Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Sunday Sounds : Iron & Wine



I love a bit of Iron & Wine, and seeing the latest Twilight film (don't judge me, I can't help myself) reminded me of how pretty this song is.


Perfect for slowdancing with all the lights off.


x

Thursday, September 6, 2012

NZFW : Day Three

What I wore - Day Three (sore feet and the start of a cold)

Today felt like everyone stepped it up another notch. Fashion finally found the flamboyant fabulousness I was looking for! 

Key colours: black, blue and buttercup yellow.
Textures: understated; today it was more about prints and colour.
Outfit I wanted to rip straight off the model: The blue rose print dress at BLAK (actually the first 10 outfits at BLAK), and the beautiful yellow dress at Salasai .
Most fabulous fashionista off the catwalk: Colin Mathura-Jeffree! After playing it safe Tuesday and Wednesday, he finally went a little crazy today and I loved him for it. See a pic below.
Favourite makeup look: the BLAK models were gorgeous, both hair and makeup.
Favourite catwalk styling: The urban navajos at Salasai.
Highs: the street fashion was the best it has been all week, plus sitting next to the lovely Charlotte Ryan at BLAK.
Lows: fashion burn-out.


Backstage at BLAK. 


 Lauren Gunn's gorgeous hair for BLAK.

Black roses for the BLAK front row. 

Colin Mathura-Jeffree and Nick Klarwill 

Photographers' Pit at the end of the runway 

 Models getting ready at Salasai





I'm playing hooky tomorrow and missing the last two shows, but I will post some more pictures over the next few days.

x


Wednesday, September 5, 2012

NZFW : Day Two


What I wore - Day Two (a little Spring colour)

Day Two and everyone seems to be hitting their stride. The energy back stage was brilliant today, and the textures being created with model hair were divine...see below. The evening finished with Trelise Cooper, who brought much-needed 5* glamour to FW Day 2. Two down, one to go!

Key colours so far: cherry red, jade green, English mustard yellow, periwinkle.
Textures: velvet (yes!) including beautiful black velvet lace at twentysevennames, open-weave knits, more fur and lots of shine.
Outfit I wanted to rip straight off the model: I would quite happily have worn most of the outfits shown today, although I felt most affinity with twenty-seven names.
Most fabulous fashionista off the catwalk: Samantha Hayes, gorgeous with her flame red hair over a yellow knit. Best star quality so far, without looking over-styled.
Favourite makeup look: I couldn't get a good shot of it, but I loved the twinkling green in the corners of the Riddle Me This models' eyes.
Favourite catwalk styling: A tie: toffee apple red rubber sandals and grunge-beanies at twenty-seven names and the gorgeous, whimsical brides at NZ Weddings.
Highs: the Blue Sky fashion show, with Ingrid Starnes and twenty-seven names. Great food, fresh coffee and a genius venue that let almost everyone sit front row.
Lows: Maybe I'm getting old, but the music at most of the shows is way too loud, I noticed a lot of gritted teeth. I also wish the models looked like they were having a little more fun (Penny Pickard excepted, she positively bounces down the catwalk).



 Yummy breakfast canapes at Blue Sky

Pretty in pink by MAC for Ingrid Starnes
(image courtesy of MAC) 

Runsheets

Strawberry Shortcakes at twenty-seven names (and those toffee apple sandals) 


Kokako Chai Latte and Coconut Ice for morning tea 

Amazing hair texture back stage 

Many hands make light work.

 My favourite model, Seon, backstage before NZ Weddings.


Beautiful front row at NZ Weddings.

Flower nymph brides at the NZ Weddings Show.

Back again tomorrow!

x

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

NZFW : Day One


What I wore - Day One (palette inspired by the weather)

So, New Zealand Fashion Week rolls around again! Today has been crazy and fun already, and it's only half over. As I type this, I'm about to head backstage again to shoot Hailwood, Juliette Hogan and Zambesi. Wicked!

Key colours so far: nudes, jade greens, ox blood red and, of course, black.
Textures: fur and sequins (hoorah! half my wardrobe already...) and some gorgeous floaty prints on satin and chiffon.
Outfit I wanted to rip straight off the model: Coop floral velvet bed jacket over a gold sequined dress.
Most fabulous fashionista off the catwalk: none yet, still looking! Although Michaela from MAC is leading the charge (see below).
Favourite makeup look: Cybele by Olivia Russell for MAC.
Favourite catwalk styling: Grunge-inspired beanies at Ruby.
Highs: Being part of the buzz back stage.
Lows: realising the 'emergency' chocolate bar I was saving from my NZFW loot bag was in fact a sachet of Chai Latte.

Michaela from MAC

Cybele makeup by Olivia Russell for MAC
(image courtesy of MAC cosmetics)


Model downtime, wearing new MAC shade 

Gorgeous platinum blonde

Grunge-inspired beanies at Ruby.

Will post more later! Let me know what you think?

x



Sunday, August 19, 2012

Sunday Sounds : First Aid Kit



This song 'Waltz for Richard' by First Aid Kit stays with me for hours every time I hear it. Lilting and gentle, it's the perfect accompaniment to tea, maple syrup pancakes and a cold Sunday morning snuggle in bed.


x

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Sunday Sounds : Daughter



No apologies made for another female acoustic, it's my Sunday morning sensibility. Hope you like this live version of Youth by Daughter, I'm playing it quietly and enjoying an unexpected lie-in while my little one snores.


x

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Walking on sunshine


Ahhh, shoes. A new favourite pair is like a shot of happiness to the soul.

I bought these Superga Henry Holland colab sneakers a few months ago and have been wearing them non-stop. I love the looks I get as I walk down the street, and how people either love them (like I do) or think they look ridiculous.

Either way, it feels good to let my feet do the talking for a change.

x

Monday, August 6, 2012

Honey I pimped the crayons



My nearly 2 year old has suddenly discovered the delights of putting colour to paper (and table and wall), so my first instinct was to grab a box of Crayolas for her.


However, we had stopped into The Department Store to get a  candle (Mad et Len in petit papier - my new candle obsession) and she made a beeline for these yummy honey candles at Nature Baby.


Fat and generous, they're perfect for little hands and they don't break like traditional crayons do so they last forever. Plus they smell absolutely delicious. Xzibit would approve.


x

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Sunday Sounds : Clock Opera



I love indulgent, meandering British bands that sound like they were made for rainy outdoor festivals and huge, open-air audiences. I have just discovered Clock Opera and can't wait for their album to be released here, until then thank god for youtube!


Happy Sunday, I can just see some tinkling rain on the windows, how appropriate.


x

Friday, August 3, 2012

Shoes with a sunroof


Although I love to share my finds on Beaunz, I also take great delight in being able to respond 'Oh these? 10 years old' when asked where I bought a pair of shoes or an item of clothing. The sad thing is most of my wardrobe is that old, with a toddler there are few excuses to splash out on designer threads, but at least it means I don't often meet my fashion doppleganger at events.

When I asked moochi PR Manager Rebecca where she got her amazing cut-out brogues at the showroom day, I expected her to say they were vintage moochi, but no! They will be in store in the next couple of weeks and are part of the new season collection.

I love the way Rebecca has styled them too, by knotting her billowy pants at the ankle for maximum visibility. I'm checking the website daily to see when they become available, and if anyone else buys them too, I'd love to see photos of how you style them (you can post them on my facebook page). I'll be pairing them with cropped jeans and my Therese Rawsthorne twist shirt...then a maxi-skirt and snuggly jumper...then leopard print tights and a slouchy t-shirt dress...the options are endless! And best of all, as the weather warms you'll get that delicious tickle of sunshine through the cut-outs.

x

Thursday, August 2, 2012

moochi moochi blues

moochi Spring mood boards

Well, Beaunz belles, it's been awhile! And who better to coax me out of my frenzied screenwriting haze than one of my favourite local brands, moochi. I was invited along to their Spring showroom day (complete with chocolate brownies made by Kellie's mum, yum!) and what a breath of fresh air it was at the end of a (rare) wet and windy week.

There were too many beautiful things to only show one photo, so here are a few. Keep your eye out for new arrivals from next week onwards, instore and online.

Gorgeous, slinky blue pyjama-style blazer.

This look took me back to eating grilled squid at sunset on Oia, Santorini.

Amazing ombre-texture pumps that remind me of this gorgeous knitwear by Alexander Wang.

I'd like to buy both of these and belt them over a breezy summer maxi.


And of course, I had to finish on Kellie's mums delicious brownies. I have a few more goodies to post about (come back tomorrow for the cutest shoes I've seen in months) but the others you'll have to wait until I have purchased them first, just in case you beat me to it.

It's good to be back :)

x

Friday, July 6, 2012

Time to take a moment...


You may have noticed that I haven't been posting much lately, and it's mostly because I have so much going on in my professional writing career that (unpaid but much loved) Beaunz has been neglected.

The plan is to keep posting as and when possible, but it won't be every day for the next little while. If you want to know when new posts go live, you can sign up to receive 'Beaunz mail' on the top right, or like Beaunz on facebook, so new posts show up on your newsfeed.

I do have some beautiful things I'm trialling at the moment, so I promise to post soon.

x

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

The eternal body debate

Illustration from Emma Leonard

I’ve commented on Beaunz before that I’m one of those people who loses her appetite completely when I’m stressed or emotional, and unfortunately that’s been true for the last couple of months. For various personal and professional reasons I’ve been under the pump, and it’s not been unusual for me to get to dinner and feel dreadful then realise I haven’t had more than tea and coffee all day.


The result is that I’m looking and feeling decidedly scrawny, all my lovely girly clothes look like they’re being worn by an adolescent boy, and my jeans have that unsightly saggy bit in the middle at the back, where my bum should be. Nice…not.
Anyway, the reason I decided to write about it on Beaunz is because I was trying on clothes in a shop recently and the assistant commented that she wished she had my ‘figure’. What figure?! How can it be that this woman wants to look like me? Especially when I’m feeling so unfeminine and self-conscious about it. Give me boobs over peanuts any day! 

But then, I’m also reminded of when I had to put on 5 kilos before being allowed to start fertility treatment, and feeling enormous and equally unlike myself during that time.

It’s just got me thinking about weight, and body image, and how inextricably linked they are to our self-esteem. I know it’s a bit heavier than my usual posts (pardon the pun) but I would love to know your thoughts and experiences. Are you happy with your body right now? Would you like to be curvier or thinner? And when was the last time you felt truly happy with your body?

x


Monday, July 2, 2012

A pair of hearts



One of the lovely staff at Dizengoff commented that my afternoon tea was perfectly coordinated with my handbag on Saturday. So true!


It got me thinking about love hearts, and how much that happy little shape lifts my spirits whenever it appears in my life. What can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic.


x

Friday, June 29, 2012

Currently...June



Photographing: in the afternoon sun; everything looks gilded.

Saving for: a trip to London for my friends Daniel and Simon's wedding. Yaah :)

Eating: Leon Indian Pot Roast Chicken. Delicious + effortless = 10/10.

Coveting: Salasai Field Tee from their SS2012/13 collection.

Drinking: Cut me and I would bleed Dilmah English Breakfast right now!

Watching: All the trailers for the NZ Film Festival. So far I've booked 8...tune in next week for a round-up.

Reading: Lost at E Minor e-newsletters. A funny and inspiring way to start each day.

Listening to: Tomas Barfod; like listening to the stars.

Wearing: Superga X Henry Holland lilac leopard print plimsolls. Me to a T.

Talking about: Kimdotcom. How long before the movie deals?

Waiting for: Homeland Season 2

Smelling: Snow - there's that sharp, dry, bite in the air.

Searching for: a Sugar Daddy to take me here. It's like CS Lewis designed a house for Salvador Dali.

x

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Wear your childhood on your sleeve


If, like me, you spent your childhood eating guavas and green gage plums and feijoas straight off your garden trees, you'll love the fruity earthiness of Jo Malone's latest fragrance.


Blackberry & Bay launches in New Zealand in September and although picking wild blackberries is more a British than kiwi sensibility, there is something universally appealing about its warm, crushed fruit notes. 


At first spritz I wasn't sure about wearing something so simple and fruity (I like my perfume heady, floral and bordering on animalic) but once it dried and warmed on my skin it became much more complex and woody. 


One of my favourite things about Jo Malone fragrances is that their simplicity and quality mean that they smell different on everyone. Rather than evaporating off with the alcohol content like so many commercial fragrances do, the rich raw ingredients embed themselves into your skin and make magic. 


When you find your signature Jo Malone, it somehow makes you smell just like you, only better. Isn't that what perfume should do?




Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Tell me about it, stud



Love this saucy little collar from Saben, it would look so cute over a Juliette Hogan print dress, or a white button down, or on a bare-chested waiter...


x

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Happy Birthday to me



What's the best thing about birthdays? For me, it's not the presents or the cakes or the bubbles, it's hearing from all your favourite people in the space of one day. 


Way to put a smile on a girl's face.


x

Monday, June 18, 2012

Twenty seasons in one line a day



As a child, I would be given one of those little brown leather diaries with a golden lock and key each Christmas, and I adored hiding them away and writing down all my secret thoughts.


As a grown-up, there is hardly time to write a shopping list let alone keep a handwritten record of memories...until I found this cute 5 year Q&A diary which asks you one question a day, and gives you just enough space to write a couple of lines. You repeat it each year until the diary is full.


What can you smell right now?
What was your favourite hour today?
What worries you?
Who do you feel close to right now?


I have just started mine, and can't wait to see it (and me) evolve over the next 5 years. If things change as much as they have since 2007, anything is possible!


x