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Instant Goddess brunches and bags it before it goes

Style & BeautyPost Category - Style & BeautyStyle & Beauty

From Dubai to Hong Kong, it seems I’ve been brunching the world over these past two weeks gone! So next week it is the DETOX… watch this space for my first ever detox. For those of you that know me, I’m normally retoxing and have never jumped on the detox bandwagon, but after 20 odd years of retoxing (now that is scary), I think it’s time. But there’s no detoxing to be had on the shopping front, so on to where to score your next fashion fix, Goddesses!

Handbag of Glory…

This week the title goes to Dooney & Bourke, a premium US brand that prides itself on offering high-quality well made leather handbags. They not only look good but are extremely hard wearing and practical – often with multiple pockets together with cell phone pocket, and inside key hook. The range of colours and different styles makes it hard to choose, but my favourite has to be the Amazon collection. Ok… they may be a little more than you’d like to spend, but they will stand the test of time. The nylon pocket shopper below would make a great baby bag with its wipe-clean surface and multiple pockets – and again it comes in a huge array of colours (my favourite has to be plum in the Croco range).

MBA52 Shoulder Tassel Bag in natural (Amazon Collection), $4620 | MBA67 Side Stitched Shopper in Cranberry (Amazon Collection), $4620 | MBA12 Large Zip Zip Satchel in natural (Amazon Collection), $4620

Nylon Pocket Shopper, $1860 | Pearly Python domed buckle bag in grape, $4370 | Croco Crossbody Satchel in Plum, $4370

To see the bags in all their glory check out the Dooney & Bourke website at or visit Dooney & Bourke’s Macau store at The Grande Canal Shoppes at the Venetian Macau, Unit 2616, Level 3, Cotai Strip, Macau tel +853 2882 8058.

Round up of the Shops… 

H&M has the best bargain pants in town at the moment – as little as $99for a pair of jeans! There’s no time to waste stock up now before it’s too late, Goddesses! From pops of colour and bold prints to your trusted basic colours, there really is something for everyone.

Colour print jeans, $199 |  Bright red jeans with side zip, $99 – available in a range of colours | 5-pocket stretch jeans in blue, $199 all from H&M.

Sequins! Yep you heard me… party season will soon be upon us, so invest in a few key sequin pieces while you can.

H&M green sequin dress with cut-out back detail, $599.

H&M gold sequin jacket $499 and Zara gold slouchy sequin jacket $1499.

The Jewels this Week…

The shopping challenge: To get your hands on some Anna Dello Russo bling which is hitting selected H&M stores on 4 Oct.  Have you elbows and shopping guile at the ready, Goddesses, as if a past celeb collaborations are anything to go by this collection will go fast! Anna dello Russo has been a fashion editor for 20 years – currently for Japanese Vogue but gained notoriety for her OTT accessorising and crazy outfits. Being photographed so much, she has became a constant on fashion blogs the world over. She was once branded a “fashion maniac” by the late photographer Helmut Newton, but her own tagline is “I don’t want to be cool. I want to be fashion.”

My picks of the collection are: PEARL family necklace, $399 | BAROQUE family gold and turquoise cuff, $399 | GOLD family: chunky gold bracelet, $299 (hint: wear it with the turquoise cuff for your own “I want to be fashion” moment)

And best of the rest… Not Anna Dello Russo but I think she might approve…

H&M statement necklace, $499 | Gold chunky chain with Swarovski crystal pendant by DLaPaix on ETSY, $1098 | Lucite Crystal Statement Necklace in Pink Fuchsia and Emerald Green by myfaunaflora on ETSY.

Leather…

Ok…so I may have mentioned this before, but bear with me: leather is BIG this season! And the prize for good design, quality and price has to go to Zara. I bought a Zara leather jacket last year and wore it so much when it got colder in HK – definitely one to invest in for your winter wardrobe if you do nothing else. Massimo Dutti also has some great leather jackets in store. The price is double what you pay at Zara, but the quality of leather speaks for itself and justifies the higher price. Saying that, however, my Zara one from last year is still going strong and will be making numerous outings this year.

Quilted leather jacket, $1499 – also available in black | Leather biker jacket with zips on shoulder detailing, $1999 | Coat with leather sleeves, $1699  – all from Zara

Camel leather jacket and black quilted leather jacket, both $3290 from Massimo Dutti | River Island Leather Biker Jacket, $2599 from ASOS

Studs, Embellishment & Animal Prints… 

Zara often gets a lot of stick in Hong Kong, mainly because I think people just get bored to death with hearing its name as it’s one of the few consistent high street performers that we have here. But I have to say the current collection is ticking all the right boxes for me at the moment. So apologies for being a Zara bore, but studs, animal print, embellishment – what’s there not to like?! (Apart from the slowest checkout operators in the world, and the speed in which the good bits sell out before you can say hello – welcome to Zara.)

Animal print studded clutch bag with shoulder strap, $899 | Suede studded city bag, $999 | Studded mid heel ankle boots, $899 also available in black.

5-pocket jeans with flock animal print in navy, $599 | Dress with fantasy embellished shoulder, $1199 –  all from Zara

Hair…

ASOS Limited edition crystal aliceband, $164 |  Talullah Tu orchid aliceband, $214 from ASOS | House of Harlow limited edition regal headpiece, $1973 

This week Andrea Clark, Creative Director of The Mandarin Salon at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong comes to our rescue with Band-Aid.

What do you do when you’ve tried to get your hair to look fabulous and it’s just not quite right? What about when you’re trying to keep your hair off your face because your bangs aren’t behaving? Or, you’re going out and you want to add something special to your hair… but what? The solution for all three is a headband.

Don’t just think of the plain Aliceband which we all know was named after the original sweetheart Alice in Wonderland. There are far sexier Alicebands around today. From diamanté clad bands and feathered bands to ones adorned with coloured stones and some that look like a braid. They can be worn during the day or at night and also look amazing on short hair.

Prop one in front of a beehive and jazz up the basic ponytail. Wear them to a ball or a wedding or on even on your run. Go shopping and start accessorising for the party season or see your stylist and have some fun. The possibilities are endless.

Midweek Meal Inspiration…

Smoked Salmon & Asparagus Quiche…don’t worry this is made with frozen pastry so there’s no faffing around or pastry disasters waiting to happen.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

125g (4oz) fine asparagus, cooked, drained, and cut into 3.5cm lengths
90g (30z) smoked salmon cut into strips
300g (100z) Greek yoghurt
2 eggs
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Black pepper
1 pack of frozen shortcrust pastry (thawed)
23cm (9in) flan dish or tin (greased)
Baking beans (or rice will do)

Method:

  1. Roll out pastry, and use to line dish. Prick the pastry with a fork.
  2. Line the pastry shell with foil or greaseproof paper, and fill with baking beans (or rice if using). Place the flan dish on a heated baking tray in a pre-heated oven at 200c for 15-20 min, removing the foil and baking beans for the final 10 minutes.
  3. Place the smoked salmon and asparagus in the pastry shell. Mix the yoghurt, eggs, dill, and plenty of black pepper in a jug then pour into the shell.
  4. Reduce the oven temperature to 180c and bake for 35 minutes or until golden and set. Serve warm or cold.

Yogi tea saying of the week: “The caterpillar thinks of becoming a butterfly and so is transformed into one. Whatever we think of constantly we can attain.”

Instant Goddess saying of the week: “Get leathered before it’s too late.”

Until next week Goddesses and remember you are always, always worth it! XX

more sassy mama

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