Carla Grima Atelier Summer 2015 'Serenity' Collection Preview

Before heading to the Pink Fashion Show, last Friday I had to stop by Carla Grima Atelier to preview her Summer 2015 collection, Serenity.

Inspired by nature's luxury, especially the colours of the Mediterranean, Carla Grima's Summer 2015 collection boasts exquisitely tailored pieces in rich, high quality natural fabrics such as cotton and silk. The Summer 2015 Collection features both casual and more elegant pieces that are sure to get you noticed wherever you wear them to. Serenity is a well suited name for this collection which reminds me of serene days in the sun with a light breeze and tranquil colours of blue, green and muted orange that only nature can offer.

Carla is perhaps most known for her beautiful, flowy kaftans which are in effect what she started off with but for this collection, she has even introduced new garments such as trousers and shorts, all of which are very light and airy making them perfect for our summer. I especially like the turbans and scarves and I like the personal touch Carla gives to her creations with her signature being printed discreetly on random areas of each piece.

The collections see their start at her home studio where the designs the patterns and selects the fabrics herself, to bring to life her ethereal designs. This is the atelier's second summer in business and I hope we will see more of her designs soon!

Shop Carla Grima Atelier on her website and like her Facebook page to keep updated.

Event | The Pink Fashion Show It's Kick Off Time!

I had been looking forward to last Friday every since the invite for the Pink Fashion Show landed through my mail box. The Pink Fashion Show has now become a stalwart in the local fashion calendar and after attending the magazine's 10 year anniversary show last year, I just couldn't miss this one!

As me and my boyfriend made our way to Savio College in Dingli, after what seemed like an eternity in traffic, I couldn't have been more grateful to the dress code - flats or wedges! (here, I have to thank Aldo Shoes for offering a nice range of stylish and comfortable wedges). Luckily, us guests were greeted with refreshing Kinnie and Diet Kinnie (Malta's own soft drink) as well as water, wine and beer to down the delicious nibbles. I also had my first Pink Raspberry Magnum which tastes delicious (and definitely won't be my last one) and my boyfriend approves of the Black Espresso one too ;)

Savio College Grounds 

New Magnum flavours are to die for! 

Following the reception, we made our way to the gym where the show actually took place. The backdrop was a running-track setup which complemented the Savio College Grounds excellently. The show opened with a dancing act from Stage Coach Kids and I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say that they are truly talented and absolutely adorable! Following that, two groups of models arrived on the catwalk in two Renault Twingo cars and the show officially kicked off!

Models showcased items from the summer collections of F&F, Guess Jeans, Karen Millen, Marks & Spencer, Miss Selfridge, Optika, Punt Roma and River Island and obviously I already have some items on my to buy list!

I really enjoyed the out of the ordinary setting and all the collections presented at the show and look forward to the next Pink Fashion Show!

All models photos featured are courtesy of the Pink Magazine Facebook page.

Malta Fashion Week Skin Care & Beauty Favourites

Malta Fashion Week has come to an end two weeks ago and in this post, I just wanted to share with you my favourite skin care and beauty products, or rather the products that I have used most during the whole week. Here goes!

Skin & Body Care

In between juggling work and fashion week events, I found Yves Rocher Blackberry Exfoliating Shower Gel to be a life saver as it exfoliates and cleanses my skin in one go apart from the fact that it smells good. This was a limited edition variety, though but they do have a fixed range of smells in their permanent line. I then kept my skin moisturised with the help of The Body Shop Dewberry Body Lotion which has a very nice texture that is rapidly absorbed - perfect for dressing up immediately after!

As for my face, I have been keeping it clean with Vichy 3-in-1 Cleanser for sensitive skin, KIKO makeup remover and Skin Food Cucumber & Lettuce Watery Toner. Of course, long days and nights require proper care and thank God I have Polaar Icy Magic, Lierac Mesolift Serum and Polaar Moisturiser to my rescue!

For my hair, Tres Emme Argan Oil Spray has been irreplaceable to keep frizz at bay and give my shiny hair all week long!

Makeup

Now for makeup! My absolute favourite foundation has been of course NYX HD Foundation in HDF02 Soft Beige which is very camera friendly and never made me look like a ghost in flash photography. The same applies for NYX HD Concealer in CW03 Light which I like to use under my eyes. For minor blemishes on my face, I switch to Catrice Camouflage Cream in 010 Ivory. MAC Mineralize Blush in Gleeful always made the cut as it matches my complexion really well and goes with practically any outfit.

I never left the house without these products on my eyes: MAC Gel Liner in Blacktrack, Urban Decay eyeshadows ABC Gum and Breathless, Essence I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base and Pupa Milano Made To Last Eyes 100. I also really enjoyed different shades of Essence Effect Eyeshadows as well as Pupa Milano Vamp! Cream Eyeshadow Shiny Silver from the Spring Sporty Chic Collection. As for mascara, I switched my favourite Max Factor one to Catrice Glamour Doll Curl & Volume Mascara and top it with KIKO False Lashes Concentrate Waterproof Top Coat Mascara.

Finally, my favourite lip products combination has been Essence Lip Liner 05 Soft Berry and The Body Shop Colour Crush Lipstick in shade number 335. My makeup held up really well all throughout thanks to a little help from Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer.

Review | Pupa Milano Sporty Chic Limited Edition Spring 2015

If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook (if you don't go ahead and click the icons above), you would have seen my post about two new products I have received a few weeks ago from Pupa Milano, both of which are from their Spring 2015 Limited Edition collection, Sporty Chic which is made up of products in fresh, bright and sporty hues.

The collection is actually inspired by the sport-luxe garments seen all over the catwalks, which are effortlessly translated into the products - beautiful pastel shades with contrasting black graphic details with matte finishes that contrast the luminous finishes and a touch of silver. 

The Pupa Milano Sporty Chic Collection consists of:

4 Vamp! Cream Eyeshadow Velvet Matt (€11.70)

1 Vamp! Cream Eyeshadow (€11.70)

2 Graphic Eyeshadow Palettes (€14.20)

1 Vamp! Maxi Stylo Liner (€10.90)

3 Miss Pupa Color & Care Lipsticks (€13.50)

2 Like A Doll Cheeks & Hair (€11.60)

4 Gummy Matt Nail Polishes (€5.80)

Here I have the Vamp! Cream Eyeshadow 001 Shiny Silver and the Miss Pupa Color & Care Lipstick 003 Red Coral.

The Vamp! Cream Eyeshadow comes in a little glass jar with a pink lid and I really like when cream products come in such packaging because they seem to last longer than when they come in plastic jars. Now anything branded Vamp! by Pupa is bound to make a good impression especially when it comes to lasting power and this cream eyeshadow is no exception!

The pigmentation is amazing and if you're a fan of cream eye products you're in for a treat with this one as it doesn't budge, crease or fade for any length of time! I wore the eyeshadow for two Malta Fashion Week events and by the end of the night it still looked as if I applied it - even in the hot venues with all the spotlights!

I like that this eyeshadow is versatile enough to be worn alone or have powder eyeshadows layered over it. I give this a definite 10/10!

Next I have one of the Miss Pupa Colour & Care Lipsticks in the shade 003 Red Coral - a fantastic shade for the summer months. The colour & balm concept behind these lipsticks is quite cool and it is a much more sensible alternative to lip products that come with the colour and balm separate from each other. Moreover, this provides the richness of a lipstick and the protection of a balm without the latter hindering the pigmentation, thus I think it is better than a tinted balm.

I think this shade would be extremely flattering on just about any skin tone and I would say this lasts for 2 - 3 hours on the lips before it starts to fade away. However, I would like to point out that even though the colour fades, my lips still feel moisturised.

Here is me wearing both products in one look :)

I encourage you to go ahead and try the Sporty Chic Collection from Pupa Milano for a pop of colour to your look! A list of stockists for this limited edition collection can be found on their Faebook page and on the Pupa website you can find even more information and tutorials featuring all the products!

PR Samples

Here comes the sun...

...and with it melanoma awareness campaigns which bring forth the risks associated with sun exposure and the link with potential cancer development as well as how you can examine yourself better. The month of May is dedicated to Skin Cancer and Melanoma Awareness hence Persona Med-Aesthetic Centre, in collaboration with its team of dermatologists and SkinCeuticals, is offering a number of free consultations for mole assessment throughout May in the light of the importance of early detection and prevention of melanoma.

Melanoma is the most common skin cancer which arises from melanocytes, a type of cells located in the basal layer of the outer skin, which stimulate the tanning process when exposed to UV rays. Aggressive forms of this type of cancer can metastasize to any organ in the body, hence the importance of early detection.

The effects of sun exposure are cumulative, hence every exposure adds to damage caused to the skin which even though it may not be visible at a young age, it is still potentially harmful. A combination of factors such as depletion of the ozone layer, more skin revealing fashion and tanning beds gaining popularity have led to a significant rise in melanoma cases over the past years, even locally.

The following points to help protect your skin from the sun cannot be stressed enough:

• seek shade and avoid the sunniest hours of the day, roughly between 11.00 and 16.00. 
• when outdoors, try to protect your skin as much as possible, wearing a hat, sunglasses and clothing that covers you skin. 
• use a high factor broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF50+) throughout the year. In the summer months it is important to re-apply your sunscreen every 2-3 hours throughout the day when exposed to the sun. 

Lately, the incorporation of antioxidants plus sunscreen in our skin care regime is starting to get more importance as benefits include an increase in protection against UV and IRA rays. Recent studies show that IRA (infra red radiation) is also responsible for skin’s photo-damaging effects, hence modern sun protection should include filters, that provide IRA protection as well. Whereas sunscreens protect against UVA and UVB radiation from the outside, antioxidants work from the inside, protecting against free radicals formation and DNA damage to skin caused by UV & IRA rays. Studies show that even the best sunscreen, when applied, offers up to 55% protection against UV damage, but when combined with a powerful and well-formulated antioxidant, protection levels rise even up to 98%. For this reason, Persona Med-Aesthetic Centre is giving a free sunscreen with every purchase of one of the SkinCeuticals Anti-Oxidant products. You will also be helping a noble cause as 5% from all SkinCeuticals sales made during 2015, will be donated to Hospice Malta at the end of the year.

Self examination is also a very important factor in the early detection of melanoma that is not to be overlooked. A popular method is the ABCDE method where A stands for Asymmetry in shape, B is for Border irregularity, C is for Colour difference, D is for Diameter (large > 6mm) and E is for Evolution that marks a change over-time.

‘Dermatologists world-wide insist that there’s nothing healthy about a sun tan, therefore through this campaign, we hope more people will become aware of the dangers of unprotected or inadequately-protected sun exposure’, says Kate Demanuele, General Manager of Persona Med-Aesthetic Centre. ‘Prevention and early detection measurements of skin cancer, can save lives, therefore we hope this campaign will have its needed impact on people’s lifestyle and their skin health.’

For more information about Persona's melanoma awareness campaign check out their website, Facebook page or contact them on 21340366 or info@persona.com.mt. Products can also be purchased via the website.