Blog - Page 62 of 79 - Styled By BEC

Lace Kimonos

February 25, 2015 / Style tips / 12 Comments

I went in to Target to get a new DVD (which had sold out) and as I passed the women’s fashion section I saw this black lace kimono. I had seen it previously but had held off purchasing it. But on Saturday I relented because there weren’t many sizes left and I reasoned the purchase made use of the time I took to go there even though I didn’t get what I was after.

This lace kimono comes in cream, but I purchased the black because I think it’s more versatile and would work as a great layer over a cocktail dress in Autumn. The tassel hem adds a bit of 1920’s flare to the kimono.

Black Lace Kimono from Target

When I wore it on Sunday, I went with the monochrome look and layered it over a black tee and white capris from Katies. A drop pendant necklace was all that was needed to bring the outfit together. I can see these kimonos working well with distressed denim. I am in need of a pair of distressed jeans but have held off as I start my new lifestyle plan to lose my baby weight. No point buying new jeans that will eventually sag at the bum.

The kimono is $35 and available in store and online. I’m considering buying the cream one too.

Do you like to wear lace? Have you jumped on the kimono/cape bandwagon yet?

I’m linking up with Kimba Likes for Wardrobe Wednesday.

How to keep your skin hydrated post pregnancy

February 24, 2015 / Beauty / 9 Comments

The moment I start breastfeeding, my skin goes dry as leather. It gets worse when our air-conditioner turns on Mid November.

During pregnancy my skin tends to glow and can be a little too oily in my t zone for my liking. I used Garnier 3 in 1 cleanser during my pregnancy but once I had Phoebe, I had to change cleansers to add moisture in.

I had a facial at the beginning of the year and my therapist told me what I already knew, that my skin was dry. She advised to up the anti with my exfoliation from once a week to twice a week.

How to keep your skin hydrated post pregnancy

The therapist encouraged me to be consistent with my Rosehip oil application as this would keep my skin hydrated when I’d sleep in the air-conditioning. I stopped using rosehip oil because I found my face was always getting too oily and it would seep into my fringe when I slept at night. This was because I was putting too much on! One drop is enough to dab onto my face and it leaves my face shine and oil free. I find using a night cream and adding the rosehip oil a great tonic for sleeping in air-conditioning and I’ve noticed a big difference in how my skin feels each morning.

I only put make-up on when going out on the Weekend. During the week I wear Garnier BB cream because it has sunscreen in it and is enough coverage to hide any blemishes.

I don’t like to have a bathroom cupboard full of beauty products and I also like to get more for my buck when purchasing products. I sign up to the Trilogy newsletter which emails me when there is a special on. I make use of those specials. My favourite ones are the buy two products and get one free or buy two products and get a free gift. The free gift is usually mini bottles of the products I already use which I keep in my toiletry bag when going away.

My local Malouf Pharmacy stocks Trilogy products and when I spend $200 in store I get sent a $10 voucher to use in store. This helps with the purchase of more rosehip oil.

When I stop breastfeeding, I will need to re-assess what is working and change my beauty routine. I don’t have time for faffing around in the morning so my usual routine is cleansing in the shower, then once I’ve dried myself I spray the hydrating mist, roll on deodorant and get dressed which gives the mist time to soak into my skin. I then dot in my eye cream (another recommendation from my beauty therapist) rub in a day moisturizer and my BB cream and then my face is finished.

Drinking enough water during the day to keep you hydrated from the inside is also important.

How do you keep your skin hydrated? Do you use Rosehip oil?

This is not a sponsored post, I’m just sharing about products I love.

I’m linking with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

What to keep from your work wardrobe when you become a mum

February 17, 2015 / Style tips / 10 Comments

When you become a stay-at-home mum, your work clothes tend to sit on one side of your wardrobe gathering dust. You hang on to them because you know that you will be going back to work after your maternity leave. But for mums like myself, you change careers or decide to be a stay-at-home mum which means that work wardrobe is no longer required.

I recently had a question from a friend about what clothes to keep from your work wardrobe when you become a mum and here are my suggestions

Black pant suit. Every wardrobe should have a black blazer and black pants. The Blazer can be worn to dress up jeans and the pants are a great alternative for a smart outfit out with a dressy top. If the Blazer is a boxed in style or no longer fits, donate it or sell it. The pants also need to be a slim fit. If you can’t fit into it post baby or your body shape has changed, donate it.
White Shirt. Whether it’s a long sleeve or short sleeve, white shirts are a versatile top in your wardrobe. If it can’t be done up at the bust post baby, wear a white singlet underneath and wear the shirt open. If it is discoloured, get rid of it and make a note of buying a white shirt later on to replace it.
Tops that can be incorporated into your casual wardrobe. Not all workplaces have a strict corporate wardrobe. You may have tops that work well worn smartly with black pants or casually with denim shorts. Only you can determine if these tops will work so be as ruthless as you like. Remember that once you become a mum, you will get marks and stains on your tops so having a few spare tops will be handy.
Scarves & Accessories. I often do a yearly stocktake of my accessories and get rid of any that haven’t been worn in a year. Use the same technique like the last tip by deciding if the accessories can work for your every day wardrobe. If they can’t consider whether you would wear them on a night out?
Shoes. During pregnancy feet can go up a size. Post pregnancy, your foot size may go back to what it was, but if you have had multiple children in quick succession, you may find like me, you go up a size and a half. Those shoes may not fit you anymore so it’s best to donate them or sell them if they are in good condition.

When I changed careers to become a plumber, my work clothes stayed in my wardrobe for over FOUR years. Some items I just never wore even going out on weekends, or I put on weight which meant I couldn’t fit back into them. Any clothes that were brand names like Review, Cue and Veronika Maine I sold online and others I donated to my local charity. The money I made on my work clothes was then used to buy everyday basics for my smart casual wardrobe.

Do you still have corporate work clothes hanging in your wardrobe? Had a clean out recently?

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

Print Clash: How to wear Polka Dots and Stripes

February 11, 2015 / Style tips / 12 Comments

I have been trying to get more out of my wardrobe by coming up with new outfits. This is sometimes hard to do when you already know what outfits will work well together. I have found that I gravitate towards these on a weekly basis because I don’t have time to think about anything else on a morning when getting Esther ready for Kindy with a toddler and baby needing to be changed and fed at the same time.

I haven’t bought any clothes recently because the budget doesn’t allow for any new purchases at the moment so I have been looking through my wardrobe and trying to see what I can come up with.

Today the weather is cooler in Brisbane and it’s the perfect day to wear a scarf. I chose to wear my Bohemian Traders Stripe Tee with my red polka dot scarf.

How to wear polka dots and stripes

The pattern clash works because of the common colour red in both the top and the scarf.

I’m finding clashing prints are helping me get more out of my wardrobe. In my experience, pattern clashes work best with a common colour in both pieces. I also try to balance each clash with one busy print and one simple print. For example I wear a simple stripe tee as the simple print and a busy paisley print for my pants.

The polka dot and stripe clash are two simple prints but they work well because of the equal red and white combination in the scarf and tee.

Are you a print clash fan? Do you prefer polka dots or stripes or BOTH?

I’m linking up with Kimba Likes for Wardrobe Wednesday.

How to make hand me downs work for you and your wardrobe

February 10, 2015 / Fashion / 24 Comments

Some would argue that hand-me-downs are one of the best ways to acquire new clothes and they are a great way to enhance an existing wardrobe for free. And I agree, so long as the clothes that you receive are ones you would wear and suit your personal style.

But there is an underlying guilt that gets attached to hand-me-downs. Sometimes the receiver feels they must keep what they’ve been given because it would be wrong to offload this generosity somewhere else.

Firstly, I best explain what hand-me-down clothes are. They are the clothes that your mum, sister or girlfriend no longer wear, can’t fit into or don’t like anymore. If you are a mum, they are more commonly known as the clothes you keep for future or current siblings to wear. Hand-me-downs work well for kids because it saves money and as a mum I like to get the best wear out of little clothes because children grow so fast.

When it comes to adulthood, hand-me-downs can work for you or against you.

To make them work for you, you have to sift through what you are given and ignore the urge to hang every hand-me-down in your wardrobe. Especially if you don’t even like the clothes, or they don’t fit your properly.

The gems worth keeping from a hand-me-down pile include

Clothes that fit you or have the ability to be altered to fit you
Clothes without pulls, marks, stains or fading
Staples like white shirts, block colour t-shirts, jeans, fitted jackets that fit you well
Clothes that fit with your personal style or can be worn with something already in your wardrobe that is your personal style.

Hoarding hand-me-downs is a wardrobe nightmare and I have done wardrobe analysis on clients who have kept every hand-me-down because they haven’t worked out their personal style. Factors like , having no money in the bank to purchase new clothes and feeling guilty in passing the clothes onwards to someone else can cause one to hang on to hand-me-downs.

The next time you are given a bag of hand-me-downs, don’t hoard the contents and fill your wardrobe with clothes that don’t suit you. Keep what you like and fits you well, and then pass them on to someone else who could use them.

Have you ever scored a fabulous hand-me-down? I’m linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

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