Picks of the week…

Hi all,

It’s PAYDAY and almost time for the kids to go back to school so now have some ‘you’ time, go to the mall,get your nails and/or hair done and take a little time to relax when possible. Here are the products and places we LOVE this week:

NEW STORE ALERT!!! (and it’s great!!)
‘Shana’ in Baywalk Mall (on the mezzanine above the courtyard area)

This is a new shop I have been waiting (impatiently) for and I was so excited this morning to see it open. Firstly decor-  black, white and grey, industrial, modern and classy-LOVE!
There are a lot of products but the layout is clean and uncluttered and the shop is split into 3 ‘zones’: teens/early 20’s, men and- the largest area- Shana ladies wear. The stock is very Zara/Mango/H&M which are some of my favourite city shops and it will definitely be my new ‘go to’ shop for staple items and affordable, good quality items. I suspect that I’ll be finding top picks in here a LOT from now on! The 2 items that caught my eye today are:

1- Linen clutch
The nautical trend has been a huge for the past couple of years,both for fashion and weddings. Stylecaster.com recently named it one of the 12 top trends for 2016 (click here for full article)  and this clutch would not be out of place on the Heidi Klein catwalk! I would use this in my beach bag to hold lotions & cosmetics or as a travel pouch for my essentials such as passport, wallet, phone and camera.

2- Boyfriend jeans
I always wear plain,skinny jeans in a darker wash denim but I have been looking for a pair of loose boyfriend jeans for a while. Shana may be the place!!! I didn’t get to try any on today (I was heading to a meeting) but will go Wednesday and report back to Instagram (@rockchicstlucia). I would wear these with a fitted, light coloured bodysuit (white, nude or grey) and some espadrilles or even wedges to balance the bagginess of the jeans & keep it from looking too tomboyish.

Beauty Haul
This week I camped out in Beauty Max (Baywalk Mall,2nd Floor) for almost an hour testing various products, shades and new brands of makeup. Nowadays I never buy things then test them at home, I end up wasting so much money for things to sit in drawers!

I managed to control myself and only purchased 2 new products:

1- NYX Primer Spray
An alternative to cream/gel primers and works just as well. Give it time to sink into your skin and dry before applying concealer/foundation on top

2-  NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream
Colour-Istanbul which is a clean pink shade and super pigmented. I also loved Monte Carlo which is a cranberry red but they were out of stock. Obviously a popular choice!! It goes on smoothly and stays on well.Use a toothbrush to remove any dead skin from your lips and moisturise before using it. Matte lipsticks show every crevice there is to see!  The best moisturiser for me is the cocoa butter stick (also from Beauty Max) which also has SPF 15 protection.

 

Staple Item
I was devastated a while ago when my favourite white shirt got ruined in the wash. Unless you wear shirts  you won’t understand-it was the perfect fit, length, sleeve length and shape for me.Since then I have been looking for a new one and finally found it today! It is from H&H (also 2nd floor in Baywalk Mall) which is another of my favourite stores and currently has a 25-30% off sale!! Open a couple of buttons, add a statement necklace and wear loose with skinny jeans, tucked into shorts or even unbuttoned over a bikini. A well fitted white shirt is a staple wardrobe piece and will always come in useful.

Homeware find of the week…
I am trying not to purchase much at the moment since we are moving house in a few weeks and want to furnish it when we get there but am finding it harder and harder to resist these 2 items from GL Supermarket (aka Massy) which would fit perfectly with our industrial feel furnishings. I think the copper mugs would be so fun to serve cocktails in and these wine glasses keep your drink chilled… enough said!!

 

This week we will be posting the exhibitors for our launch event- ladies night (click here for details) and our Dollrectory is well on its’ way to being ready so be patient with us.

Happy Monday Beautiful Ladies,

Charlie xxx

 

The Big Move

Hi All,

In addition to everything else going on-we bought a new house so blogging may be a little less frequent than planned for a few weeks but once I’m in the new house and after my events are done I will be posting non stop especially in the lead up to Christmas with gift ideas- both store bought and DIY!!!!!

I am SO excited as I literally fell in love with the new house from an online listing, and when we saw it in person it was even better! We couldn’t let it pass us by and truly believe this will be our forever home where we’ll watch our son (and any future kids we have) grow up. I can’t post a picture of the outside for obvious security reasons but I will be taking you along on my interior design journey and posting before/after pictures of the inside.

My hubby and I have very different styles so compromise is very important in making this a home we both love:
He loves wood, rustic, homely furniture and likes brown…
I love everything monochrome, glossy and chic (very city)!

We have therefore decided to go for an industrial feel, which is both modern & homely. It combines materials such as rope and metal together to ensure it meets both of our tastes. This means that although I wont be getting my gloss white kitchen with gold handles (sigh) we will be staining the wooden kitchen cabinets black and eventually adding white marble plus a glossy brick effect backsplash.

Given that we are moving in 7 weeks, with time away in between for our delayed honeymoon, a launch event to prepare for and a family wedding of 200 to plan/coordinate, one would assume this queen of organisation would be half packed already but here I am – boxless!!!! I do not have one box, nor 1 item packed yet!! Yesterday I realised how much there is to do and had a meltdown…

I’ve now composed myself and have put together a packing/life plan for the next few months! Here are some handy tips for moving house which I’ve included in my plan:

• Don’t just pack by room (this is so cliche)- instead pack by category. E.G. sheets, towels, cleaning products etc. This will make items easier to find and access. Pack your moving truck or van strategically so the boxes containing items such as towels are accessible first
• Make sure you pack a suitcase for each person in the family with a few days worth of  items including clothes,toiletries, pjamas and any work clothes/supplies necessary. It will ensure a smoother transition for all involved
• Similar to above… pack your own car with anything you will need during the move, Stanley knives/scissors to open boxes, clothes you don’t mind ruining, a small speaker or similar so you can add some music to the long unpacking process, some snacks and drinks to fill the fridge immediately (remember kids get easily frustrated if hungry) and cleaning products (especially if you cannot use tip 4)
• If you can gain access to the new house before your official move in date, take advantage of it.
  Give the house an extreme clean whilst it’s empty, bleach the showers, toilets and sinks, disinfect the kitchen and mop the floors, dust, polish and clean the windows. It will set you off on good footing for the move if you’re not trying to clean as you go.
  If you have walls to be painted or need anything like termite/pest treatments ask the previous owners if they would let you get this done a couple of weeks before the sale closes…. We are lucky that our owners have allowed this to reduce the disruption when we get there especially for the baby
• If you have kids, ensure toys are accessible so they have them whilst you unpack and feel at home from the start. If they like particular shows or movies but your tv won’t be setup yet then download them onto your computer or ipad before the move
• Make it FUN!!!! You have a new house, whether it’s bigger or smaller it’s a new chapter and it should be somewhat enjoyed. Get your friends over to help and reward them with food and drinks, take photos and videos and create memories! Give your kids the opportunity to make some extra cash doing chores and let them have fun with the piles of empty boxes to keep them distracted
• The moving process is a perfect closet clearout opportunity!! Do these when youre packing and avoid moving extra to the new house. Move with only the stuff you need and sell/donate the rest of it!

Have any others? Comment below- I appreciate any help I can get right now!!!

Charlie xxxx