Making a comeback...?

Mischa Barton. These are two words which almost always cause an irrationally strong reaction in most fashion lovers, whether it be positive or negative.
Cast your mind back to the time between 2003 - 2006...The OC period I like to call it. Little Mischa was the reigning fashion queen of this era, and whether you wanted to or not, you saw her everywhere. Usually looking fabulous. And then, as quickly as it had started, the hype around her faltered (Marissa being killed off of The OC played a fairly large part in Mischa's de-throning, I believe). And slowly but surely, so did her style, in my eyes.
Let's take a little trip down Memory Lane, shall we?

Ladies and gentleman, I present to you, the Queen...

Mischa's style evolves from commercially trendy to endearingly eclectic. She becomes a worldwide style icon, with David Jones Australia hiring her as the face of their Summer launch.

With her character's presence no longer included in the OC, Mischa's star slowly begins to fall. Unfortunately, her sense of fashion ever-so-slightly descends with her...

Mischa has fired her stylist, and is no longer everywhere.
Unfortunately, it gets worse...

An all-time fashion low on Mischa's record.
2008, so far, seems to be her worst year. Or is it...?

Mischa shows up at the 10th Annual White Tie and Tiara Ball looking absolutely gorgeous.
Perhaps she's just been going through a rough patch? Whatever the case, I'm perfectly happy to support Mischa as she makes her way back on top of the style ladder.

Which Era of Mischa is your favourite?

On another topic, Lipstick Jungle premiered last night, here in Australia. The verdict? I loved it! I very much prefer it over the ill-fated Cashmere Mafia. I hear it's already in its second season in the US which is wonderful news. Perhaps there is hope yet for SATC-style shows for the high-powered business woman on-the-go?
Oh and please don't forget to cast you vote(s) in this month's poll on the right hand side of the page. I'm trying to get an idea of what readers think of my blog, so any feedback would be wonderful.

Catch.

Romany
[photos courtesy of mischa-b.com]

Take the 'Perfect Skin' challenge!

I don't know about everyone else, but dreams about skin problems (not just blemishes, but rashes and strange deformities, also) are the worst kinds of nightmares, as far as I'm concerned. Am I crazy? Apparently not. Dreams of skin symbolize...

• Your contact with the world and what tactics you use to deal with others. Your strength or vulnerability in feeling the impact of other people, their remarks and actions.

• Feelings about personal failings or some sense of not being as good or acceptable as other people; a feeling that other people see you as unattractive or can see failings in you; shyness; difficulties about facing or being in the company of people.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't have bad skin. There's room for improvement, sure, but I consider myself very lucky about the skin I'm in. This doesn't stop me from becoming outrageously jealous of those with crystal clear, porcelain skin, though, of course.
But instead of sitting around and wallowing in my own jealousy, I've decided to make my own Perfect Skin Challenge. And what's a challenge without some inspiration, eh?


My mother is studying naturopathy, and has given me a few ways to combat problem skin the all-natural way. It's not so much a challenge, as a guideline, really.
This little guide has been designed especially for my own system (a vegetarian with a weak immune system, and protein deficiency), so when joining me on my challenge feel free to change things to suit your own system. There's no set time, because this is supposed to be a lifestyle change. Simply comment me or send me an email when/if you've started seeing results. The rules are few, but effective:

1. Avoid processed/refined foods.
2. Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
3. Eat lots of raw salad vegetables (especially leafy greens).
4. Drink one specially-made protein shake a week.
5. Eat one handful of almonds or cashews a day (not both, and no more than one handful)
6. Eat three serves of eggs and three serves of yoghurt a week (for protein).
7. No more than two or three pieces of fruit (raw and/or dried) a day.
8. Exercise regularly (open to interpretation -- as much as desired)
9. Three Omega-3 tablets daily* ~ morning
10. One vitamin B tablet daily* ~ morning
11. Two 500mg vitamin C tablets daily* ~ afternoon and after dinner
12. One zinc tablet daily* ~ night

(* tablets vary depending on individual)
I've tried my best to make this look really official. How did I do? Lol.

Feel no obligation at all to join, this is simply something fun that I've embarked upon, and I was looking for anyone who wanted to share my enthusiasm. Lol.
Oh and please don't forget to cast you vote(s) in this month's poll on the right hand side of the page. I'm trying to get an idea of what readers think of my blog, so any feedback would be wonderful.

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of tccandler.com, mtv.com, theinsider.com and rnbmusicandgossipp.blogspot.com]

A very sexy city...

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of seeing the much anticipated Sex and the City movie. The verdict? Amazing! So I thought before the hoopla completely dies down (it's already on it's way down) I'd milk the hype for all it's worth.
The one aspect of Sex and the City TV show that was always consistent was the fashion. A trait which was flawlessly carried through to the movie. We all had our favourite outfits. So in honour of the four fabulous ladies of the hour, here are my favourites...

The TV Series

Carrie

Carrie didn't always get it right -- that's for sure. But she was the daring one, of the four. And boy did it pay off.

There will always, always be a special place in my heart for this gorgeous coat that Carrie wore to Miranda's wedding. Possibly my most favourite item of clothing worn by any character throughout the entire series.

Miranda

Miranda was a working girl, which didn't leave much room for fashion exploration. But when Miranda slipped into her 'No Excuses' on that fateful night, a whole new woman emerged.

Samantha

Samantha's skirt-suit dominated wardrobe didn't usually appeal to me, but there were a few instances when she brought out the big guns. A flowing red caftan and a shocking pink pantsuit -- that's hot.

Charlotte

Ah Charlotte...ever the episcopalian princess. Whether she was preppy, sexy or conservative or even getting married, Charlotte never disappointed.

The Movie

I was shocked at how fast the fashion moved in the Sex and the City movie! One wouldn't have time to admire a dress before the scene was yanking you to a new location (with a new dress). Thank god for photography, no?
The fashion from the Sex and the City movie surpasses all others in recent years (except for the Devil Wears Prada). One of the things I was most happy about was the fact that this was really Miranda's time to shine, fashion-wise. As far as I'm concerned, the feisty red-head was the star of the show (even though her character made some really bad decisions in other areas).

So what did you all think of the SATC movie? Love it? Or hate it?
Please don't forget to cast you vote(s) in this month's poll on the right hand side of the page. I'm trying to get an idea of what readers think of my blog, so any feedback would be wonderful.

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of hbo.com, imdb.com, fashionising.com 1 and 2 and teamsugar.com]

A whole new me...

Lately, I've discovered that my tastes have been changing. That's no big deal, I know, because it happens to everybody. But that's only because an individual isn't really aware of the changes occurring...that's where I come in. No, the changes haven't been dramatic but they have definitely been noticeable and this has really caught me off-guard. E.g. for a long time, I've loved anchovies (yes, I'm a vegetarian, but dear old anchovies were one of the only meat-type foods I just couldn't bring myself to give up) but a couple of months ago I took a bite of one such fish and nearly gagged. Now I can't even stand the sight of the things. An overnight change -- it shook me to my core.
But nowhere have these changes been more apparent than with regards to my aesthetic preferences. E.g. Luella style nanna florals, as I like to call them (see Camilla Belle and Kelly Osbourne, below) have made their way onto my internal must have list -- a thought which would have me laughing had you told me 2 years ago (I've never been big on nanna florals, or florals in general, really). But now I'm scouring the shop-infested streets high and low for something similar to pair with black tights, black heels (or my new tan knee-high boots) and a black cardigan. A dream com true, as far as I'm concerned...

Activities involving fragrances have always been a favourite past-time of mine. So it came as a real shock when I realised just the other day that for years the kind of scent I thought I liked, I didn't really like at all. It all started on Wednesday the 4th (my birthday -- I am now officially the 17 year old writer of The 16 Diaries. Lol.), when I received a tiny little sample of Prada eau de parfum as a present. I thought, I've never really considered Prada as a fragrance to try so I guess now I can. I spritzed it and headed for school. All day long I was continually sniffing my arm to get another hit of the addictively intoxicating scent...I couldn't get enough of it. I looked up the key notes and discovered the fragrance was filled with different kinds of musks. And that's when it hit me -- all my life I tried to convince myself that I was a girlie, floral, overwhelmingly sweet fragrance type of girl; but I realised that I'm addicted to musky fragrances.
Doesn't sound like a big deal, I know, but learning new things about myself that I never thought could be true really turn my world upside down.

both contain elements of musk

Narciso Rodriguez -- possibly my most favourite fragrance of all time is Solar Musk at heart

A few other things I hate which I've recently started loving...

Vogue AUS -- Fantasy Blooms

Florals...Is this not the most clash-y thing you've ever seen? I love it (and I don't know why)!

Agyness Deyn -- outside an Oscar de la Renta show

She used to be the bain of my existence...now I can't get enough of her!
I saw a Burberry ad featuring her, and instantly fell in love with the ad and in love with her look. Quirky and cute...what's not to love?

I know I can't be the only one with developing tastes...what aesthetic preference changes have you been experiencing lately?
Please don't forget to cast you vote(s) in this month's poll on the right hand side of the page. I'm trying to get an idea of what readers think of my blog, so any feedback would be wonderful.

Catch.

Romany

[photos courtesy of net-a-porter.com, joannemercer.com.au, photos.exposay.com, camilla-belle.net, luella.com, polyvore.com, g-ec2.images-amazon.com, teenvogue.com and au.strawberrynet.com 1, 2 and 3]