Kitchen Beautician: Luxorious Lather

Splish splash! One of the nicest things you can do for yourself is just relax. I’ve had a pretty busy time this week and always need a minute of down time to purely rejuvenate. Taking a milk bath is one of the oldest tricks in the book. In fact, it’s claimed to be a favourite of Cleopatra + Queen Elizabeth… and we all know how glamourous they were! Milk baths are amazing for a few of reasons. First, milk contains lactic acids + alpha hydroxy acids. These break-up the “glue” that keeps dead skin on your body. Soaking in a milk bath followed by a quick rinse in the shower can eliminate a lot of dead skin with very little effort. Second, it contains vitamins A + D which are skin softening. And last but not least, you can switch it up and use any kind- soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, or goats milk which are all beneficial to your skin’s health in different ways.


It’s easy to create your own version of this ancient favourite. Here’s my know how…


Pour one half gallon of Vitamin D milk into your drawn bath water. Fill a fabric satchel or pouch with chamomile tea and lavender pieces and tie it up tight. Let that soak with water. It’s like a big tea bag. Last, for an amazing fragrance, float a couple of gardenias on the surface. The steam will bring out the scent. You can add bubbles if you want. But most important, relax + enjoy.

Happy Relaxing!

Saskia XO

LONDON 2012: Olympic Games

Well it's here. What more can I say?! After 7 long years of preparation, hard work and effort, the day to open the games is finally here!
It will be the 30th Olympic Games officially started in London, England today with expectations of 1bn people worldwide expected to watch as the spectacular opening ceremony kicks off!





LET THE GAMES BEGIN!


Will you be getting patriotic Britain??!!


Saskia XO

Easy Breasy Summer Hair

Personally, I've always thought that nothing says summer better than easy breasy tosseld tassles (a.k.a. cute wind-in-the-hair summer fancies). 

Recently, my favourites have been manipulating the essential 'plait' or 'braid' and the traditional 'bun'. Although, volumised, beach babe loose wavy hair screams Cali Girl (which is a style that most of us automatically associate with summer), there are sleeker more refined ways to look effortlessly hot this summer...plus, you will be surprised to know that these sleek up-do's require less product than the 'messy look' ("no!", you say?!!) 

So my message: this summer, be sure to try out one of these amazing styles (using inspiration from the images above!)

Will you go sleek this summer?

Saskia XO

Fall in Love with CUTOUTS!

Cutouts sometimes get a bad rap. And understandably so. When worn with 7-inch Lucite heels and a zebra print micro skirt, there’s nothing chic about them. However, when done right, I really love the trend. I particularly love cutouts in unexpected places such as the collarbone area, the shoulders, at the hips of a modest dress or the back of a pretty tunic. In fact, cutouts were a noteworthy trend on the Spring 2012 runways. Designers including Stella McCartney, Proenza Schouler and Roland Mouret featured the scissor happy statement on their catwalks solidifying the piecemeal look as a key trend for 2012.

Without further ado, here are a few of my favourite cutout options…

A cutout at the hip is demure yet incredibly sexy in a very understated way. I love how unexpected it is on this chambray dress.

A sliced up neckline is a simple way to embrace this trend without going too far out of your comfort zone. This coral cutout swing top is the perfect summer staple for a night out on the town with friends or even a business meeting when paired with a relaxed linen blazer.

Last but not least, my favourite unexpected cutout is on the back. Make your exit as memorable as your entrance with a dress or blouse with a cutout back. I think this lace cutout mini is perfect for work or play.

So this summer, get scissor handy! I'll be sure to carry out this craze!

Are you going to give this trend a try?

Saskia XO

Beauty Faux Pas: How to Fix a Bad Tan!

So girlies, it's summer. And this usually entails getting those pins out....however, not when they're pasty, or.....streaky!!! Is there anything worse than slathering on some self-tanner only to find (the next day) that you’re personally responsible for transforming yourself into a human zebra? Discovering that your fake tan does in fact look incrediblyfake—complete with streaks and smudges—is a modern day beauty disaster. And major disappointment. I’ll be the first to admit that it has happened to me on more than one occasion. So what’s a girl to do? Simple. Mix together freshly squeezed lemon juice with a few teaspoons of baking soda until the powder becomes a paste (not liquid). Then take a shower and exfoliate areas of extreme streakiness using the lemon-powder mixture until the unwanted tan disappears.


Baking soda is a fantastic exfoliate. It’s nonabrasive and leaves your skin feeling incredibly smooth. (Trust me, try using it on your face mixed with a few drops of water instead of lemon and you’ll never spend a fortune on expensive exfoliating scrubs again.) Lemon juice is naturally acidic and it acts like a mellow form of bleach; it works to remove unwanted colour. When baking soda is mixed with lemon juice, the results are amazing.


The next time you find yourself with a less-than-stellar faux tan, turn to your fridge :-)


Have another Beauty Faux Pas dilemma? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll do my best to cover it in an upcoming post.

Saskia XO

Lovely Liberations: Pink Grapefruit Margarita!

Happy Monday love bugs!
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. This week, I thought I'd start Monday off on a summer step!


Blame it on my mother, but I am a huge fan of margaritas—especially the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe for Pink Grapefruit Margaritas from her cookbook, How Easy Is That. Honestly, it’s everything you could ever ask for in a good marg: refreshing, not too sweet, and relatively easy to make (and drink).

As another scorcher takes it's toll across London, for those of you who are planning a summer barbeque or simply a night in with friends, this is a must-serve cocktail. But, if alcohol isn’t for you, just swap out the liquour for sparkling water or Sprite. It’s just as delicious!

Pink Grapefruit Margaritas
Barefoot Contessa: How Easy Is That?

Serves 4
Ingredients

• 1 cup ruby red grapefruit juice
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup triple sec orange liqueur
• 3 cups ice
• 1 cup silver tequila
• 1 lime cut into wedges 
• Kosher salt

What’s your favourite summertime sip?

Saskia XO

Life's Little Luxuries...

They say life is about the small stuff, and I couldn’t agree more. Whether that means finding a pretty flower in your garden, singing in the car all by yourself, or finding one last quarter at the bottom of your purse when you’re parking at a meter—it really is all about the little things. In light of these moments, I thought it would be fun to put together a list of my top 10 favoUrite little extravagancies to relish in… 

Breakfast in bed. I get in the habit of setting my alarm clock every day of the week so that I can wake up early and be productive. But once it a while it’s nice to turn off my alarm and spend the morning curled up enjoying a little bite in bed.



Pouring lavender oil into a bubble bath. I love lighting candles and soaking in a steamy hot bath when I’m feeling stressed or tense—adding a sweet smelling oil like lavender or jasmine can make this little luxury even more delightful.



Stocking up on luxurious travel-sized goodies. These tiny beauty treasures are the perfect inexpensive additions to any packing list, especially if you love using quality, compact-sized products for traveling. It’s a little dose of luxury in 3 ounces or less!



Getting lost in a great new novel (and ignoring my phone). I’ve always thought that no movie or TV show—no matter how great—can compare to a beautifully written story. There’s nothing quite like spending an afternoon enthralled in a fabulous book.



Snuggling in bed with nowhere to go. Starting my morning off on asnuggly note always predicts a great day to come!



Treating myself to just one petite sweet on Fridays. When the last day of the week rolls around, I like to reward myself with a tiny confection or something small that I wouldn’t normally indulge in during the week.



Getting my coffee “for here” and not “to go.” There’s something calming (and oh-so-European) about taking a rushed daily ritual and transforming it into a relaxed moment of reflection.



Indulging in an at-home facial. Too often we don’t realise how easy it is to pamper ourselves. I like to do a facial every three months or so to keep my skin happy. Why not brighten up your complexion in no time with LC's easy 5-step facial.

Buying fresh cut flowers. Flowers are one of those things that are totally unnecessary but so lovely to enjoy. They just make me happy. Whenever possible, I love to buy freshly cut peonies or roses and keep them at my bedside, on my desk and in my kitchen.



Celebrating even the smallest happy moments. After all, what good are little pleasantries if we don’t take the time to celebrate them?

What are your favourite little luxuries? 

Saskia XO

Interning at Marie Claire Magazine!

Bloggers!! I am profusely sorry for the absence of any kind of post for over 2 weeks (:O). I have been rush off of my feet with my internship at Marie Claire magazine, which was more than amazing!!


As a tribute to my time there, I am dedicating this post to it!


Sneak peak views of the September issue! (naughty! ;))










Some of my personal favs from the Fashion Cupboard:



Check out our gorgeous glass barrier come rail with goodies from Goldie London, new label Thu Thu, Rita Ora favourite swimwear brand We Are Handsome and Italian knit body suits from Body Editions. LOVE!





Shoe love in in the Fashion Cupboard. Check out these S/S beauties.



I raise you Chanel for Zara!



.....and they've got these fab pumps too!



Dolce & Gabbana metallic paillette embellished bag



Cute tassled dazzles! HOT this S/S!




THE TEAM!





So that was my internship in a nutshell, hope you enjoyed the pictures and delving into the Fashion Cupboard!!




Saskia XO

Summer Style Staples: Bracelet Layering

We’ve all seen the streams of photos on pinterest & instragram of girls showing off their epic bracelet layerings and what can I say? It truly is an art form! Below is a handy dandy guide from our lovely Jaclyn Johnson from Some Notes On Napkins on how to create a super fun arm party of your own! There are a few key components to getting a complimentary combo of metal, colour + swagger on your wrist:

1. Start with the metals. Stick with gold or silver. Choose a chunky piece and then a more dainty piece. (I like the ratio of 1 thick metal piece for every 2 or 3 thinner metal pieces.)
2. Add some colour. Give the party a pop! I really like the elastic bracelets with gold coverings for a more elegant look and the more fabric-y colourful bracelets for a daytime look. As far as colour schemes, go for a more bold look with neons or mix and match with earth tones, mustards + pinks!
3. Throw in a watch. Make sure to match your metals! Add in a retro gold watch for a glam look or throw on your every day leather watch band for additional texture.
4. Personal flare. Throw in a piece with your name or a saying your love for some extra personalisation! If you are a glam girl, add some diamonds or rhinestones. A little punk rock? Let’s see those spikes! Can’t get enough of the navajo trend? Add some printed pieces!

The best part of the party is making it your own! Show us what you’ve got on Twitter or Pinterest… 




Will you be wearing the arm candy?


Saskia XO

Kitchen Beautician: Homemade Body Shimmer!

Temperatures are rising and prom, formals + weddings have just happened or for others, are just around the corner! Which means our skin needs a little help after a long dry winter! After giving your body a good buff with our D.I.Y. brown sugar scrub, add a little shimmer to your lotion to get that perfect glow (without having to spend any money!). Here’s what I made last week in 3 easy steps to use on my friends and I (Also the Beauty Department used it on their clients attending talk shows -Brittany Snow with her gorgeous new red hair on her visit to Conan, stunning + raven-haired Krysten Ritter on her visits to both Jimmy Kimmel and Conan and Lauren Conrad on her visit to Chelsea Lately) that I thought you might like too:

TOOLS

Your favourite lotion (many make up artists have said that they are obsessed with Korres Body Butter in Jasmine because it’s natural and smells divine but any lotion that you love will work!)
Small jar of gold loose mica mineral pigment (I like Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Loose Colour Concentrate in Clove for Fair to Medium skin tones, or Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics in Acacia or Mimosa for Tan to Dark skin tones). You can also crush up an old gold or pearl pressed eyeshadow to make it loose.
A mixing bowl or tumbler, chopstick + spoon
An empty travel-sized jar or bottle

1. Combine four parts lotion with ½ teaspoon gold shimmer (or measure by sprinkling the shimmer until desired shade is achieved).
2. Stir with chopstick until colour is consistent (isn’t it gorgeous?!) then direct it towards one side for scooping.
3. Spoon out your creation and transfer it into the jar.

You can do this with coconut oil, tanning oils and many sunscreens. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll start wanting to try different shades of illuminating loose powders and add them to everything! 
Please share any of your ideas + potions too!


Will you be a kitchen beautician?!




Saskia XO

PROM!

So the event that us girls dream of for the majority of our childhood...that brings the greatest joy out of all of the female species (old or young), is of course.... the PROM! Lucky enough for me, mine was on Friday and I feel more than extatic to say that it was single handedly, one of the best nights of my being!!! 

Having lived beyond all expectations as I 'danced the night away' with my fellow girlfriends, I have attached some pictures as memorabelia of the event!

I think everyone present was in agreement that it truely was the greatest prom that we could ever have wished for!

With regards to dress code, I think I speak on behalf of all my friends on the fact that we were all in a unanimous agreement about the spec! It had to be a). glam b). a different colour to each others! c). fashionable d). beautiful!

So with that in mind, our (I'm sure you'll agree...;} ), spectacular prom dresses were chosen!

I hope that all of you bloggers who had your prom during this 'Prom Season', had just as an amazing evening and that all you 'premature promers', have a wonderful one in the future!

What did you wear to your prom?

Saskia XO