Review: Weleda Beauty Products Are The Best Thing Since Nutella

Weleda's Sea Buckthorn body wash smells like sunshine, love, and a thousand happy puppies. Seriously. I first got to test out this stuff when I was at a fashion event in October, and it completely blew me away. It's like they crammed an entire beach into a bottle. It smells good enough to eat, and I would if I could. The liquid is a thick, pale yellow cream. It won't create tons of suds like other body washes, and it works wonders and wakes you up in a snap. I'm still living at home (until June), and in a desperate attempt to make the bottle last as long as possible, I took a permanant marker to my bottle and wrote: 'Please don't use this. Sarah loves you, but this is hers.'

Ever since I got a chance to try the body wash, I've been obsessed with Weleda products. So you can imagine my sheer joy and delight when the Weleda team heard about my affection for their products and offered to send me a few more. That was a glorious day in the life of Sarah. The team was also kind enough to send me the Sea Buckthorn lotion, and I fell in love all over again. I swear: it smells like happiness and wonder. If the bottle came in a smaller size, I don't think I'd ever leave the house without it.

For the past few weeks, I've also been using Weleda's Refining Toner. This shiz is life changing. I've tried other face washes before, but this one is my favorite by far. The liquid is milky white, but its contistancy is more like water. After shaking the bottle and applying it all over your face, all you need to do is simply wash it off (and don't forget to moisturize). It's great if you want a quick and simple morning/nightly beauty routine. It smells awesome, and it really makes you up in the morning. Plus, it removes any and all traces of makeup. I've tried a few face washes before that make your skin clear and healthy as long as you use the product, but if you stop using the product your skin will actually get worse than it was before you started. That's not the case with Weleda. Use it and it'll help your face, stop using it and your face will be improved for more than a few days... But quickly go back to using it because it makes your skin look amazing. It's a commitment-free face wash, and I love it to pieces.

Find more amazing products at the Weleda website.

 

Candela Fall 2013 Review: Fashion On The Prairie

Fashion on the prairie; Candela's fall 2013 collection took its 1920's woman on a field trip through the wilderness. Typical grungy pieces - denim shirts, oversized sweaters, and black leather jackets- were given the western treatment when adorned with countless fringes and lace accents. Everyday pieces were paired with short, sparkly flapper-style skirts and lace midis and maxis. I really take note when a collection invents a new styling idea, and Candela did just that. Shiny, beautiful bejeweled headbands and brooches were placed on top of casual beanie hats- I definitely want to try this at home!

Trend wise, the collection was spot on. The fall 2013 collections have been sprinkled with hints of glitter and glamour, and sheer skirts have been popular on the runways. My favorite look was the long pink satin gown paired with a white beanie- quite a showstopper.

Mathieu Mirano Spring 2013

Mathieu Mirano has been one of my favorite up-and-coming designers ever since I saw his fall 2012 collection (I wrote about it here). He started his line in 2011, and this year, he presented at New York Fashion Week at the age of just 21. I’m a huge supporter of young talent, and I’ve loved 2watching Mirano’s work develop over the past year. Despite his young age, he has an incredible eye for shape, detail, and innovative fabrics.

For his spring 2013 collection, Mirano had dinosaurs on the brain.  He described his inspiration as the story of a scientist who slowly morphs into the creature she’s studying.  His first few looks are pure, all-white (like a scientist’s attire) pants, jackets, blouses, shorts, and skirts. The materials are magnificent, and you can practically feel the textures just by looking at the photos.

Suddenly, a grey dress with a fossil print appears- and BAM! - the collection is all bright and bold from here on out. The designer has no fear of color, and practically every color in the rainbow is represented in the collection. 

His ball gowns are incredible: some are skin-tight; some have intense micro-pleating; a few feature fossil prints and serious embroidery; and one especially striking dress even had gleaming emerald beetle wings attached to it. Talk about exotic! The clothes are structured but undeniably feminine, and I’d stray from my love of black to wear the bold pants in a heartbeat.

All photos from mathieumirano.com

Review: Noon By Noor Spring 2013

"Ah, I love a good Kell Cutrone sighting." I thought as I settled into my seat at the Noon By Noor show, however, my thought was quickly interrupted by throngs of photographers dashing past me to grab a shot of Nicky Hilton and Olivia Palermo.  

I really enjoyed the collection, with its watermelon, green, beige, golds, metallic coppers, bright pink, orange, nudes, and green tones all living together in harmony. The color and texture combinations within the collection were exciting: super glamorous ball gowns had neon appliques, and a pink blazer had neon pink feathers adorning the shoulders. Despite these fresh pops of color, many of the looks remained very classic and sophisticated. My favorite pieces were their marvelous wide-leg pants that came an an array of prints and colors, a sleek neutral jumpsuit, and their many simple orange dresses with expert draping.

My favorite print was the blown-up florals that were seen on the first look and on a few shorts and jumpsuits- having such a large print made the idea of floral seem more art-y than cutesy.
The cuts in the collection were very feminine and flowy-but-fitted, rather than being baggy. Safari-style shirts, gowns, and even suits shared a relaxed, chill vibe. T-shirts and tank tops were styled with full-length skirts with high slits. The effect was very day-meets-night.

If you're wondering about the name, Noon by Noor comes from the Arabic letter for 'N', which is pronounced as 'noon', and Noor is the middle name of the line's Bahraini founder, Shaikha Noon Al Khalifa.

photos from zimbio.com

Bibhu Mohapatra Spring 2013 Review: Transformation

Being the huge fan of Bibhu Mohapatra that I am, I was practically giddy when I got an invite to the SS13 show.
For spring the designer was fascinated by the Luna Moth and the idea of evolution, rebirth and transformation. The clothes beautifully portrayed these concepts, and each piece looked as if it was fresh from a cocoon, ready to display it's beautiful colors and complex craftsmanship to the world. The models coming down the runway looked like they were from a super high-fashion sequel to Disney/Pixar's A Bug's Life movies (you have no idea how happy I am that I get to reference a Disney movie in a show review). The structure of the jackets and shoulders were greatly reminiscent of insect's hard exoskeleton. The collection also constantly featured a geometric print that resembled a cross between ornate snowflakes and butterfly wings.
Aside from all the buggy business, the collection also had some downright breathtaking ball gowns in various shades of pink and blush that were just dying to have a red carpet moment.  I really appreciated the use of so many different fabrics in each dress. It took the idea of 'color blocking' to whole new level. The best dress, in my opinion, was a bright green dress with just enough elements of soft and hard; the fabric seemed to move in every direction, and the layers of material were simply stunning. It was a showstopper, and it completely took my breath away.

Fabric mixing, gleaming appliques, sheer elements, vibrant bright blue and greens and icy powder blues and pinks were prominent in the collection. Two of my favorite looks were decorated with strips of sheer black and red fabric that was placed in a crisscross all over the dress. The effect was stunning and really delicate, almost too pretty to touch.