kelsi Smith.

Pavement Princess: Impromptu Beach Day!

You have absolutely no idea how long it took to upload this post. Well, if you follow me on Twitter, you may have a vague idea... Charter internet is the pain in my arse that will not quit. AT&T UVerse needs to be available in my area now...

Anyhoo. With the chaos of the past month I have resolved to take it easy for the rest of the summer on the run up to my trip back to Blighty. Of course my idea of taking it easy is; covering the US Open of Surf in Huntington Beach, heading down to San Diego for Blog Her and then running off to Vegas for the tradeshows...as well as squeezing in as much blogging and staycation time as possible.

It all started today - finding myself on the ocean's side of town after dropping some returns off at Seychelles HQ (their Spring/Summer 2012 collection is to die for - and that's about all I can share...) I headed off to Manhattan Beach to chill out before heading back to make more appointments on my side of town.

I managed to squeeze in some research (read: shop and eat) while I was there so expect a "Better Know Your Neighborhood - Postcard Edition" shortly and also shot some ShopGirl footage...seen as it's almost been a year since my last Shopgirl post - woo! So lots more on Manhattan Beach to come soon, but first, the outfit!

I am wearing: Skirt: American Apparel, Shirt: JCrew, Necklace: Forever 21, Bracelet: Courtesy of Pirate Romance, Sunglasses: Rayban, Sandals: Courtesy of BC Shoes, Emerald ring: vintage, Typewriter ring: Robynn Molino, Satchel: Ebay.

Kelsi xx