KCFW SS17 + KC CHIEFS STYLE LOUNGE OOTD - CUTOUTS, OFF THE SHOULDER & LACE

Thursday Nights of Kansas City Fashion Week , usually an evening of collaborations. This season KCFW partnered with Kansas City Chiefs, for an evening called Chiefs Style Lounge. The obvious idea would be to wear Red, on a evening dedicated to the chiefs, and I wont say that I didnt get the idea at all. But my red dresses were somehow not calling out to me that evening. So I indulged in some Design Challenge myself. Thursday Night , had a Design Challenge featuring some of the biggest names of the KC Fashion Circuit. So the Design Challenge I set out for myself, seemed only more apt.

I had been styled into an outfit featuring a skirt for a Summer Fashion Show, where I was participating in , rather than reporting about. Its always a challenge, taking someone's vision and translating into your own. For the Macy's Mother's Day Fashion Show, I was styled by Fashion Blogger and Stylist Caitlin Fore of Sophisticaited. So I decided to take a Summer skirt and make it more Fall appropriate. When you are seeing the world with your Pumpkin Spice Latte glasses, you want to include warmer tones in everything.

The skirt is a favorite of mine. Its applique and lace work, hides my tummy bulge and is simply gorgeous. One of the colors of the applique was a Peach. Thats the color of the top I was styled in, for the Summer event. So I decided to go darker in the same color . Substituting a peach flowy crop top, with a burnt brown off the shoulder top with cutouts, seemed to be perfect for Fall. See how I bring in the Pimpkin Spice notes, or warmer notes. Not to mention, it was endless stops to endless stores, in a bid , to make the outfit more Fall appropriate. I loved it. Caitlin Loved, when she saw a post on Instagram on the outfit. And everyone else, loved it.

I wanted to carry the Earth tones of the top, in my make up and accessories. I decided on gold accessories and warmer tones on my eyes. As for my lipstick, it was MAC Viva Glam 1, which is this beautifully burnt brownish red. Nude pumps and a nude bag with rose gold accents to complete the ensemble.

Stay tuned to the Blog for a recap of Thursday Night Runway shows following soon.

If you want to read how this skirt was styled for Summer, then click Here. 

OUTFIT DETAILS :
Macy's Lace Applique high waisted Pencil Skirt (Sold Out). Similar Here 

Satin Off the SHowulder Top with Cutouts - Express(Sold Out). Similar Here 
MAC Viva Glam I Lipstick
Urban Decay Naked Palette - 1
Nude Pumps
Nude Bag with rose gold details : Zara (Sold out)  Similar - Kate Spade New York Wellesley Small Rachelle (Rose Gold)

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KCFW SS17 WEDNESDAY NIGHT - RECAP

Picture: Paper People Photography using my camera 

Picture: Jason Atherton of Atherton Photography 

The first night of runway shows of Kansas City Fashion Week SS17 was on a rather warm Wednesday Fall evening. I remember last year, they had a Runway over a Pool. This year, it was a very European format. Rather than a typical runway. the models walked round the chairs, spread out in the form of the letter U. And guess where my seats were?! Insanely awesome seats, I must tell you. Huge thank you to Kansas City Fashion Week for taking such good care of the Media. Feels great to be back every season.

If you want to read all about my Outfit of the Night, then click Here. 

The evening began with  Eltee by Laura Talken. Forest greens, black nudes, beige were the prominent colors . My favorite pieces included a dreamy nude flowy beige gown,which could be borderline resort wear. Another stunner was a black and gold ensemble. And  guess who the showstopper was. The Designer came out with her cute little puppy , Jimmy Choo. Yes, that's his name.

Although it was the beginning of a Spring Summer Fashion Week, the colors chosen by the opening designer were very Fall. But then when is Fashion predictable, right.

The second designer was Irina Tevzadze with her childrenswear collection. Powder blue, lime green,black and grey were the prominent colors.  She used blocks, or squares into her design scheme, with a signature pink print across her collection. The addition of swimming goggles and white tennis shoes added a much needed playful vibe. Loved her color scheme as it was such a nice balance between pop colors and muted tones.

The third showcase  was a collaboration between swimwear designer Lauren Victoria Hulen 's LV Swim and Jewellery designer Bosede Iyewarun 's line EarKandie. 

LV Swim combined elements from photography, didgital design and a mix of dreaminess with edge in her collection. My favorite piece was this pink and white number. It had the season's hottest trend, Off the Shoulder, in swim wear,with high waisted shorts with lattice details. This was something I could see myself wearing during my next vacation to the beach. The models sported braids incorporating colorful weaves in them.

Coming to the jewellery, there was quite a mix of body chains and ear cuffs which made the swim wear pretty interesting.

T R brown Fashions brought in the  60s , with a beach holiday flavor. It was 50 shades of teal, with a mix of all kind of blues thrown in. The models featured handbags by Indian Summer Collection  and cool retro sunglasses. Leather, ruffles, lace, and chiffon were used cohesively in the collection. My favorite was this Drop waist dress with ruffles, which was so retro yet so trendy even now. This collection put me in the mood for vacation and was screaming Spring Summer, by every count.

The second half of the evening began  Aerona by Morgan Mason. It was the second childrenswear designer of the night. Capes,cutouts , skirts, shift dresses, I was loving it all. The outfits were pretty structured and it was an interesting juxatposition of bright blues and greens, with neutrals.
The kids rocked it big time with their face paint, textured hair and tennis shoes. If I might use the phrase Edgy Cute, then that would be apt for this collection.

Fashion comes a full circle, and I am forever lapping reruns of 60s and 70s fashion. But to bring back 80s and 90s, suddenly makes me feel old, I feel. Its all in the mind , I feel, as we feel those decades were just yesterday. Branded by Sher wowed the audience with her collection inspired by both the minimalism and exagerration of the 80s and 90s. The sweatshirt was a winner all the way.

Dungarees anyone !

One of the most interesting pieces was this transparent dress with confetti details. I have been guilty of using accessories with transparent details  and this outfit was quite a throwback to those memories.

Sheraz Pompey brought forth his collection of evening wear. His first outfit was this peach pink body suit, with lace overlays and a cape. It was just perfect. Lace overlays were prominent through out the collection with a mix of brocade thrown here and there. Very dreamy and feminine collection.

The last collection of the evening was Munelle de Vie. She brought an interesting take on Stripes in her showcase. And anything Stripes, screams French, right. Rather than white and black stripes, she brought in navy and wine stripes.And from stripes, she went onto windowpanes in her ready to wear collection.

If you want to read about my Outfit for Wednesday night, then click Here. 

Stay tuned to the Blog for daily front row updates from Kansas City Fashion Week. by clicking on the label Fashion Week . 

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SEPHORA PLAY - SEPETMBER & AUGUST 2016 - REVIEW

I have been super late in catching up with the reviews of my Play ! By Sephora Subscription boxes. I have been enjoying them and using them. Maybe playing a bit too much with all the new beauty items, that the blogging took a hit. I plan to correct that and catch up with you all, with all that I am loving and all that I am not. Fall is here in full swing, and I might still have some late Summer beauty picks. My October Box is on its way home, so lets see which products featured in the August and September boxes. Of the two boxes, if you ask me, which one I loved more, I would clearly say, it was the August box. Without further ado, lets get on with it, shall be.


                                 SEPTEMBER : THE UNBASIC  BASICS

If you are new to the Play ! by Sephora Subscription boxes, then let me fill you in. You pay a monthly fee of $10 plus taxes, and a box containing handpicked beauty , skin care and perfume sample reach you by mail. Every month has a theme, and the products are woven around it. The theme for the month of September was The UnBasic Basics. It also comes with a Info Sheet describing the products and also a Play Pass. Sadly for me, my city's Sephora does not host Play Dates yet. This was clearly a Summer Box . The box was a mix of some cult products and some new products.

                                                 KAT VON D TAOTOO LINER IN TROOPER : 

This is the latest holy grail of liquid eye liners. Every beauty guru raves about it. Personally speaking, I am not a fan of liquid eye liner. I am partial to my gel eye liners as I find them to be more convenient somehow. But if I had to pick out my favorite high end liquid eye liner, it would be Kat Von D Tattoo Liner. Don't be fooled into thinking its a felt tip. I thoight so too. Its actually 300 brush bristles blended together to give you that precise line. The color is highly pigmented. Even if you feel you struggle with eye liner, it should be easy for you to use this product. Its waterproof and long wearing. You can apply a thicker line, a thin line or even a double line.  I love a good black eyeliner, and this surely fits the bill by all means.

                  SEPHORA COLLECTION ROUGE SHINE LIPSTICK IN LOVE SPELL

 Dont get me wrong, I love pink lipstoiks. But since its a Septempber Box, I would have preferred a more Fall appropriate color on the lips. Sephora Collection Rouge Shine Lipstick in Love Spell, is a dusty rose lipstick. Its sheer but buildable. I found the formula  to be moisturising. Good for a dash of color on the school run in the morning. Not a wow product.

                                  ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS CLEAR BROW GEL 

 And the box had another cult favorite product. I am a big fan of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel . It locks in your brow make up, without crunching it. Its long wearing. Clearly there's nothing wrong in it, if you ask me, I have gone through tubes and tubes of these as I use it every day. If you want to invest in your brow products, then this is a must have.
 
               LIVING PROOF PERFECT HAIR DAY NIGH CAP OVERNIGHT PERFECTOR

This was a new product for me. I am a bit sceptical about new hair products, as I have colored hair. My hair is also very dry. The product claimed that it was safe for colored hair. I used it as recommended. I used it on dry hair from roots to ends, at night and let it absorb for some time, before I crashed out. I didnt wrap my hair in a towel or a shower cap, and there wasn't a residue on my pillow. I washed my hair the next morning. My hair was noticeably soft. Now that's a hair mask, I am going to purchase. It was fast absorbing, which makes it a lot hassle free to use.

                           DR JART+ WATER DROP HYDRATING MOSITURIZER 

This was another new product for me. I have dry skin, so I am always on the look out for a good moisturizer. But I am skin is extremely sensitive so I have to be careful about the ingredients and formula. Its a water based moisturizer which claims to plump up your skin too. I liked texture and it seemed pretty light. Its something I could wear under my make up.

                                           TORY BURCH JOLIE FLEUR VERTE

Every box comes with a bonus floral perfume sample. This month's perfume was Tory Burch Jolie Fleur Verte. I love floral notes, and the high notes of this perfume were Lily, and Jasmine, with undertones of madarin and neroli oil. Its a good summer fragrance , I believe.
                                                                           

                                                       AUGUST : THE EYE OPENERS 
     The focus was on the Eyes in August. And I love my eye make up, if you didn't know already.

SEPHORA COLLECTION CONTOUR EYE PENCIL 12 HOUR WEAR IN LOVE AFFAIR 

I like products which can be mulititasked. This is an eyeliner, which can also double up as a cream eye shadow. Its in a lovely plum shade, which can be used as a bold line. Or can be smudged into a soft smokey eye. Although this box came in August, I must say, this eye product is perfect for a Fall Eye. It comes in a range of colors so you can take your pick. I used it over a eye shadow primer, as I have oily lids. The pencil is creamy and glides on when you are lining your eyes.

                                           URBAN DECAY PERVERSION MASCARA

 A cult favorite again. Who doesn't love a good black mascara. I have been a fan of this product for some time, and have been using it quite often. Its one of my favorite high end mascaras. Its lenghtening and volumizing and is very build able to get get your desired effect. Its very pigmented and long staying. Its fool proof. The applicator is great to use, and doesn't have those uncomfortable plastic bristles, which almost hurt you in the eye if you are not careful.

                                    MAKE UP FOREVER ARTIST SHADOW IN I-544

This is another Fall Beauty Product and can be used very well, with eye liner and mascara included in this box. The three of them together would make a cohesive Fall eye. The formula is pretty silky when I swatched it, and medium pigmented, if I may say. The color is a mauvy pinky brown with a hint of glitter. It can be used as an overall wash of color or can be built up . Personally I would use it across the lids, with the plum liner smudged along the upper lash line, and a few generous coats of the mascara.

                                                        CLEAN RESERVE WARM COTTON 

The perfume sample of the month of August Clean Reserve Warm Cotton. Its inspired by the beauty of the natural world. I am not a perfume expert, but it did have some vanilla notes. A so so perfume, if you ask me.

LANCOME ENERGIE DE VIE SMOOTHING AND GLOWING LIQUID CARE MOSITURIZER:

As I have dry skin, the keyword, " Glowing" always catches my attention. I am always on the look out for products which are hydrating. And I am not telling you this, because I have a tie up with this brand . Its just that , I love my skin care to be extra hydrating. I used it as a primer beneath my make up , and it stayed pretty well. The product was runny which was pretty surprising and I did have to use a lot of it.

                                           ALGENIST  EYE RENEWAL BALM 

The final product. I am in my mid 30s and I do try and follow a daily skin care routine.Retinol and eye creams feature heavily on that routine. The product claims to soothe and moisturize, and visibly reduce dark circles, puffiness and wrinkles with anti-aging Alguronic acid.

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KCFW SS17 WEDNESDAY OOTD - OFF THE SHOULDER PEASANT DRESS

The first night of Runway shows. What do I wear? The million dollar question, right. Every outfit has an inspiration, every outfit has a story. I had picked out this long off the shoulder peasant dress in Summer and wore it quite a few times during my travels in India. I wanted to wear it for Fashion Week, when I first scored it off the racks. The inspiration came in from all my travels across the South-West. My husband loves the Canyons and he would go hiking every weekend if his day job allowed.

While I am not much of a hiking fan, I build up on my collection of turquoise jewellery when I travel to those parts. And over the years I have built up quite a collection, if I may say. So it all started off from a South Western Travel inspiration and the outfit came together.

 I added in the broad black waist belt to give the outfit some dimension. The skirt of the dress is its high point. I wanted it to stand out. But I am petite and volume can go against me, and make me look boxy, if not handled properly. That's where a belt come sin handy. It draws attention to the smallest part of your waist and balances the volume .

As it was the first night of runway shows, I wanted to keep my footwear comfortable. My options were ballet flats or black leather booties. Seems like the latter won the day. There's something chic about long dresses, with boots. Makes it a lot more edgier I feel. For my makeup, I kept it minimal, with no eye shadow at all. I wanted my Fall essential berry lips to stand out- MAC Rebel, of course.

And did I mention that KCFW had re branded itself with new colors and logos to celebrate their !0th Runway Season. It felt good to wear the same colors on opening nights. Monocrhomes are timeless and always on point.

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OUTFIT DETAILS : 
If you loved my Outfit, then you can click on the Links below to shop them.

White and Black Off the shoulder Peasant Dress(Sold Out) . Similar  Here 

Black Leather Quilted Booties  
MAC Satin Lipstick - Rebel 
Wide Patent Leather Belt

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