Who Wore Alberta Ferretti Better?

Who Wore It Better?

A Gossip Girl or Latina Actress



This first time I spotted this gorgeous pink Alberta Ferretti dress, was in April this year, when the beautiful Camilla Belle wore it for a red carpet event. Forward five months and the same dress appears in a scene of Gossip Girl, worn by our favourite television fashionista, Blair Waldorf. The pretty pink dress is from Alberta Ferretti's Fall 2011 collection, and features a tie-up halter neck and embellished doubled tiered skirt.

Left: Camilla Belle wore the salmon pink dress to the 'Good Housekeeping Annual Shine On Awards' on 12 April in New York City. Camilla accessorized with a black Salvatore Ferragamo clutch bag, Cartier jewels and two-toned ankle-strap heels by Christian Louboutin.

Right: Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) is styled in the chiffon frock for an episode of the upcoming season of Gossip Girl. She paired her dress with cream tweed Moschino jacket trimmed with frills and pearls. Blair carries a quilted Marc Jacobs handbag and walks in Roger Vivier buckle-front court heels, both in similar neutral shades.

The dress as shown on the runway by German model Luisa Bianchin. It is worn with thigh-high charcoal grey boots.

 Camilla wore her hair in a slightly messy updo, while Blair added a matching Carissa pink fascinator to her sleek hair style.

Even though I am a a fan of both stylistas, I'm going to go with Blair on this one. Her outfit is styled in a way that is not typical or predictable. I prefer her accessories as well. I had liked this dress from the moment I saw it on Camilla. But after seeing Blair in it, I like it a whole lot better. She takes the original dress and gives it so much more life and character. 

What do you think?

Divas and Darlings - VH1 Do Something Awards 2011

Red Carpet Fashion

VH1 Do Something Awards 2011



The VH1 Do Something Awards were held in Los Angeles this weekend.  The awards show recognizes young inspirational people under the age of 25, who do their benevolent bit for the community. Finally, a red carpet event for a good cause. It also commends celebrities that have been involved in charitable work during the year. These are some of the stylish looks from the 'blue' carpet



Red Hot

The Vampire Diaries Malese Jow wears a scarlet draped dress with half-frilled skirt. Victoria Justice is ravishing in a crimson red ruffled dress by Jay Godfrey. She suitably paired it with leopard print ankle-strap heels by Giuseppe Zanotti.

Long and Strapless 

One Tree Hill's Sophia Bush chose a flowing strapless gown in a beautiful teal blue by Tibi. She carried a multicolored ethnic print clutch by Hands Up Not Handouts. A Iosselliani necklace and nude Jimmy Choo's finished her look. Glee's Jane Lynch wore a printed gown with a similar design to Sophia's. Her pony print black and white dress is by Alexander McQueen. I don't like the two-tone heels with it.

Colour Blocked

TV actress Kelli Goss wore a neon yellow midriff top with aqua mini skirt and chunky black tie-up books. Tyra Banks wore a tri-coloured jumpsuit with bright pink asymmetrical top that matched her nail polish, a green cummerbund and cobalt blue pants. Too much colour for the talk show host?

An Ivory Affair

Always one for glamorous gowns, Kim Kardashian wore Antonio Berardi. Her ivory dress had a wrap-twist bodice, padded shoulders and metallic gold belt. Demi Lovato stepped it up in an off-white dress with low v-neck and embellished middle panel. Matching peep toe heels complete her look.

In The Pink

Love this sweet pink Sue Wong dress on Bella Thorne. The beaded bodice with silk petal skirt is adorable on the 13-year-old. I'm glad she wore it with bronze ankle boots and not prissy heels. Charity Shea wears a neon pink dress with grey back panels, long tassel earrings and silver wedges. Ashley Benson in a hot pink halter dress by Zac Posen. Jojo poses in a vibrant little pink dress with nude heels.

A Little Bit of Black

Brittany Snow is in a grey animal print dress with flair skirt by Camilla and Marc. She added mustard pointy toe heels by Giuseppe Zanotti. Kristen Bell wore a printed Etro dress with silver Casadei pumps and Jimmy Choo fringed bag. I'm uninspired by her look. South African born Sasha Pieterse looked chic in a 3/4 sleeve black dress with double buckled leather belt and nude heels. I wish my hair would do that. Rose McGowan paired her star print Dolce & Gabbana bustier dress with red Brian Atwood pumps.

Nina Ricci Resort 2012

Peter Copping of Nina Ricci has created a rose-tinted, French chic collection for Resort 2012. I love the pleasant pastel shades merged with soft ruffles and matt satin. Khaki and black acted as neutrals. The silhouettes were influenced by the fifties and sixties. Cropped suit jackets accompanied pencil skirts.



Stand out pieces include the sweet pink satin skirt suit and jacket, and the black halter-neck fishtail gown. Outfits were sugarcoated with stunning accessories, like cat-eye sunglasses, chain-handle clutch bags and pointy-toe shoes.



These are some pieces from the delectable range.

Flushed Pink

Pretty Pink Blushes

One of my makeup must-haves is a rosy pink blush. Even if you don't put anything else on, a sweet pink blush will give you a healthy, peaches-and-cream glow. These are my picks of the best pink blushes that are currently in stores.

Top Row

Rimmel London blush in Spring Fever. A trio of berry pinks that can be used alone or combined to create a multi-tonal look. A great budget buy.

Clarins Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour in Rose Wood. Two complementary shades in an elegant gold compact. There's a matte shade for sculpting and an shimmering powder that highlights.

Bobby Brown Shimmer Brick in Rose. Five iridescent rows of colour from frosty pink to deep sandalwood. It's better suited for a night out, due to the glimmering effect it creates. It can also be used as eye-shadow.

Middle Row

L'oréal Paris True Match Blush in Rosewood. This warm tinged, jigsaw-print blush is designed to naturally blend into your skin tone. It makes a good handbag companion, as it comes with it's own brush and mirror.

Clinique Fresh Bloom Allover in Plum Poppy. The beautiful floral design is not the only alluring factor about this blush. It is a long-wearing powder that's subtle and multi-tonal. It can be applied all over the face to create a radiant glow or just on your cheeks for a rosy hue.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Blush in Rose. Pack away your make-up brush, this innovative little pink pot comes with it's own built-in sponge applicator. Lightly dab on for naturally flushed cheeks.

Bottom Row

Dior Shimmer Star Pressed Powder in Rose Diamond. Several stars of gleaming colour make up this stylish compact. It is enriched with Jeweled Microdust that give cheeks the ultimate sweep of luminosity.

Givenchy Le Prisme Blush in Blooming Fuchsia. Swirl your brush around four blocks of colour to get a sheer, multi-dimensional look. The blush is made using Givenchy's cutting edge particle atomization technique.

Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Rose Écrin. This spiced pink blush is from Chanel's Fall 2011 Collection. It has a shimmery, rather than frosty finish and the colour can be built up towards an intensity that you prefer.

Get tickled pink with one of these pretty pink blushes, available at selected Edgars and Red Square stores.

Badgley Mischka Resort 2012

Design team Badgely Mischka have created a beautiful range of evening wear for their Resort 2012 Collection. The colour palette in this range is diverse, boasting sensational shades of hot pink, greens, purple and twilight blues. They have transformed the ordinary cocktail dress into something more extravagant. The evening gowns have all been designed to include a certain 'wow' factor.

Wearing one of these party dresses will undoubtedly get you noticed. An interesting 3D effect has been used on the apricot orange dress and the white one (bottom right). Top middle is a strapless cerise dress that graduates into different coloured frills. Sparkle is also scattered on a few dresses, as are huge cascading bows.

Some of the evening gowns are longer versions of the cocktail dresses. Each of these dresses has a significant design feature that stands out. One of my favourite picks is the aubergine empire waist gown, pictured bottom left. The lavender ombre gown with feathered skirt is a definite show stopper.

Kate Middleton & Blair Waldorf in Jenny Packham

Off The Catwalk

Kate Middleton & Blair Waldorf



The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton looked gorgeous at the ARK 10th Anniversary Gala Dinner held in London last night. The brunette beauty wore a romantic pale rose gown from Jenny Packham's Spring 2011 collection. The dress has soft tulle sleeves and is encrusted with tonal sequins and Swarovski crystals. Kate paired her dress with a matching blush tone clutch and peep toe sandals.

You may recognize the dress, as Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) wore a very similar version on this weeks' episode of Gossip Girl, entitled 'The Princesses and the Frog'. From a real life princess to a TV's fashion princess, the dress is a stunning colour on both. I prefer the design of Blair's dress, but like Kate's hairstyle better.

Below is the original runway version of Blair's tea-length dress.

Who Wore Marchesa Better?

Demi, Serena, Georgina

all dressed in Marchesa



This gorgeous bright pink Marchesa dress was worn by three different celebrities over the past year. The suede fuchsia frock features pretty paisley appliqués and an open back, which is followed by ruffled tiers. It is from Marchesa's Fall 2010 RTW Collection.

The first to wear it was Demi Moore, back in April 2010. The backless design is really show stopping. Demi paired the dress with shiny silver Brian Atwood courts and an embellished Roger Vivier clutch.



Blake Lively aka Serena van der Woodsen was styled in the same dress on the set of Gossip Girl for the 'Petty in Pink' episode. I'm glad she wore her hair in a high ponytail with it.



Finally, Marchesa co-founder, Georgina Chapman wore her own creation last month, with suede ivory lace-up heels by Christian Louboutin.



The dress was originally photographed on Canadian model Addison Gill (far right). I don't like the chunky navy heels with such a girly dress.



Personally, I adore this dress, and not only for the outstanding colour. It's stunning from the front, and when see it from the back, it's even better. No wonder it made a trio of stylish star appearances. 

Eva Mendes and Rose Byrne in Prabal Gurung

Eva Mendes and Rose Byrne

dressed by Prabal Gurung



I've began to sit up and take notice of Nepalese-American fashion designer Prabal Gurung. His bold designs are pretty and feminine, yet abstains from being too girly. Eva Mendes and Rose Byrne wore two dresses from his Fall 2011 Collection this week.

Damages actress, Rose Byrne is striking in a fuchsia stretch wool dress with black straps and leather belt. She gets the colour-blocking trend correct with the addition of a red clutch bag and red, black and white peep toes. Love this look from the heavy fringe to the Christian Louboutin heels.



Eva Mendes chose a strapless white overlay dress with sheer pleating on the bodice. The frock features a black bandeau inset and signature leather waistband. Eva accessorized with a large black clutch and chunky Casadei pumps.

Avon Moisture Seduction Lipstick

Ultra Colour Rich Moisture Seduction Lipstick

by Avon

Avon is one of the only make-up brands available here in Small Town, SA. I was paging through last month's catalogue when I came across the Ultra Colour Rich Moisture Seduction Lipstick. 

If you're looking for a lipstick with lasting colour and shine, that won't dry out, then you may want to try this one.

The non-drying formula provides rich satiny colour that is also moisturizing. The pretty marbled effect on the lip colour is actually a hydrating conditioner. The lipstick has a creamy texture and an SPF of 15. It claims to provide 24Hrs of moisturisation, but I think this is (quite) an exaggeration. 

There are 10 luscious colours to choose from, most of them being pink-toned. The colours may be darker than they appear in the catalogue. For a natural look, theres Nude Perfection and Soft Pink. For the daring, there's Fuschia Fever and Red Kiss (as worn by Reese Witherspoon in the picture above). Lilac Shimmer and Silky Peach are just not for me - too pastel. Rose Ribbons is my preferred shade of pink. 



Avon Moisture Seduction Lipstick is packed with pigment and a silky smooth finish. It is currently on special offer for R59.95. The regular price is R89.95. Click on avon.co.za to find a stockist in your area.

The Wonders Of My World

• I really need to stop buying things just because they're pink. Sometimes it's just not functional nor smart and turns out to be completely useless. But it is oh so pretty.


• Thank you to everyone who has invited me onto WhatsApp. Sadly, I cannot get this application on my 'smartphone', as apparently, it is not smart enough. But it is pink.


• It's possible to watch P.S I Love You for the 300th time and still get teary-eyed. Although it's the saddest movie I've seen, I don't think I will ever tire of watching it.


• Expresso should be labelled as either a) A drug b) Food poisoning or c) The secret to staying awake for eternity.


• It isn't fair to judge someone on a bad decision they've made, unless every single decision you've made in your own life was the right one.


• It's easier to buy a firearm than a memory card in South Africa. Purchasing a Micro SD card from a well-known franchise required me to place a special order through a glass window, pass several security checks and pay for it at a separate part of the store, then return with the stamped receipt to receive my card. I then had to leave my name, number, ID, address, blood type, next of kin, etc with the sales lady (who tried to dissuade me from buying it in the first place). When I tried to leave the store with my newly-bought card, the security alarm went off and all the shoppers turned to look at me like I was a Lindsay kleptomaniac Lohan (so embarrassing). Finally, the security guard cleared my purchase and I was free to go. Needless to say, I won't be showing my face around there for a long time.


• Buy the March 2011 issue of South African Elle and receive a free L'oréal Glam Shine lipgloss (my ultimate fav). You won't find any copies left in Small Town, SA, 'cause I've cleared out the stands. 


• If someone doesn't pick up their phone after the 10th ring, it probably means that they're very busy, unavailable or they just don't want to speak to you. Either way, after the first 5 failed attempts, you should really just stop calling.


• In an attempt to reduce my caffeine intake, I decided to try decaffeinated coffee. In Small Town, SA, there are only two types of decaf brands available. One that tastes like coffee-flavoured sand, and another that's slightly worse - decaffeinated gravel.


• I am really not a violent person, but the next time someone starts chatting away while I'm watching The Vampire Diaries, I will have to stab them with a spoon. You have been warned.

Atelier Versace Evening Gowns

Atelier Versace Spring/Summer Collection 2011

Versace have released their Atelier Spring/Summer 2011 Collection in sublime designs and a palette of pretty colours. I love the array of soft frills, intricate ruffles and interesting use of colour fading. Australian model Abbey Lee Kershaw looks doll-like in this ultra-feminine range. My favs are the asymmetrical gray-to-black tiered frill gown (middle left) and the sugary shaded pink ruffle-bottom dress (bottom middle).

In a perfect haute couture world, I would be able to own each one of these enchanting evening gowns and have some somewhere fabulous to wear them to. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world, but a girl can always dream.

Cover Girl - Scarlett Johansson for Mango

Scarlett Johansson

Mango Spring 2011 Ad Campaign

The stunning Scarlett Johansson stars in her fourth campaign for Spanish fashion brand Mango. The advert for their Spring 2011 collection was shot in Barcelona and reflects on the Modernist Resort theme of the line. Mango chose a retro-modern inspired look for Spring, with clean lines, cherry prints, stripes and simple silhouettes.

This collection features preppy cardigans, longer-length skirts and A-line dresses in blocks of bright red, orange, yellow and watermelon pink. Scarlett's new classic-cut bob suits the minimalistic style really well. For more information on this brand, visit Mango online. 

A Gingham Spring by Make Up For Ever

Trés Vichy Spring 2011 Collection

by Make Up For Ever

Step into Spring 2011 with this gorgeous and girly gingham makeup collection by Make Up For Ever.  It contains the beauty essentials you will need for a 50's inspired look, made famous by style icon Brigitte Bardot.

This candy coated collection features sparkly Star Powder Diamond shadows in sweet shades of pink, green and white. The limited edition Trés Vichy Palette for cheeks and eyes comes in an adorable pink and white checked case. Flutter your eyelashes with the super cute pair of faux lashes, complete with tiny gingham bows. I can see Katy Perry wearing these.

Get the Pin-Up Girl look with the chic and stylish Make Up For Ever Trés Vichy Spring 2011 makeup collection. It is due to release in February on the overseas make up scene. Here's hoping it will reach SA shores within this year.