Little Black Dress ft The White Cardigan

 Rock a peep toe.

Little Black dress featuring the white cardigan, classic monochrome outfit suitable for work,  lunch with friends, church, or travelling. (shoes optional)  

Rock a flat.

Yes the little black dress will give you superpowers and allow you to fly. 

Dress - Dorothy Perkins

Shoes - Heels - Office, Flats - Kurt Gieger

Cardigan - Primark 

Stack - Thomas Sabo, Links of London, Ernest Jones 

"Fashion fades but Style is eternal." - Yves Saint Laurent

stay stylish my lovelies

xx

Spring Beauty Essentials

Brita fill n Go water bottle - this water bottle comes with a filter in the top. so as you drink the water gets filtered for impurities. 

MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural - a light powder which enhances my natural skintone, keeps down the shine and gives me a soft shimmery glow. I have been using this without fail since 2010. This is my go to present when my gf's don't know what to buy me as a gift. As you can see I already have a backup for when this one finishes.

Body shop Raspberry Body Scrub - flaky skin is a spring time no no, this body scrubs smells like jam doughnuts but it gets the job done.

Zara Rose edt - a nice scent to spray during the day, perfect size to carry along in my hand bag. 

Body Shop Shimmer Brick - this I use over my cheek bones to enhance then a little. Sometimes I use with a kabuki brush all over my face if my MAC Studio Fix Powder + Foundation is looking too heavy.  other times I use the individual shades and make a lovely smokey eye. 

Kate Moss lipstick in 02 - lovely vibrant Fushia lipstick. 

Kate Moss lipstick in 22 - Red lipstick with Orange undertones.

Nails Inc Warick Avenue - a pink polish is never out of place in the spring

What are your Spring Beauty essentials? 

Comment below and let me know

xx

Summer in the City Competition

It’s time to brighten up and embrace summer, regardless of the weather conditions. This summer we want to encourage you to add a pop of colour to your work wear, by introducing pink, blue and purple to your wardrobe. Colour is a great way to express your personality; wear a cobalt blue to show you mean business or vibrant pink to stand out amongst your colleagues.

We’re not suggesting that you head into the office in a neon suit. But we do want you to push your fashion boundaries, just a little. Go on pair a bright purple shirt with your classic blue suit and show off your style.

And, if you are bold enough to brave bright this season we’ll reward you with our new SUMMER IN THE CITY competition.

Every Friday in April and May we’ll celebrate your bright style by sharing your image on our social channels. The person who receives the most Likes, Shares, or RTs on their image each Friday will win a FREE SHIRT, TIE and HANK!!

To enter this competition, send us an image of you by 8am on Friday along with the hashtag: #CITYBRIGHTSTML

You can send your image to us via any of our following social media channels:

• Facebook
• @TMLewin
• Instagram

Your picture will be posted on our Facebook page on the closest Friday after you’ve sent it to us. By sending us your image you are giving us the right to use it on our social channels. Good Luck!

Terms and Conditions:

•  Entry is open to those aged 16 or over
•  No purchase necessary
•  T.M.Lewin and their immediate families, their agents or anyone professionally associated with the creation and administration of this draw will not be counted
•  To enter you must send us a picture of yourself along with the hashtag #CITYBRIGHTSTML
•  The prize includes: 1 T.M.Lewin shirt, 1 Handkerchief and 1 tie x 10 prizes to giveaway; one will be awarded every Friday (until Friday 31^st May 2013)
• Entries will be accepted until 10am on Friday 31^st May 2013
• T.M.Lewin cannot be held responsible for delays to deliveries

Little Black Dress ft the Sequinned Jacket

"Shine bright like a diamond, in the sun"

To make the LBD more updated, other elements can be added along with accessories to create a slightly more modern look. Little Black Dress, Mango Sequinned Jacket, Black pump, and Black clutch appropriate for  an evening look, such as a dinner  date or evening out with friends.

The wind was trying to blow me away 

Still shining

 Dress- Dorothy Perkins

Jacket - Mango 

Shoes - Dune

Bag - Dune

Bracelet - Thomas Sabo

"Fashion fades, but Style remains eternal." - Yves Saint Laurent

Stay stylish my lovelies 

xx

Dynamics Mas Troupe - "The Rebirth" interview with Aziza Lake

If you have been following me for a while you would know that I am an island girl who loves carnival. One of the aspects of carnival is mas, short for masquerade  this is when persons adorn themselves in glorious costumes and partake in 2 days of revelry and fun. Not only are the costumes fabulous but the makeup as well. Today we have an interview with Aziza Lake who is a part of the LIME Dynamics Mas Troupe in Antigua. 

As a mas player I have never played mas with Dynamics Mas Troupe, could you tell me a little bit about  Dynamics and how it all started?

LIME Dynamics Mas Troupe was conceptualized in 1975 by Errol ‘Bumpy” Nanton, Hiriam Warner, Trevor Gonsalves, Pete Skilling and Ickford Benjamin. The ‘Dynamic Five’ s inaugural presentation was ‘Treasures of the Shell Kingdom’ which received Band of the Year in Antigua’s Carnival celebrations.

The Dynamics Mas Troupe since inception has been affiliated  with Cable & Wireless now  operating as LIME, and they are still our title sponsor.  Lime Dynamics has a rich history and is one of the oldest mas troupes in Antigua & Barbuda with thirteen Band of the Year titles. 

The Rebirth, the rebirth, you guys have been creating a bit of excitement over the rebirth. Could you tell our readers a little bit about the rebirth please?

As with everything change is necessary. LIME Dynamics Mas Troupe has existed for thirty years with the intention of being around for many more years. Therefore the Band Leader saw it fitting to bring on board a young new management team.

The Rebirth team comprises of? 

Erna Mae Brathwaite - Band Leader the elder stateswoman so to speak.

Aziza Lake - Creative Director in charge of the communication, conceptual and interactive design of the mas troupe.

Anele Hurst - Junior Band Leader - manages the junior section of the band, Assistant Customer Care Representative - assists with customer care, Model Recruitment - recruitment of models for launch.

Jime Hunte - Musical Director in charge of the band's musical requirements for events and on the road, also one of the DJs.

Adrian Hurst - Assistant Musical Director also assists with the band's musical requirements for events and on the road  and another one of the DJ's.

Shari McEwan - Spokeswoman, Customer Care Representative & Model recruitment. The 'face' of LIME Dynamics, she ensures that customer satisfaction is held in the highest regard, as well as training & recruitment of models.

TJ Silcott - Communications Director manages the marketing of LIME Dynamics. 

Steven Mullings Jr - Graphic Designer & Head of Costume production designer of all the graphics as well as in charge of costume production.

Cleofoster Harris - Stage & Road Manager/Events Co-ordinator manages the execution of events and our presentation on the road he's the 'time' guy.

Latoya WIlliams - Marketing Representative assists with the marketing.

Charlene Wetherill - Model Recruitment assists with the recruitment of models.

 Alicia Keys was just made Creative Director of Blackberry. You are Creative Director of Dynamics, Creative Director is a term we keep hearing over and over in the media. Could you expand a bit more on the role of a Creative Director?

A Creative Director in my opinion is responsible for how a product is presented to the public. It's not just putting it blandly on a table, but packaging it in a way that is appealing to the public. Marketing is very important to the duties of a Creative Director. In regards to my Dynamic duties it is also about interpreting our theme. This year it's 'All That Jazz', so I ensure that what we present to the public exemplifies that theme.

For all my friends and family who keep asking me about "The New Dynamics," as the Rebirth has been dubbed. What should I tell them would be the positives in playing mas with Dynamics for 2013, what are you offering which is different?

We are improving our product and making sure customer satisfaction is our number one priority. Musically we are offering all DJ's on the road for Carnival Monday & Tuesday, efficient delivery of costumes is also very important to us. We are also having a quite a few pre events to keep revellers entertained  and interacting with each other.

As someone who has never played mas with Dynamics, what would you say to me to encourage me to become a part of the Rebirth?

Become a part of the rebirth experience.  You are going to definitely feel left out standing on the side of the road and watching LIME Dynamics pass by.

Where do you see the Rebirth going? Do you have a a long term plan for the direction in which you would like to guide the Dynamics Mas Troupe?

LIME Dynamics has proven that it can withstand the changes inherent in Carnival. It is still around after 38 years  and the Rebirth team plans to ensure the longevity of the band. I have a long term plan as to where I would love to see LIME Dynamics but I won't reveal it as yet, lol.

How can the public contact the Dynamics Mas Troupe? (add social media/twitter etc)

Facebook - LIME Dynamics Mas Troupe

Twitter - LIMEDynamics

Instagram - limedynamics 

There you have it, the Rebirth 2013.

If you are interested check out their social media links

peace and light my lovelies

xx

Little Black Dress ft The Classics

Fierce!!! ---> yes I just described my own picture as fierce.

This is my little black dress styled  to suit a Spring day with a few other classic wardrobe pieces. Classics include the trench coat, the black pump, the neutral bag, the Jackie O shades. 

pondering

walking

mid step

Dress - Dorothy Perkins

Trench - GAP

Shoes - Dune

Bag - Longchamp (I know you guys are tired of seeing this, but I love!!!!!! this bag)

Shades - Emporio Armani

Fashion fades but Style remains eternal. - Yves Saint Laurent

stay stylish my lovelies 

xx

Female beginner guide to Training and Nutrition: by Gabriel Sey WBFF Pro & Personal Trainer

Lets start with what most people (men and women) do when looking to get in shape.

‘A day in the life of a gym newbie’

8am – Have breakfast, usually cereal and fruit.

10am – Buy new gym wear, including sweat bands *cool factor 10*. Lol.

1pm – Lunch – Salad and more fruit

2pm – Time to hit the G-Y-M…. Feeling pumped!!!

In the gym you head straight to the treadmill for 30mins then leave….

Sound familiar? I think you get the gist. Now just from this half-day scenario there are many mistakes.

So lets talk training first. Many women starting in the gym seem to segregate areas of the gym. The cardio area is the nice area, no screaming, shouting, or grunting. Nice and peaceful but still able to get ‘your sweat on’.

Then there’s ‘The Jungle’ otherwise known as the free-weight area where the screaming, shouting, and grunting occurs.

Ladies you need to overcome this fear of ‘the jungle’, because whatever your goal, ‘the jungle’ is what will help you get there faster.

Just before you say anything… No you won’t look like Arnie if you lift weights, and here’s why. Women don’t naturally produce enough testosterone to be able to achieve this. What you will achieve is slim, slender and athletic physique as you will burn tons more energy and build stronger muscles than what you do a treadmill.

Metabolic circuits are a great way to get started with weights and burn that dreaded fat. (I will include a sample circuit at the end).

Moving onto nutrition.

Now as you will be burning more energy, you need the right nutrition paired with this to maximise your fat loss.

Many of the most recent diets will tell you ‘Carbohydrates are bad”, in my opinion, this is wrong and just a quick fix that is hard to sustain.

Carbohydrates are your first source of energy and your brain needs them to function properly, so it’s about choosing your food sources carefully and avoiding the media’s crap guidance.

So here are a my 10 commandents of healthy eating:

1. Create a calorific deficit. Weight loss and weight gain is all down to ‘Energy in VS Energy out”. You need to burn more energy than what you’re eating to strip that fat.
2. Stop avoiding meat and fish, your muscles are made up of protein. That lettuce and rocket salad wont cut it.
3. Cut out refined sugar intake, this source of carbohydrate is the main cause of gaining fat, so check the label, because you Muller “fat free” yogurts and Salt and pepper snack-a-jacks are loaded with sugar.  Yeah you heard right, salt and pepper snack-a jacks. Which leads me to my next rule 
4. Fruit = sugar, so limit the amount of fruit you eat in a day, and try and have them either in the morning, pre or post workout, as these are the time they are put to use best.
5. Choose clean carbohydrate sources such as rolled oats, sweet potato and Basmati rice BUT… avoid bread.
6. All fats aren’t bad; make sure your diet consists of healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado, cashews and almonds.
7. Eat every 2-3 hours, with slightly smaller portioned meals. This will get your body used to burning energy faster and use the nutrients efficiently.
8. Drink plenty of water. Try and drink 2 - 3 litres per day.
9. Don’t forget to eat your greens, such as Broccoli, Spinach, and Asparagus. These are loaded with many vitamins and minerals needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Greens also helps with your digestive system. 
10. 40% of your plate should be protein, 30% Carbohydrates, and 30% from a leafy green vegetable source and healthy fats.

Try adopting these changes along with the metabolic circuit shown below for 4 weeks and see the change in your body composition.

Sample Circuit

1.     Press ups
2.     Dumbbell bent over row
3.     Burpees
4.     Ab crunches
5.     Dumbbell Squats
6.     Kettle bell swings

Perform 10 reps of each exercise one after the other with just 15 seconds rest in-between exercises.

Once you have completed all 6 exercises take a 2minute rest and repeat for up to 4 rounds.

**Make sure you ask a fitness instructor how to perform these correctly**

Enjoy!!! Be sure to stretch after and remember "Strong is the New Sexy"!

Follow his facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/GabrielSeyFItness

Blog @ http://gabrielsey-fitness.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter @ https://twitter.com/Gabriel_sey5

Review - Bioderma Crealine H2O Solution Micellaire

     This is to be without a doubt one of the most hyped products in the beauty community. A go to product of makeup artists (this along with the Embryolisse lait creme concentrate, have been used to revive the skin of many a hung over model). With makeup artists admitting to stocking up on this on trips to France one has to ask "is it really THAT good?" French skincare has def been on the map for a while, but now with the advent of mainstream vlogging/blogging it is really coming out on top. We love French food, French fashion, it was only a matter of time before we became enthralled with French skincare.  

     For as long as I have been interested in fashion/beauty/cosmetics, the saying "less is more" has always been associated with the french women and their view towards makeup. Lipstick, eyeliner, mascara and that is all you need. Now the secret is out makeup is not the secret weapon, great skin is the weapon. Surprisingly unlike women in other countries, French women do not flock tot counters in droves to purchase the latest lotions and potions., Why because some of the greatest skincare products in any French fashionistas arsenal can be found in the local pharmacy. 

     Bioderma is among the most frequently prescribed laboratories by French dermatologists. Bioderma laboratories offer a range of different products for all skin types. The Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution is one of their best selling products, a makeup remover, gentle enough for people with sensitive skin. 

Bioderma Crealine is a clear fluid which looks like water, however it contains many gentle and effective particles and even oil. these small particles of oil work to remove even waterproof makeup. The solution is perfume free (without perfume/fragrance) and hypoallergenic. It also contains cucumber extract which soothes irritated skin, cleans dirt and makes sensitive skin even more resilient. (Three cheers for my sister who spent a year in France translating the back of my Bioderma bottle) lol.

   I use this product in various ways, as a makeup remover (after removing my makeup with 2 cleansing wipes, I wipe my face with a cotton pad soaked with Bioderma solution), as a moisturizer  (to freshen up my skin before applying makeup), as a light cleanser for days when I am just wearing powder to keep the shine off my face. Sometimes I even use this as a single step cleanser in the morning. The Bioderma Crealine does not leave any residue on my skin after use and I am very pleased with this. 

This is available in 3 sizes, 100ml (the travel size), 250ml and 500ml.

Would I recommend - Yes

Would I purchase - Yes

Would I buy full priced? - Yes

xx

Review - Embryolisse Lait - Creme Concentrate Nourishing Moisturizer

Just some more skincare lovelies from another French pharmacy brand.

  A wonderful care  product - a real beauty secret, favored by dermatologists for decades; a combination of ingredients  of natural origin with recognized virtues, rich in essential fatty acids and vitamins. Provides the skin with all the nutrients and water needed for its balance, reconstitutes its hydrolipidic film - the barrier that prevents skin from aggression - and accelerates cell renewal. Moisturized, nourished and repaired, the skin is plumped, smoothed and incredibly soft. Signs of dryness and discomfort disappear, leaving the skin soothed. Its creamy milk texture leaves a satin film, even on dry skin. 

Ingredients 

Emollient oil and a combination  of natural active ingredients: shea butter, beeswax, aloe vera, and soy proteins.

Instructions 

Moisturizing and nourishing care product for a smooth and elastic, supple and soft skin. Apply to clean dry skin in the morning and/or evening. Spread gently, and leave to penetrate. 

     This cream is light weight but it is a godsend when it comes to moisturizing. I like to use it after I have had a face peel or exfoliated my skin, to get the full moisturizing benefits. This cream is also great for those days when I feel like my skin just doesn't look as plump as possible. I put it on and then my makeup on top goes on smoothly. If you are someone who likes maximum moisture but minimum gunk on your face this is a lightweight but effective nourishing moisturizer.

Would I buy full priced? - Yes

Would I recommend? - Yes

Would I purchase? - Yes 

xx

Little Black Dress

 

"One is never over-dressed or underdressed with a Little Black Dress." - Karl Lagerfeld

A little black dress is an evening or cocktail dress cut in a simple pattern and is often quite short. Fashion historians credit the invention of the little black dress to CoCo Chanel. Though formally brought to the market in 1926, CoCo had begun researching and planning the little black dress since 1915. Her intent was for the LBD to be used as a sort of uniform, a dress with simple pattern yet appropriate enough to be work in the evenings and afternoons to various functions. Her inspiration for the little black dress may be subconsciously attributed to her upbringing in a convent orphanage.

The first little black dress was made available in 1926, featured in October issue of VOGUE that same year. American VOGUE nicknamed the the dress by CoCo Chanel "Ford" because like all Ford Model T cars it was only available in black, but accessible to everyone. Accessorized using a single strand of pearls and a low black pump, the "dress" became an instant hit and that "look" remains a classic.

Traditionally a little black dress should be simple in design, yet flattering to the wearers body. It may have cap sleeves or short sleeves. The simpleness of design makes the dress timeless, allowing it to be functional and chic. Devoid of patterns, detailing and trends a little black dress will never be seasonal.

In the modern day like the white shirt is the cornerstone of the work wear wardrobe. A little black dress (LBD) is the foundation upon which any stylish wardrobe is built. Work/date/interview/funeral/P.T.A. meetings the list goes on and on. A LBD will keep you looking stylish and sophisticated each and every time. Worn with a jacket/blazer and a pump the little black dress is a part of the work wear wardrobe. Add a statement necklace/shoe/bag, or something more ornate such ah a sequinned jacket and the dress is ready for the evening. A flat shoe, a colored cardigan w with a LBD makes for a chic but clean look, ideal for the Spring.

The Little Black Shift "dress" part of TM. Lewins new generation of womenswear

Featured

Dress - Dorothy Perkins

Shoes - Dune

xx