More Guess

Vive Guess Jeans! As you can probably already tell, Guess is my favourite brand (well, one of my favourites, at least). So it's just a bonus that, whilst surfing their Shop site, I stumbled upon this pair of über-hot, ultra flared Vanish Charlie jeans. I can't wait to go down to a Guess store, try them on and buy them, already! And for $200 (AUD), they're totally worth it.
If you feel like making it an all-Guess outfit, pair your jeans with these cute items:

Sophia top, approx $93 (AUD)

Kasenna heels, approx $128 (AUD)

Happy shopping!


Catch.


*Romany*

[photos courtesy of shop.guess.com]

There's nothing more beautifully shot than...

...a Guess by Marciano ad. Except, maybe, a Tommy Hilfiger ad. Now there is some seriously beautiful styling and photography.
This shot is from last year's A/W campaign, I mainly just wanted an excuse to post it, lol.

Well, the ads have defintely evolved since the Laeticia Casta days. The mood, message and styling are completely different.


I prefer the more recent ads, personally. They're just more...my style. What do you think?


Catch.

*Romany*

[photos courtesy of jozworld.club.fr]

The GHD Professional

Well, I did it. I finally did it. I bought a GHD styler. And boy is it worth it. I cannot get over how amazing it is. It takes less than 60 seconds to heat up, and then simply one glide over a section of your hair and there you have it: beautiful, sleek, straight hair. This morning I woke up with horrible, bouffy hair (I braided my hair last night), but one go with the GHD styler and now it's all better. Did I mention how fun it is to use? I only bought it two days ago so I'm still finding myself constantly thinking about new and different ways to straighten.
I bought it from Petra in Chadstone, for $30 less than it's usual price (or perhaps everyone else is marking the price up, for some reason?), $270.
Highly recommended.

Catch.

*Romany*

[photo courtesy of direct.tesco.com]

Hit or Miss?

High-waisted jeans are an up-and-down trend right now. Some hate them. Some love them. Some think they're just ok. Elise Neal obviously likes them. As much as I don't particularly like high-waisted jeans, there are some that seem to really pull them off (was that a pun?). Fergie, for one example. Elise for another. She looks great, I think. The jeans are a bit too short, that would be my only critique. Oh wait, the leopard-print shoes are a tad tacky also. But she looks happy, so who cares?
But what do you think? Did the ex-cheerleader get it right? Or oh so wrong?

[photo courtesy of gofugyourself.com]

Can't wait for:

Gossip Girl
I'm so excited for the Gossip Girl TV series to come out. After years of rumours and speculated cast members, it's finally here. The books were a delicious, guilty pleasure, and I'm hoping with all my heart that the show lives up to that standard. I have to admit, at first glance (well a 6-minute-trailer glance) the casting seems all wrong, to me. But I'm willing to give them a go. And even if they don't fit the characters the books set up, it doesn't mean they can't be good characters all on their own, I guess.
Supposedly, it's coming to the CW in the US, and I doubt we'll be getting it on our TVs here in Australia so perhaps I'll just move to America for a few months? I've got time...

The Bourne Ultimatum
Matt Damon = H.O.T. But that's not the only reason this series is awesome. Someone said it was the greatest American action movie series of the last 20 years. Someone was right.
I only just recently saw the first two films (The Bourne Identity and the Bourne Supremacy), so I'm new to the whole Bourne phenomenon. But I can still appreciate it's gripping plot, scarily-real action sequences, exotic locations and best of all hunky hero, no?
A must-see I'm sure!

The 11th Hour
Oh, it's so good to see celebrities being so pro-active about environmental causes. Especially ones as gorgeous as dear old Leo DiCaprio. I cannot wait for this documentary. If it's half as interesting and in-your-face as An Inconvient Truth then I'm sure I'll love it.
My world is very green, at the moment. The french topic I'm studying is all about the environment, which is difficult but rewarding. Ever wanted to know how to say global warming in french?
Don't let me be the only one in line for this flick.
See you at the movies!

Catch.

*Romany*

Keira makes us blush

Keira Knightley has replaced Kate Moss as the face of Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle perfume (a tough gig, I might add). Until recently, I've never really given Keira a second thought. Perhaps it was the second time I saw Love Actually (now my second favourite film of all time) that I really began to notice her.
Well, you can't really not notice her in this ad. Although, I've heard they airbrushed some breasts in, she stills looks natural. This ad is beautiful. One of my favourites. They've managed to make it sexy, but not trashy, or too revealing.
Keep up the good work, lol.

Catch.

*Romany*

[photo courtesy of chinadaily.com.cn]

September Vogue...

Um...ok. Interesting cover choice.
Sienna is a beautiful girl, but, this cover is just...shocking. It's just all wrong. All of it. The hair, makeup, dress...even the headlines. Since when does Vogue have exclamation marks in its headlines (let alone have the number of pages inside as a headline)?

I'll buy it simply because it's a September issue, undoubtedly the best, but if I was basing my decision purely on the cover (which I, more often than not, do), well then that's a different story...
Don't get me wrong, I love Vogue with a passion. Indulging in its pages is one of my favourite past-times...But this month is probably just a dud cover. Don't worry, it happens to the best of them. :-)


Catch.

*Romany*

[photo courtesy of gofugyourself.com]

Hot new find: Chip Chop!

I was flipping through a magazine I just bought and came across a tiny little feature it had on the brand Chip Chop! Then I went on to the Chip Chop! site and now I'm hooked. It's not my usual style at all, which is why I'm so confused about liking it, but it doesn't really matter anyway does it? If I like it, that's all that matters, lol.
Here are some really cute products I found:

Paris Souvenir $22AUD, LA Souvenir $22AUD.

Oui Oui Tee $69AUD. If you're looking for a plain t-shirt with just that little bit extra.

The Backpacker $229AUD (extremely limited edition). European Vacation $169AUD (limited edition). These bags can make anyone feel well-travelled and cultured.

Denim Love $89AUD. Fall in Love $55AUD. Sooo retro. Love it.

My attraction to these products is so foreign and strange. It's like I'm a different person.
Don't worry, I'm still a GUESS-toting, Chanel-bearing, Calvin Klein-wearing girl at heart.

Catch.

*Romany*

[photos courtesy of mychipchop.com.au]

To straighten or not to straighten?

I've been thinking about buying a hair straightener...long overdue, I know, they're all the rage at school (well, everywhere really). Preferably a GHD one, I hear they're the best. I'm just wondering if it's worth it. Straightened hair is beautiful, in my opinion, and I love how my hair looks when it's sleek, shiny and straight. But, I blow-dried my hair everyday last week, so on Friday my hair was somewhat ruined.
I'm concerned it will be the same with a straightener. Unless I also buy some sort of cream or serum that prevents this kind of thing. I've heard of heaps of products that do this, but what's good out there? Does anyone know of any (preferably organic/natural) ones that work?
Do share. :-)

Catch.

*Romany*

Pajama Party in the middle of the road

I just found this cute bike, made by Electra. The type is called Pajama Party (this particular model is called Blue Superstar), isn't that awesome? It also comes in pink and yellow.

Who could pass up a bike as pretty as this? If these don't get more people out on their bikes, doing their bit for the environment, then I don't know what will.
Riding your bike instead of your car is a really good way to reduce carbon emissions, so for $500 we can all jump on the latest celebrity bandwagon of bike riding and save the environment together. :-)

Catch.

*Romany*

[photo courtesy of ragecycles.com]

The Hills Season 3

The girls (and their guys) from MTV's 'The Hills' are back, and better than ever!

Episode one was filled with as much drama as a Desperate Housewives finale, with Lauren and her crew distancing themselves from Heidi and her boyfriend Spencer, after Lauren suspects them of spreading nasty rumours about her and Jason making a sex tape.
Audrina is Lauren's new roomate and she's loving it. Whitney got promoted and is now the Head of Interns, at TeenVogue. Heidi and Spencer threw themselves a housewarming party...but Lauren, Audrina and Whitney didn't show. Heidi has no idea what's going on, or why Lauren is so mad at her. But is it just an act? Did Heidi and Spencer really spread those nasty rumours, or is there some serious foul play going on here?

Honestly this show is so addictive. It's amazing to think that Lauren started her reality tv career as LC back in 2004, on MTV's 'Laguna Beach' (just finished it's third season...equally, if not more, addictive).
If you're not a fan already, simply go The Hills website (where you can watch all the way from season 1 to last week's episode), and you soon will be.
Season 3 is now playing on MTV.

Don't get too addicted. ;-)

Catch.

*Romany*

[photo courtesy of thegate.ca]

Quote of the Week

“Someone saying to me that I’m thin is not a compliment. I’ve always been lean and this year I lost my mom and I’ve gone through a lot. I have four kids and I finished breastfeeding - it’s been hard to get my nutrition back on track. Instead of people saying I look like a person dealing with something emotionally, they assume it’s because I want to fit into skinny jeans.”
Angelina Jolie, on her extremely noticeable weight loss.

This is from a little while ago, and usually I'm not a big Angelina fan but I felt this was an important quote of hers, and it shouldn't just apply to Angelina...but to any young starlet out there.

She's still got it

Just because Gisele is no longer the face of lingerie giant Victoria's Secret, doesn't mean she can't absolutely kill (in the complimentary sense, of course) a photo shoot. Gisele is the cover girl of Vanity Fair's 2007 Style Issue.

I must admit, considering Gisele is one of my favourite models in the whole world (she's such an inspiration), I was a little worried when her contract with Vicky ended. I was scared that her career might be winding down. Thank god I was wrong, lol. She's as much in-demand as she is sexy, and I suspect we'll be seeing alot more of the Brazillian wonder.

Catch.

*Romany*

[photo courtesy of vanityfair.com]

Josie Maran: making the world a prettier place

American supermodel Josie Maran proves to us that there's more to her than just a pretty face.
For 17 years, Josie Maran has been making her living as a model (including jobs like Guess?, Maybelline, Sports Illustrated, a Backstreet Boys music video and movies 'Van Helsing' and 'The Aviator'), but recently Josie has turned her interests outside the world of modelling. Not far outside, though. Josie Maran Cosmetics is the model's latest venture.
The eco-conscious mother (of Rumi, whom Josie gave birth to in her backyard, last year), has created an environmentally friendly cosmetics line, due for release in September 2007 (the line will only be available in the U.S. to begin with, unfortunately).
The products are said to be pure, gentle, non-toxic and sans any ingredients that damage the planet.
Josie says, "I know exactly what I like. My tastes are very specific. I crave quality, whether it's the best fabric, the best food or the best makeup. I try to surround myself with the best of everything."
She's obviously done her homework. Of all the celebrity-turned-designers (of some form), this has got to be the most genuine and thought-about idea. Eco-cosmetics created by a woman who would have to know more than most, about makeup, is an excellent idea!
"What most women don't realise is that when models and actresses look fresh-faced and make-up free, it's because they know how to apply their make-up to make it look that way. I want to open the vault on all the tips and tricks I've learned in the makeup chair. I've seen how makeup can make a person feel great. I want to share that with women everywhere."

With intentions as good as these, how could she go wrong? I, for one, will defintely be lining up to get my hands on some of this.


Catch.

*Romany*

[photo courtesy of askmen.com]

Hit or Miss?

It's good to see Kate Bosworth looking a little more curvaceous these days. But I'm afraid that's the only good thing I can say about this look. I don't really see how anyone could get away with a dress like this. I'm sure it looks gorgeous on a coat-hanger, but...
Kate almost always looks fab, but this is one of those instances where she almost got it right. What do you think? Did the blue (and brown)-eyed beauty get it right? Or oh so wrong?

[photo courtesy of people.com]

Be there: Dove Pink Star Walk

Date: 6 October 2007
Time: From 6.30pm
Venue: Darling Harbour and Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney (Australia)
Cause: breast cancer research
Dress code: PINK! :-)

Do your bit to support the beauty brand, Dove, who are really making a difference (not to mention setting a certain standard in the world of philanthropy). With the establishment of their Self Esteem Fund (including the Campaign for Real Beauty), Dove has inspired many young, and not so young, people to do their bit too.
With a dress code of every girl's fantasy, it's sure to be one hell of night!
Enjoy!


Catch.


*Romany*

Reese, the newest Avon lady

Avon has just sealed the deal with Reese Witherspoon: officially their first worldwide spokesperson.
Reese will not only be representing their products, but will also be highly involved in the Avon Foundation, focussing on raising awareness of breast cancer, domestic violence and the foundation's other efforts.
“Avon is more than an iconic world class beauty leader – it is a company that is known the world over as a crusader for women’s causes.” says Witherspoon. “I feel a great responsibility in my own life to give back to society.”

Oh, I just adore Reese Witherspoon. If it was a different celebrity I probably would be thinking this is just a ploy to get more publicity for themselves. But Reese is so genuine I wouldn't be surprised if she got into those labs and helped find a cure for cancer herself!


Catch.

*Romany*

[photo courtesy of dailymail.co.uk]

Giving the bold shoulder

Wow, I never thought I'd see the day shoulder pads (or something similar) would be revived.
Bold shoulders goes hand in hand with the masculine themes we've been seeing on the autumn/winter runways, but I, for one, will not be jumping on the bandwagon of this trend. Sorry, but this trend lived in the 80s (and to an extent, the 40s) and that's where it should stay.

Maison Martin Margiela takes broad shoulders to a whole new level. Gucci gives it a corporate twist (with Stam sporting a very pretty classic hollywood look).

Karen Walker designs an outfit featuring bold shoulders that I actually like. Perhaps there is hope for me after all? Lol. Peter Som shows us the playful side.

Being a gal with already broad shoulders, I know in advance that this look just wouldn't work for me...what do you think? Are bold shoulders ready for a comeback?


Catch.

*Romany*

[photos courtesy of style.com]

Winter Essentials

Yes, it's winter in Australia (as well as the rest of the Southern Hemisphere, lol) right now.
I was perusing through the racks of Juicy Couture, and came across these gorgeous knit and wool pieces, perfect for this winter!

This adorable white (also comes in black) knit scarf with Juicy pendant trim is a perfect blend of comfort and style. $195
Pair it with this Preppy Couture Hat


This cute cover up also comes in burgundy and baby blue. $55

Happy shopping!


Catch.

*Romany*

[photo courtesy of juicycouture.neimanmarcus.com]

Hit or Miss?

Tent dresses don't work IMO. Hilary looks great here (at the MuchMusic Awards), the colour is a nice contrast to her skin tone, her hair is long and luscious and she is wearing some cute shoes! It's all fab except the tent dress.
That is all.
But what do you think? Did no-longer-Lizzie get it right? Or oh so wrong?

[photo courtest of people.com]

Quote of the Week

"I always felt as a model it was my responsibilty to show up with clean hair and good skin. And that's also why I worked out, to look good in the clothes. Anyone can run around in jeans with their hair in a ponytail, but that's not aspirational. Ultimately, you want to see someone looking super-glamorous because it's a fantasy and that's what fashion is all about. I think that was also a huge contributing factor to our success."
Cindy Crawford, on the difference between the success of the 90s supermodels and the models of today.

I wish all models shared this attitude.

Alice Burdeu in Vogue Australia (finally...lol)

As I have been talking about this editorial of Alice's for quite some time now, you can probably imagine how excited I was that this is finally the month Alice receives her most coveted AusNTM prize.
I knew I was going to be in the city today and decided that this would be the day I would buy the issue ( I'd been thinking I should probably wait, I've already got about 4 other of this month's fashion magazines I'm halfway through reading that I should really finish), and I was more excited than I can say right now.
Well, I have to admit my hopes were slightly dashed. This being because I was never a really big fan of Alice's when she was on AusNTM, so I figured now that she's out in the real world, perhaps she'll do better as a model. See my main hang up was that every form of judge who came across her would say instantly "she's a model", and that annoyed me, because she was not a model. She simply looked the way your typical fashion model looks.
And the judges kept her around because they figured she would best represent the show once it was finished, because of her 'look'. But looking closely at her pictures you could see there was no life.
As far as I can see, not much has changed. She's a beautiful girl, don't get me wrong. Smart, articulate, kind and extremely pretty. But this does not make a model.
The editorial (well basically, photo shoot) was very beautiful in itself. Gorgeous styling, gorgeous setting...but Alice...I'm sorry, I know how hard she tries, and how bad she wants this.
But she just does nothing for me.
I hope she does well, I really do wish her all the best.
Sorry about that rant, I just felt I needed to get my opinion out there. I hope I haven't offended anyone, and if I have I'm sorry that was not my intention.

Anyway, the rest of the issue was fab! One of the best I've read so far. Vogue devotees will not be disappointed, and newbies will be thoroughly impressed! :-)


Catch.


*Romany*

[photo courtesy of vogue.com.au]

Catherine McNeil making a splash in the US market

I was flipping through my August issue of W magazine when I came across an ad for Donna Karan featuring none other than Aussie supermodel-in-the-making Catherine McNeil. I was so surprised (well not really, actually, considering this girl is doing quite well right now, internationally and locally) and so happy for her! She's one of my favourite Aussie models, and she's really giving us a good name lol.
She credits her rising status in the fashion world to winning the Girlfriend Model Search in 2003.

Hmm...GF model search eh? Maybe I should have gone for that thing after all? Oh well, there's always next year.


(this isn't the ad I saw, it's a different one. The one from W, which is beautiful, wasn't anywhere to be found...)

UPDATE: Department store David Jones has just recruited four of Australia's, New York based, top models. Kristy Hinze, Nicole Trunfio, Cheyenne Tozzi and Catherine McNeil (dubbed the Fantastic Four) will accompany Megan Gale down the runway for the launch of David Jones' summer collection.


Catch.


*Romany*

[photo courtesy of style.popcrunch.com]

Latest small screen obsession: Age of Love!

Omg I could go on for hours about how much I love this show! I don't really know what it is about Age of Love (or Mark Philippoussis' Age of Love as it's formally known) that I love so much, but if you've never watched it I would highly recommend giving it a go (although those who are against all those reality tv shows involving large groups of women competing for one mans heart, should steer clear).
The basic plot is Mark Philippoussis is an Australian tennis star (not to mention notorious playboy) looking for love. At first, he thought this was going to be easy, believing that he was about to be sharing this experience with 7 hot young women. But considering this show is called Age of Love, we, as the audience, already knew there was more to it than that. Mark is introduced to the women who'll be competing for his heart. They're all in their 40s (except one woman who's 39).
And then, as if things weren't complicated enough, the second bunch of contestants are introduced. They're all in their 20s. And now it's survival of the fittest, with the 40s (aka the Cougars) and the 20s (aka the Kittens) doing whatever they can to sabotage their opponents chances at becoming the last woman standing.
Oh and I can't forget the heartbreaking way they've set up elimination. Well, I guess you'll just have to see it to find out. ;-)
It's trashy reality TV at its best.

Mark Philippoussis' Age of Love Thursdays 9.30 Channel 7 (Australia)
Mondays 9/8c NBC (US)


Catch.

*Romany*

Paris' long awaited fashion debut

I've always been curious as to how a line of any kind of fashion designed by Paris Hilton would turn out. It seems that we'll soon be finding out.
WWD is reporting that Paris Hilton will be launching a line of high-end footwear. In a statement from Antebi Group (the New York based footwear manufacturing company that will be producing the shoes) Paris says, "My goal is to create a stylish and fun fashion line from head to toe."
At first I wondered why someone as undeniably stylish as Paris Hilton would choose a relativey unknown footwear company to produce her shoes, instead of a more, well, high-end fashion brand, but..."Antebi Group really understand my vision for this line as well as the needs for the fashion-forward young woman."
Paris is also collaborating with Dollhouse Denim to create a denim collection, including skinny jeans, wide-legs, shirts, dresses and more.
But don't expect prices of heiress proportions, “It’s completely affordable,” her licensing partner says. “The most expensive jean is $98 with the average being $78.” The line will debut at LA boutique Kitson, and then move on to Macy's and Nordstrom (whether or not the line will be available here in Australia, is still unkown...)

I'm very much looking forward to this shoe line, which will supposedly include platforms, wedges and stilettos, among other styles. As much as I disagree with some of Paris' lifestyle choices (they are her choices, and it's her life, after all), I do admire her effortless ability to always look stylish.


Catch.

*Romany*

[photo courtesy of theage.com.au]

Nicole Richie pregnancy confirmed...

In an exclusive interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, Nicole Richie confirmed what the world had been speculating for months.
"Yes I am. We are." We being her and boyfriend of less than a year, Good Charlotte's Joel Madden (I've always wondered how they came up with the name Good Charlotte, and why?). Nicole hasn't specified what sex the child is, or whether they even know what the sex is, all anyone really seems to know is that Nicole is almost four months along now.

Nicole has also been sentenced to four days in jail after pleading guilty in her DUI case (on December 12 of last year, Nicole was arrested on charges of driving under the inlfuence).
"I had smoked marijuana that night," she said. "Just marijuana. I had Vicodin in my system from that day, which I take for pain."
Is she still taking Vicodin? "No. I don't take anything now."
Nicole must serve her four-day term before September 28.

She seems to have reformed now that she's got a bun in the oven. Whether it's all just an act, to get everyone back on her side, who knows? Innocent until proven guilty, I suppose. In a figurative sense, of course. ;-) lol.

Catch.

*Romany*

[photo courtesy of http://abcnews.go.com]

Hit or Miss?

Kate Mara at the premiere for the movie Stardust. I don't really know what else to say. I don't like this outfit, personally. The colour is all wrong for her skin tone. The hair do says 'casual' whereas the actual dress says 'dressy', that can sometimes work but...sorry not in this case. Oh well, at least she's pretty lol.
What do you think? Did the chick-who-got-to-make-out-with-hottie-Mark-Wahlberg get it right? Or oh so wrong?

[photo courtesy of gofugyourself.typepad.com]