Welcome to the House of Colour...

Do you really know what colour suits you?  

I don't mean what colour you love and want to wear endlessly because its so the colour of the season...I actually mean do you know what colour makes you look absolutely drop dead gorgeous, what colours give you a true sense of confidence and what colours do you need to wear to make everyone wish they had your style!!

For my birthday this year, my Mum organised, not only a morning of colour, but also a lifetime of knowledge for her and myself.  It was fabulous to spend a full morning with my mum, it was also lovely to share it at the home of Karina, our personal consultant, with the House of Colour.


Learn more about House of Colour here xx :-)

First things first:-
Off with the make up, tie back and cover your hair and be covered in a white cloth to create an absolute clean slate.  Now Karina is all set to work her colour magic...

Golly how shocking do I look :-( anything will be an improvement on this pic, truly!!












The Colour Wheel - it's split into 4 sections which represent the colours of the seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter)...

Is it this or that...

So the House of Colour Consultant then takes you on a journey of colour.  Bringing similar colours from the very different areas of the Colour Wheel and offering you the choice of 'this or that'.  I actually found this quite difficult at first, I was more interested in what colours I actually 'liked' rather than what made me look good.  

I got the hang of it though and once I 'saw it' I couldn't believe how my face and eyes really came to life when the 'correct' shade of colour was under my chin.  "Oh my, how did I never see or realise that before!?"

Very similar greens but there really is only one that makes you look fabulous xx :-)

What season of colours are we?



Once Karina had me realise how I looked so much more alive, brighter and actually felt more confident surrounded by 'my' colour scheme, we were all set to put on a little makeup and apply the exact shade of lippy that totally worked for me...

Now that's a better look.  

So, I'm a Winter Jewel.  Also, I'm better in silver jewelry and should I feel inclined to wear pearls then I should go for white pearls.










My Mum went through the exact same process and ended up a perfect Spring.  

She looks amazing xx :-)

...and there is the lovely Karina (she's confident as a Winter Jewel and really did look stunning)










So, will this change your life?  

Perhaps 'change your life' is a little heavy!  I do feel your confidence to dress in a colour you were 'never sure about' will shine out.  You will feel confident knowing you look fabulous and I know your shopping trips will be very different....Let me explain, I've always been a shopper for pleasure and tend to come home with items that don't actually go together (2 tops, one pair of shoes and a couple of paris of earrings) Course, I felt I 'needed' these items and they'd be worn at some point.  Since my experience with House of Colour, I've actually stopped to think before buying and since then, have purchased fewer items and now know what colours I can easily pair together to create a 'new' outfit from my older wardrobe.



Like this scarf...with the colours in it being from my Winter colour scheme, I can pop this around my neck or shoulders to completely change a top and therefore create a perfect outfit for me.














Find an house of colour near you Here..... Find YOUR House of Colour

If you do live in the UK and more specifically in the South Yorkshire area then I highly recommend visiting Karina...her House of Colour web page is here ... Karina

There's a House of Colour pretty much everywhere so, just because you are not in England or visiting England in the near future, you've really no excuses for not finding your season of colours and embracing them with a passion NOW xx :-)

I want to thank Karina for our wonderfully colourful morning and for the knowledge we took home with us.  Yes, me and Mum now know 'our' colours but its so much more than that!  xx :-)

Me, after my House of Colour experience
and wearing my Red lippy

Kisses n smiles from me xx :-)

SEVIIN at TANGS, their Decléor Institut 'n' a tiny Miranda Kerr

Oh my, oh my!  A little drop of luxury for Friday, when I say a little I actually mean a load of luxury :-)

Starting with TANGS...following their complete 're-look' and additions, TANGS Orchard now offer a Beauty Hall to die for, fashion and lifestyle throughout their floors and at the very pinnacle (level 7) an urban oasis in the heart of the city that they have named SEVIIN :-

Here's what 'The Editor' of TANGS Spring 2013 directory has to say about SEVIIN...

"Pure pampering bliss is no longer a dream, as we are excited to bring SEVIIN at TANGS into your life.  Set in 7,000spft of luxury, indulge with world-class beauty pampering, grooming and absolute relaxation.  Ladies have choices from Decléor Institut, La Mer, Shiseido Facial Studio, SK-II LXP Lounge, all they need to be pampered to perfection, and for the guys we offer The Gentlemen's Lounge with everything they need to be well-groomed"

immerse yourself in the luxury of SEVIIN at TANGS here xx :-)

Do let me share a few pics with you...these will surely make you smile :-)

Experience pure pampering as SEVIIN at TANGS Orchard opens the doors to world-class beauty pampering, grooming and relaxation.

There in the setting of SEVIIN you will find rejuvenating and relaxing signature facials at the SK-II LXP Lounge, a delicate blend of essential oils and plant oils at the heart of Decléor Institut's skincare programme, the Miracle Broth(TM) and massage techniques of La Mer, a veritable cocoon of pure bliss with Shiseido Facial Studio, our lovely other halves can indulge in a little grooming at the Gentlemen's Lounge and lastly but not least-ly (!) you will find all you need for your crowning glory at UrbanHair Ginrich Aveda.  Truly, something for everyone.

Today I headed down to Orchard Road, entered the world of TANGS to experience a friendly welcome to SEVIIN for myself and indulged in a 90 minute facial at the Decléor Institut :-)

Back in March I treated myself to a facial package of 3 x Hydra Force facials...my idea being I would get one per month and look totally stunning come the summer vacation!  What with one thing and another I simply did not find time to indulge in too much 'me' time.  Happily, today I was able to take my first Decléor in house facial.  After being treated like a VIP, offered tea and slippers and spending a little time to fill out a quick form (yes, yes, I don't drink enough water and I know, I know I drink too much alcohol!!) it was my time to relax and be pampered.  I was given a skin analysis and told that, although I had signed up for the Hydra Force facials, at no change to the price I would be better suited, due to my 'dehydrated' skin type to take the 'Divine Nutrition"

Aromatic Face Rituals

Aroma Expert

This tailor made, high precision treatment treats all skin conditions, leaving the skin radiant,

vibrant and intensely comfortable.

Face cleansing, deep cleansing, exfoliation, 3 techniques face massage, treatment mask with essence and finally an application of moisture for eyes and face and not forgetting the important sun protection.
Very relaxing, my 1 hour 30 mins went by perfectly and I left the Decléor Institut and SEVIIN feeling ready to 'face' the day :-)

...a spot of shopping was, of course, in order - well, the Great Singapore Sale is on now! Great Singapore Sale 2013 !  Couldn't resist a look in Mango, picked up some well 'needed' items and grabbed a little keep fit and tone up motivation from the Mango Summer Collection pics of Miranda Kerr...

oh for a body like Miranda Kerr!

I leave you now as I am off to hit the gym, get vibrated on the PowerPlate...oh, and avoid all food...(kidding!)

kisses 'n' smiles from me xx :-)

fairytales, bliss 'n' bintan...

I'm new to the blogging world and enjoying it so much.  Each day I'm smiling thinking of ideas for future posts and, of course, smiling along while reading other great blogs.  I decided though to do a search on google to find out "why we blog?"  Of course, Google came up with the perfect link for me to read and the simple answer to the question is WHY NOT ! yes, such a great answer made me smile ;-)

Also, as I am new here, I decided to get myself a book...

The cover alone made me smile ;-)  It really is full of excellent information 'n inspirational ideas.  I highly recommend to all arty and creative bloggers new in this world.

Thinking more about creative talents now...I had some news from a good friend regarding her wallpaper business, Châto & co. 

Their wallpaper collection had lots of positive feedback and was of an excellent quality (heck I would say that - it was made up in the North of England) but sadly their fairytale is no more :-(  I am positive that my friend and her partners will not give in and their next venture will be up and running very soon. I wish them lots of luck wherever their creative talents take them. 

From fairytales to dream destinations...

Singapore is placed extremely well for travelling around Asia.  When I lived here previously we couldn't take up too many opportunities because of me being either pregnant or with babies and everyone knows that travelling, even the shortest distance, with babies requires endless bags full of endless baby paraphanelia!  Now though, we are back and are going to take full advantage of our placement in Asia. 

Starting with Indonesia...  Bintan is our neighbour really, just 55 minutes by ferry, the resorts there are fab.  With white sandy beach, palm trees and fabulous hotels really makes a weekend there feel like you are in "le paradis de la relaxation" ;-)  Even my busy, busy husband got a chance to relax just long enough to put his Blackberry away before a swim in the surf.  I highly recommend a wk/d on Bintan to recharge batteries and switch off all electronic devices! ;-)

ok, so these aren't actual Bintan waves!
There are some pretty good waves there for beginners ;-)

To finish, we had such fun, lots of sun 'n' great surf we'll be going again very soon....so now I'm off to Marina Square, Rip Curl store in search of perfect surfer babe gear :-) hey, any excuse for a new outfit ;-)

kisses 'n' smiles from me xx ;-)

Sunshine 'n' smiles on a rainy day...

Rain, rain go away... Today, has been so wet and grey (North of England weather).  I was rained in at the MRT station with no umbrella.  The wind was blowing, the rain was lashing at my bare legs and sleeveless arms, bit chilly was the rain, so I found the outside vent of an air con unit was pleasantly warm ;-) of course I had to smile at myself being huddled there, keeping warm and dry.

Tropical storms...they seem to come out of the blue (sky), or so I thought.  Just yesterday, listening to the radio in the car the weather guys announced a storm 'a brewing' "expect heavy rain and localised flooding between 8.35 am and 9.50 am" they said.  Sure enough at exactly the time predicted 'the heavens opened'.  We British love to moan, groan and generally converse about the weather! ;-)

So, from rain to sunshine....I've found a great garden/plant store near the boys' school and have decided to have a 'grow' with sunflower seeds.  Sunflowers are my favourite, favourite flowers they look like big smiley faces ;-) really hoping they grow up nice and tall...watch out for photos of my little seeds a growing!

Recently here in Singapore the papers, radio stations and tv news have been talking about an ad down on Orchard Road.  Apparently, someone, decided this ad was 'too much' for the Singapore audience and it has therefore been suspended.  It now seems it is in the process of being taken away.  However, it caused such a stir that everyone was either on the Internet desperate to see it or heading down to Orchard Road catching a glimpse before it disappeared!  I so totally had to smile (and giggle a bit) today as a Singapore news station questioned "if it was in fact a planned publicity stunt?"!  Of course, it doesn't take a genius to work out that it more than likely was planned to attract attention - bravo to their marketing team ;-)  I dare not post it here (I don't want suspending!) but my link may take you down there...what do you think?  Not a bad body, hey?

Lastly, SHOES, a girl's best friend ;-)  I smiled while reading a magazine today...a 'self-confessed' shoe addict states "I feel inadequate without my shoes".  Erm...well, I love shoes but would not go quite that far ;-)  I do though, feel extremely happy stepping out in my Jimmy Choo shoes and I do actually clean the soles when I arrive home :-D  Don't we all have strange addictions?  Shoe addiction makes me think of a couple of my fave movies Confessions of a shopaholic and The Devil wears Prada ;-))

kisses 'n' smiles from me xx ;-)