The new Chanel advert of rouge Coco is incredibly inundating to me. It's beautiful, captivating and endowed with feminine charm and charisma. Goodbye, sad-looking models! I particularly like that shade of lipstick on the ad...I believe its called Mademoiselle. Its both red and pink, maybe a bit corally, but it strikes the right chord between the rusty tones and the pinkish hues. The perfect lip colour every woman needs. Now, perhaps...a cheaper alternative? Any ideas?

Disregarding your pretty smile here, Ms. Van der Woodsen, I'm gaga over that aztecy outfit with that touch of glamour a' la gossip girl!

Fortunately, Asos outlet has a similar one on sale for €21.18. Find it here

Image from Gossip Girl on TV Fanatic.

A friend asked me about what I thought about ochre tights.... My reaction was a cocktail of approval and disgust.

Ochre is the colour of the season, of crisp fallen leaves - an autumn icon, but they're also the colour of someone who's gone crazy with spray-tan.

Would you wear them with a dark brown skirt or would you rather stick to the less natural tones such as burgundy, electric blue and black?

Buy them at Miss Selfridge here.

My selection of shoes for Autumn :) In other words - Autumn's must-haves.

I've encountered a few debates online with regards to the purchase of replica handbags versus authentic ones. Do you condone the purchase of such bags, since they are a mark of class? Do you think its justified due to their over-the-top prices, unaffordable to many?

• I'm against fakes. (2 votes)
• It's justified. (4 votes)
• I don't care. (3 votes)

Blusher and concealer can stay for all I care when the sky puts its night cap on and I'm enveloped in bed (until the next morning when my facial skin is endowed with dotted whiteness - i.e. zits)... but eye-shadow cannot, and under no circumstance, remain on my eye-lids or any part close to face when that time comes.The velvety feel left courtesy of powdery eye-shadow is not something I enjoy the feeling of, especially if my eye-balls end up all red-veined and itchy. And to this I have found the perfect solution - Rose Water!!

Being easy to apply and not infested with chemicals, which I'm sure prove to be more harmful to the face in the long-run than pleasantly-effective, makes it the facial miracle I have long been searching for. Its price, at a mere 5euro and its rosy smell are an added bonus!

Cotton buds in one hand and my Roberts Rose Water in the other, I gladly welcome my noticably softer skin and bedded glory...

I found this awesome nail art at Refinery29...and it's dead-easy to fiddle with!!

Eletric blue nail polish as base, white glittery nail-polish at the top and sparse glitter naily in the middle...ta-dah! You're now an Ice-Queen!

YSL's pre-fall collection reminded me of how art can be so united with fashion. Each and every look is a total and complete work of art. Forget practicality. Looking at these looks totally, and manifestly remind you of how awe-inspiring fashion can be.

Lady in Fur.

You know...white tights, alone, on a shop's counter would, personally, totally put me off. But here. Honestly, the look is totally breath-taking. And you forget all about how white tights make your thighs look double their actual size. It is perfection. An ode to the womanly form. And those brown/burgundy-ish heels and the matching belt gave the outfit the missing edge. No more patronised woman. The look of the New woman, without being a tomboy ;)

Sharp and Sassy

i love this look...I love how it put the sassy into the clean-cut, sharpness of a lawyer's suit. What can a woman want more? All credit must be given to the mustard gloves I must say. You gotta hand it in to the gloves, - pun intended! - they aced Le Look!

A bold mix

Who would ever think of mixing such a close, but wrong combination of colours? And then, it still looks good?

Why?

Because they're from the same colour palate, silly! ;) Had the colours been totally different, the look would have just looked wrong. but here it just looks RIGHT.

Bold mix of fabrics and a bold mix of colours! You have to be brave to even try and sport this look.

Doesn't it remind you of a geisha's clothing?

With the obi belt, pale skin and everything?

The true definition of minimalist, with, even so, a hint of military!! And then the bow on the sleeve, gave it just a hint of femininity to soften the blow!

The sexy secretary.

The purple heels. Notice the singular colour palette! No rust included - perfection!

Edgy and Feminine.

It somehow reminds me of the likes of Vivienne Westwood. The velvety gloves lessened the severity of the clean-cut leather dress.

I don't have favourites, but this is was a close one.

Properly stylish. I love that shirt.

Powerful.

That purple and that iconic autumn colour of mustard make this look the ultimate look of Power.

Hands on hips, cape in tow, head high - Rule on girl.

Proper.

But it doesn't stop at that. A look so simple but says so much. Not the usual haute couture presentation, I'd say, most would wear it on any day, in fact but the essence it conveys is overwhelming. Submissive (head, bowed down, hand grasping the bag, zipped all up...) but powerful (the military dress-suit, the sharp wedge, the bold colour choice and the leather gloves.) Both sexy and cute....It's all there. The look that has it all.

Elegant Profusion

One look at the trousers, you say - man enough?  One look at the fur shawl, you'll say - elegant. The hat and you'll say, femininity and elegance. The coat and you'll say chic.....

It's one artistic make-up to observe, and observe well. Beautiful.

I love how YSL put blue as black's partner in the Fall-Winter'10/11 Collection....An all black outfit - so minimalistic then bam - an electric shock as the Blue Heels spring out. You've got to love Laurent.

The Dress

This is one piece I would call a must-have. And sooner I'd call it the new LBD - the little-blue-dress!!! Everyone's sporting it. But it's not just that - as you well know. Whilst black often commits itself to the darker seasons of Winter and Autumn, Blue remains an it colour all year round. Yes, all kinds of blue. Think of this piece in summer. Teamed with lime stilletos, aqua glasses and a splash of yellow, a tinge of green and violent purple - and, maybe a stark yellow belt for contrast. A rainbow of colours in a good way. Come autumn, pair it with the rusty colours of mustard, copper and the darker shades of green and you're the vision of autumn. When winter comes full on, sport it with long black gloves - velvety and spell L U X E; feathers and killer black heels. Ditch the strappy heels, though and stick to minimal - it's THE trend, upcoming fall.

The Hat and Cape

A minimal look, then the heels come along to add the much needed spice. Classy.

In your face action.

This look says it all - Minimal, Edgy and Sexy.

The shoe.

Observe the heel. Enough said.

"You don't get style from anyone. If you've got style, it's yours."

A Vogue blog features stylist Caroline Sieber as "possibly the chicest girl in town"...It's Parisian chic meets edgy I would say.

But now, now...a week ago I embarked upon a pretty blouse at the Spanish High-Street Fashion shop, Stradivarious....which looks so much like Sieber's here! It's very similar to it. Back then I bought it simply because I thought it would be a great addition to my wardrobe...but now I think of it....it was a great find altogether at a mere 16euro!! Whoopiee..

Here it is...my beloved blouse:

My blouse :)

A closer view :)

Since I'm a student and yes - a fashion addict, I'd naturally go to Uni wearing student-friendly fashionable clothing.

Now, what do I mean by student-friendly? Most importantly, inexpensive, comfortable, yet chic clothing.

Here I'm going to lay out some pointers for the Uni fresher starting this Fall, for a competitive player in the clothing field.

First off,

you've got to think of an image. How do you want to appear to the rest of the student body? Ok, this may sound totally impersonal and whole-heartedly stereotypical...but it's not. Style really is what defines you - whether you like it or not. Wear slouchy clothing and you're labelled sloppy, wear neat looks and bear style and you're seen as smart and efficient and people will look up to you. It's who you are, and that's what you wear, and that's how people see you. That's how the world rolls.

Know first who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly. - Euripedes

Bear headbands for that Upper East side cliche, sport leather bands and indian prints for that Boho look, and channel sparkly for that diva look. It's your choice.

Secondly,

Think of your budget. What will be your income during your time at Uni? How many of it are you prepared to spend on clothing? How much often are you planning on clothes shopping?

Thirdly,

Reinvent. Organise your wardrobe and think of what will work and what won't for the coming season. Anything Fall-runway-inspired enough may stay; the rest, move to le sidewalk s'ils vous plait!

Fourthly,

As much as a waste of money it may seem stock up on basics, it is always fundamental to do so. If it's any consolation, basics don't go out of fashion that quickly, and they're the shoulder to cry on when you're in a major fashion-crisis. Team basics with a single exclusive piece and you're ready to go. Layering is a must, especially when it's the time of year when the weather can't seem to decide where to head to. Still, don't go overboard, of course; buy a few key pieces that make you shine through from the rest of the basic-wearing entourage. Remember, you're the fashion-follower and trend-SETTER, not one of the mass regiment.

Fifth,

Customise. Think of what you wear most and adapt a regiment of jewellery. Ideally splurge on one item that will soon become your signature piece. (see the must-haves entry I posted prior to this entry.) And this follows, especially, if you can't afford to wear different jewellery for every item of clothing you own.

Sixth,

think ahead. How will you distribute your entire wardrobe assets until your next shopping expedition? Should you buy jackets now, or leave that for the next shopping spree - maybe next month - when a jacket really matters as it gets colder?

Seventh,

don't forget comfort. Sometimes, unfortunately, fashion does come in the way of comfort. But that shouldn't be the case. If you're really out of ideas, look at some runway looks and print out and highlight those looks you like which seem comfortable enough and budget-friendly (i.e. comprise of similar accessories to one another, does eliminating the need of buying items which are going to be used only in a single outfit). Right now, we're lucky enough to have those comfortable military boots, brogues, cargo pants and SOCKS. Yes, those beloved socks which you can wear when it gets colder! (Comfortably now, knowing D&G and Marc Jacobs are making most of their collection out of the glory of socks!!)

Eighth,

the bag! It is the IT item of every girl's wardrobe. Seriously, wearing the right clothes and the wrong bag gives you only wrong. Buy a good bag. A single bag or two, if you don't like to stick to a single one and choose wisely. It has to be spacey, to carry all your books and ephemera, make-up supplies, water, pens, phone and the rest of the stuff that has to be carried every single day. Think of what you'd prefer- a hand bag vs a backpack or an across-body bag.

ninth,

plan outfits a week ahead. This may seem like a chore. But it's something you'll enjoy doing and you'll spend an extra 30 mins per morning SLEEPING rather than deciding on what to wear. And 30 minutes is the minimum - that's if you're really quick at such crucial decisions....

tenth,

Practicality is the key - you don't want to be fiddling about with your wear every 10 minutes just because your bra decides to show up under your top. So it's always best to try your outfit beforehand.

Finally, HAVE FUN! :D

The must-haves promoted in magazines are equivalent to the wear of the masses. The items which you'll see low-quality imitations of. So beware when jotting down your next shopping list with that worn-out page on your fav mag. You want to be unique - not the average mainstream, wannabe fashionista with tons of people sporting the same 'must-haves' as you. But there is one way to resolve all this - the key is to have your own must-have list.

SO: Creating the skeleton (yes skeleton, because you're still going to be adding to it ;] ) shopping list for the season comes down to the following essentials...

1. Ask yourself - before you buy anything...what is my must-have list? Then start jotting down your own.
2. Read tons of magazines and fashion blogs to get a rough idea of what's in. That's before you even set foot in the shops.
3. Think of what you can pull off. Don't wear blocks of gold if you feel like you're wearing wrapping paper or shouting out 'HEY, I'm here!'. Same goes for sequins. Think along the lines of what you imagine yourself wearing.
4. What did you like best out of all the inspirational ideas you saw? What looks will you channel?
5. What will you be doing this season? Office wear or school wear? So don't go buying court shoes and loads of teeny-weeny clutch bags when you'll be carrying books, books and books at school.
6. Will next season involve a lot of running about? In that case heels may have to be put aside albeit the occasional night out...Wedges prove to be a comfortable solution to give you that confidence boost (after all a woman with the right pair of shoes can conquer the world!) without tiring most of your feet's muscles - but like it or not they still limit the maximum running potential...pumps are perhaps the apt solution. Yes, (don't you worry!) so are military boots and flat knee-high boots. :)
7. How will you customise? Big bold jewellery has been made the prime choice this fall, out there on the fashion runway. But will you carry it off? If you're wearing it to work amidst an otherwise minimalist cut, or in an evening out or a day out shopping - it would like uber-fab. But would you wear it to school? For school I'd suggest a signature piece - a piece you can wear everyday. Since it might be the piece you'll be known by, choose wisely. Not to bold, not to small. A charm bracelet or leather cuff may be the most ideal options. But since it's about you, you and you - you have to come up with your own signature piece and enjoy doing so! :D
8. Think of past experiences - what did you buy last year and ended up not wearing? Do you imagine yourself wearing the item in mind considerably? Or will they end up falling at the back of your wardrobe. Impulse buying rarely ever serves well. Think twice! What did you wear a lot? Try to find similar pieces, the following season, naturally with a more now feel.
9. Preferably choose pieces which will not fall out next year. Think classics.
10. Choose colours which say YOU. Chanel once again says it all - ''The best colour in the whole world, is the one that looks good, on you!" In other words- don't wear mustard if you're as pale as it goes or if you're olive skinned - you won't like the look - trust me, been there, done that! If you really like the colour, then pair it with burgundy or plum, for instance, to create contrast.
    
11. Finally - Go shop! Try to stick to your list - but if you find even better options why not change! The must-haves are your own - so lead your own way ;)

"I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny."

I'm an eighteen year old. I'm in love with fashion and all the things to do with it. But you've probably heard that a gazillion times now, or you might say it yourself. Let me get to the real reason behind this blog. Fashion is the muse behind everyone's style. And since style is personal, it must always be unique. I created this blog to write about things which you won't find in magazines. Stuff every young fashionista must know. In many ways, it's a new fashion philosophy. A philosophy based on what you like and how new trends may influence your style rather than simply what the designer's like with no locale for personal style.

What you'll find here is key-pieces for the current season - the current fashion for now and I'll leave it in your own hands to decide what further perfects your style out of the seasonal must-haves. I'm a true believer when it comes to Classics - I second Chanel here on this one! - "Innovation! One cannot be forever innovating! I want to create Classics!" No wonder the woman left such a huge stamp on the fashion world.

Before I go ahead and start this blog - I want to make a few things clear. Being a full-time student and still struggling to save for my first car and driving lessons - the world of designer handbags, Hermes scarves, Prada and Chanel is far too expensive for me to handle. High-street shopping will have to do for now.

So...until the day of my own Birkin, Chanel's 2.55 and LV's speedy 30 - here it goes!

I dedicate this blog to all the fashionistas out there who do not afford off-the-catwalk artistry, whilst they would love to - very much. Let's hope that some day you will ;)

- Coco Chanel

The immortality of fashion.