I remember I love playing with my collection of paperdolls for hours and hours when I was a kid. Every day after school and after my lunch I would play with them in my bedroom. I have a big cookie tin filled with paper dolls. I used to buy one every week, there's a paper doll seller right outside my school. 

Every day I play with my paper dolls is a day filled with imagination and so many characters (yes, I imagine each of my paperdolls have their own distinctive characters) with so many clothes that is easy to change. Who doesn't love paper dolls? I wish I could play with paper dolls again. 

I once did a post about the famous US paper doll "Betsy McCall". Betsy was waaay beyond my age, it was for the generation before me, but I still love to see them because they're so cute and the clothes are gorgeous. What a cute vintage style she has!

If you love Betsy McCall, wait until you see this...

These are more vintage than Betsy McCalls era, this was waaayy before her:

Victorian paper dolls!!!!

and Doris Day paper dolls:

If you love vintage stuff like I do or if you love anything Victorian like I do, then you must go gaga with above paper dolls, right? 

I love them! I'm thinking of printing them and cut them out and start my collection of paper dolls all over again. Should I do it?

Last week I received a product from Sibu Beauty. I had chosen to review the Balancing Facial Cleanser because I always wash my face every time I take a bath and I thought my face is kinda in need of some new treatment to look more radiant. Since I read at their website that this facial cleanser is capable of making skin looks radiant and feel refreshed so I thought I'd give it a try. 

Sibu Beauty is proud with their approach to beauty from the inside out and outside in. Their product line is based on the sea buckthorn berry which has been known for their protective nutrients that can help in improving skin tone and texture, healthy aging and digestive health.
The products in the Sibu Beauty system are made with only premium sea buckthorn exclusively grown and harvested for Sibu in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet.

The Sea Buckthorn Balancing Facial Cleanser which I've been using for the past week is a deep yet gentle cleanser with all-natural balancing ingredients that will gently removes dirt, impurities and make-up while maintaining a healthy balance of skin without compromising its natural protective nutrients.

It's a gel formula that comes in a pump bottle. The pump head has an open/close feature that allows you to lock the pump head so it won't spill a thing when you decide to bring it in your traveling case. 

Other than cleaning your face it also act as a lightly exfoliating facial cleanser as it contains micro-particles that will leave your face fresh, clean, and perfectly balanced. 

After a week of daily facial wash with it I do feel my skin getting a bit more refreshed and my face won't get oily so easily afterwards. The light exfoliating feature in it also makes my skin feel clean and fresh. That's not bad for only a week of usage, doesn't it? maybe in a couple more weeks my face will eventually look more radiant ;)

Oh I also love the light smell of lemon & orange scent in it especially when the first time I used it. Orange scent is the signature scent of freshness :)

Other benefits of the product is: it's also great for removing makeup and any excess oil in your face. And it's a non-foaming gel formula that is suitable for all skin types.

I would also love to highlight the fact that Sibu Beauty is proud to announce a range of sustainability initiatives which respect the earth and the resources it provides. Their containers are made from easily recycled plastic, and they are proudly active on fair trade harvesting practices in Tibet where they get their Sea Buckthorn Berries. They are also active in philanthropic outreach. All of that really proves that Sibu Beauty really want to make a difference for your health and for the planet.

DO GOOD WHILE YOU SHOP:

In 2001, Sibu Beauty founder Bruce McMullin established the Tashi Foundation, a non-profit philanthropic organization designed to provide financial and resource support for the impoverished people of Tibet, where Sibu sea buckthorn berries are exclusively harvested. 

Other Sea Buckthorn products from Sibu Beauty are Eye Cream, Facial Cream, Body Cream, Supplements, etc.

Their price range is from $14.95 for a Body Cream and $39.95 for Hydrating Serum. They also have special set or special package offers with special price.

I'm participating in the annual Color Brigade series on Cute and Little blog. It's currently Volume 19 and it's basically a fashion challenge to wear at least 3 colors on one outfit ;)

For more details about the rules and see who else is participating, click here to go to the original post.

LBD: random // Jacket: Magnolia // Flats: Poins 
 Bracelets: Indian jewelry store in ITC // Bag: Metro 
Cherry Earrings: Strawberry Anarchy via Etsy

Pairing black with one or two bright colors are a complimenting outfit. You can also go with all-black plus one bright color to accentuate it, such as all-black + neon pink clutch? Or maybe all-black  + turquoise statement necklace? Either way, think of the black as your basic canvas where you can pour colors to make a pretty painting ;)

Pairing an all-black outfit with a bold or chunky colorful necklace is also one of my style secret.
Chunky jewelry is a great way to make an outfit that's been worn to death, practically new again with a whole new look and a whole new style.  Why not check out the great chunky jewellery at www.very.co.uk.

A couple pics from one of my fashion icon Nicole Richie. Always look chic in those laid-back attire. How can she do it? I wanna know how!

Sudah lama saya mendengar tentang Level One Project yang berlokasi di Grand Indonesia tapi baru beberapa hari yang lalu saya akhirnya sempat berkunjung kesana. Letaknya di lantai 1 East Mall, agak di ujung dekat Social House. Begitu sampai, saya disambut pemandangan koridor dengan toko-toko kecil berwarna cerah.

Level One Project itu pada dasarnya adalah tempat dimana kita bisa berbelanja merek-merek urban atau label lokal di dalam satu tempat. Nah yang membuatnya berbeda dengan tempat lain yang serupa adalah kemasan konsepnya yang unik. Di Level One Project, label lokal tersebut diberikan tempat sendiri-sendiri, tapi bukan dengan deretan rak sesuai merek atau seperti stand yang ada di bazaar, melainkan setiap label punya butik atau toko kecil sendiri. Jadi konsepnya seperti satu area besar yang dikelilingi butik-butik kecil dengan warna-warni mencolok dan desain yang segar, nyaman sekali untuk dijelajahi walaupun hanya untuk "window shopping", apalagi untuk berbelanja! 

Setiap butik punya desain dekorasi sendiri sesuai dengan tema atau gaya masing-masing. Bagian depan butik juga di cat warna warni, ada yang dicat hitam, merah, biru, dan sebagainya. Menurut saya ini adalah suatu konsep belanja yang cukup unik. 

Beberapa merek lokal yang saya temui disana rata-rata sudah cukup terdengar gaungnya terutama di komunitas muda pecinta fashion urban. Nama-nama seperti Tosavica, Tik Shirt, Monday To Sunday, Ciel, dan lain-lain ditambah merk lokal lain yang tahun lalu sudah wara-wiri di panggung Jakarta Fashion Week seperti Damn! I Love Indonesia (yang digawangi VJ Daniel), Kle, Danjyo Hyoji, Deer, dan lainnya. 

Tidak hanya merek fashion, di Level One Project ini juga ada toko home furniture / home decoration dengan koleksi barang yang unik, dari yang bergaya vintage sampai yang modern. Lalu juga ada toko mainan seperti Plastic Culture (favorit saya!), dan bahkan juga ada toko yang menjual berbagai pernak-pernik kamera Lomo, namanya Lomography Embassy Store. Kalau tidak salah ada lebih dari 30 label lokal yang telah bergabung dengan Level One Project ini. 

Kalau sudah agak lelah mengelilingi area Level One Project, kita bisa beristirahat sejenak di Ismaya Catering Cafe. Kafe kepunyaan Ismaya Catering ini suasananya juga unik dan nyaman. Desainnya agak rustic tapi terlihat sangat nyaman, jadi para pria bisa menunggu pasangannya berbelanja sambil minum segelas minuman dingin disini. 

Saya pikir proyek dari Grand Indonesia ini cukup berhasil membuat para pecinta fashion jadi lebih tahu tentang berbagai label lokal yang tentunya tidak kalah bagus dengan label asing. Yang tadinya kurang mengetahui tentang berbagai label lokal ini sekarang jadi tahu bahwa Indonesia juga ternyata punya banyak label lokal yang orisinalitas dan kualitasnya layak diacungi jempol.

Secara keseluruhan sih menurut saya Level One Project mampu bersaing dengan tempat belanja lainnya, karena konsepnya yang unik membuat tempat ini semakin menarik. Selain itu saya rasa tempat ini dapat membantu merek-merek lokal untuk bersaing dengan merek asing dalam industri fashion di negeri kita ini. Dan sebaliknya Level One Project juga dapat mempermudah para calon pembeli untuk menemukan berbagai merek lokal dalam satu area saja. Penambahan kafe di dalam area ini juga sebuah nilai plus. Ditambah desain toko-toko kecilnya yang unik membuat pengalaman berbelanja di Level One Project ini menjadi menyenangkan.

Here are some outfits from Net-A-Porter that I imagine those Blair-Waldorf / Lily-Van-Der-Woodsen aka Upper East Siders women would probably wear to work (that is if they DO work in an office, like if they needed any work at all, duh) ^o^ Or maybe what a very successful career woman might wear to work... I mean who else can afford to wear all high brand items head to toe everyday, right?

Below outfit are just what I imagine those lucky ladies would wear (some of the pics below shows a woman wearing clutch, but of course they would not wear a clutch to work so we'll just have to imagine that they tote Prada or Hermes bag instead ;p)

Oscar De La Renta Boucle Tweed Jacket over a Stella McCartney off-white Ruffled Silk Satin Top, Jill Sander Skirt, Christian Louboutin Peep Toes.

 

 Miu Miu Pleated Silk Crepe de Chine Blouse in Nude with a matching Miu Miu Nude Skirt, Christian Louboutin Nude Pumps and Kenneth Jay Lane Gold Cuff.

 ... and if they do have some extra hours of work to be done at the office on a Saturday:

 SATURDAY

 Moschino Cheap And Chic Ivory Silk Blouse, Citizens of Humanity Jeans, Christian Louboutin Pumps, Lanvin Bag, Marc by Marc Jacobs Ring.

For some other inspiration on What To Wear To Work, click here.

If you want to see all my What To Wear Series, then you can click here instead and scroll down below once you got there to see other posts.

Aaahhh.... all that Royal Wedding paraphernalia really get me in the mood. Did you watched it? I didn't get up from in front of the TV for like 6 hours! One of the local TV channel aired various programs focusing on "everything about William & Kate" -- all through the day until we get to the Live Report of the Royal Wedding so I couldn't keep my eyes off the TV ^o^

So anyway, Kate Middleton's wedding gown was finally revealed. It was designed by Sarah Burton from Alexander McQueen. There are some contradictory responses regarding the dress. A lot of people agreed with the dress and praise McQueen for that but some people (including me) thinks the dress is gorgeous and elegant and really suits Kate BUT it's far from what you might expect from the house of McQueen or what McQueen usually designed. McQueen designs are known for bold and a little extra vagant while Kate's dress is a bit on the simple side which I thought is so not McQueen. We found out that Kate actually designed most of the dress so that explains the "too simple for a McQueen" gown that the Duchess of Cambridge wore ;)

Kate chose a simple, elegant and very pretty white silk and lace wedding gown with a style almost similar to what Grace Kelly wore on her wedding day to the King of Monaco. The full lace at the top and the torso-length veil is similar. But who doesn't want her wedding dress as graceful as Grace Kelly's, right?

I think Kate's dress is really beautiful and I can even see her as Queen in that royal ceremony. She does have a certain royal aura and with that tiara on her head she really looked like a Queen (anyone agree with me?).

The dress is perfect for a great occasion like that, it made me wonder what would I wear if I were in Kate's shoes? hahaha Dreamy much?

I am married now and the custom in my country (based on certain nationality and religion) is to wear a national costume called "Kebaya". It's made of lace and we usually wear Batik as skirts, but not an ordinary Batik, it's a royal Batik embellished with gold threads and sometimes added with lace so it looked like a royal skirt. So no white wedding gowns for me. 

For color options, we usually wear white for the holy ceremony and we can wear any color during the reception. Here is the pic of me wearing my white Kebaya for the ceremony:

Now being the daydreamer I am, I imagine what would my white wedding gown would be. Well, first I think I would not prefer the strapless ones because I don't know, I just don't like the ones with straps or covered shoulders better.

wedding gowns with covered shoulders:

I love both the middle pic and the last pic the most. The last pic because it has that demure vintage feel to it, really sweet looking. And I like the middle pic because it's got almost everything I wanted such as the covered shoulder, the pretty chantily lace, the sweetheart neckline, the shape of the dress, and the sheer lace veil with a gorgeous train. I prefer a long train on the veil not the dress because I think it's more dreamy looking ;)

Other than the covered shoulder I also like a ballgown shape, it's a dress with a full shaped skirt just like what fairytale princesses wear ;)

I love this tiered whole-silk-lace skirt on the dress, plus that sweetheart neckline and that sheer veil/shawl = awesomeness!

Or maybe a modern ballgown shape like this one? this is actually pretty cute too :D

I also like a sleek slenderizing look in a soft flowy fabric with empire cut like a grecian goddess dress:

Perfect for a simple wedding. But maybe I'd save it for my Reception dress ;)

So anyway, if you were Kate, what would you wear in your big royal wedding? I myself would prefer something worth to talk about, like maybe this gorgeous Cabaret wedding gown from Ian Stuart?

A few of wedding gown designers that I love are: Monique Lhuillier, Marchesa (who designed Nicole Richie's wedding gown!), Claire Pettibone, Jenny Packham, and a British designer Ian Stuart. 

I love Ian Stuart wedding gown collections, they are all so dreamy and gorgeous with the finest textile you could get. Above pic is one of his collection, isn't it gorgeous? It's perfect for a royal celebration. The stunning gown is beaded with sequins and crystals throughout. It features a one shoulder strap, covered in silk flowers. The back bodice has a lace up corset, and the front has asymetric skirt drape that reveals another blooms of handmade silk flowers!

And while I was browsing Ian Stuart website I found a gorgeous dress with the name "Tiger Lily" !! What? That is my screen name, it always been my screen name ever since I first met the internet more than 10yrs ago. So of course I have to look at the dress! It turns out to be a gorgeous dress with a hint of oriental inspiration which I love very much!

Okay, now back to royal wedding gown, what about this elegant gown from Monique Lhuillier:

It's grey/silver with white lace, but if you read my last post, you'd know by now that all the royal brides used to wear silver/gold wedding gowns before Queen Victoria choose white and then all the world copied her.

This grey/silver and white gown screams opulent. It has a long coat style which makes it unique. And it's a ballgown shape too which I think is a must shape for a royal wedding gown.

What about the maid of honor dress?

Maid of Honor dress should not be the one who steal the attention because all the attention should be on the bride, right? but that doesn't mean the maid of honor or bridesmaids dresses should be ugly or too simple. Take a look at what Pippa Middleton wore, she looks stunning but still the attention was mostly all for Kate. So how bout these pretty dress on the first pic above which is from (again) Ian Stuart? This one has vintage inspired lace covering and traditional neckline which if I might add, is appropriate for a royal wedding. But maybe not with the hairstyle on this pic though ;)

The 2nd pic is a pretty dress from Jenny Packham. It has simple shape but adorned with elegant looking rich embellishment on the neckline up to the back and torso.

What do you think of those choices above? 

Or if the bride prefer a more simpler shape then how bout this elegant looking gown in lavender?

An elegant lavender dress + blazer style that would correspond to the royal wedding dress code which is: uniform, morning coat, or lounge suit.

Wait, we still have a Night Reception to attend! And that means another gorgeous dress to wear! Hmm, what about this lovely ones from Marchesa on below pic? I love the dress on the right, it has a dazzling gold embellishment and it's made of soft flowy fabric because we heard the reception would include a dance party ! We want to be able to move and dance with our new husband and close friends and families, don't we? ;)

 Or maybe a sequined silk dress like this one below from Jenny Packham? The hairpiece is also very pretty.

Or maybe the bride would choose something more regal like this dark beauty one from Alexander McQueen?

After browsing here and there I finally found the perfect dress fit for a royal wedding. I present to you... "the Dauphine".. :

Now this dress is everything a princess wants to wear in her wedding day. Look at that big ballgown shape, almost like a dress worn by Marie Antoinette, don't you think? This dress called Dauphine is (again) from Ian Stuart collection. Made from exquisitely beaded french lace with lavishly draped side panels with tiers and delicate flower corsages. There's even a matching beaded lace trim veil to complete the look! 

I now pronounced this as the ultimate royal wedding dress!

And here's what the Maid of Honor should wear:

This beautiful dress is from Claire Pettibone. I love the simple shape and the covered shoulder because hey, it's a royal wedding we're talking about here so no overly exposed cleavage please ^o^ I also love the hairstyle in this one.

And as for the mother of the bride, she could wear this Toffee version of the previous Ian Stuart outfit above:

Gorgeous morning dress, perfect hat (because it's a British wedding, remember?), and gorgeous color too. With the right jewelry such as the dangling golden earrings in this pic would make it even more perfect.

What about the bridesmaid dresses? Well how bout these cute pale yellow satin dresses with pretty lace detailing at the hem and cute bow at the back?

And for the night reception:
This looks elegant, beautiful and "royal enough" for reception party. This is actually a top and a strapless gown. The sheer tulle top with silver bead and crystal embellishment is from Alberta Ferretti while the strapless gown is from Gucci. 

And I think above dress would look lovely with these accessories:
 Oscar De La Renta Crystal Embellished Chandelier Earrings and Christian Louboutin Swarovski Crystal Peep Toe Pumps
 

What do you say?

^_______^

Oh and if you were to come to the royal wedding as a guest, what would you wear? Hmm, let's just check the dress code first:

Dresscode: Uniform, Morning Coat, Lounge Suit.
Now what is a morning suit? according to Wikipedia, "Morning dress is the daytime formal dress code, consisting chiefly for men of a morning coat, waistcoat, and striped trousers, and an appropriate dress for women."

So here are some of my choices:

For the ceremony:

a gorgeous dress and cropped blazer from Ian Stuart in silver, with floral-shaped embellishment, or :

And for the Reception at night there is no dress code so I'd wear a gorgeous party dress such as this one from Alice Temperley also known as Temperley London:

^________^

How bout you?