Instant Goddess gets crafty on Etsy, celebrates her natural beauty and tells us What the Frock?! to wear in the warmer weather

What the Frock?

The name of this label always brings a smile to my face and I’m pleased to see the latest designs for S/S 13 are enough to raise the spirits on the dreariest of Hong Kong days. The temperature is rising even if it does continue to rain and those hot summer days will be here sooner than you know it. These WTF frocks will definitely keep you looking good in the heat of the moment.

1. The frilly tiered maxi in pink print 100% silk $1399; 2. The “Twiggy” dress in navy and white stripe 100% cotton $899.

3. Yellow floaty v-neck dress in yellow stripes in 100% silk $999; 4. Scoop back sun dress in leopard print 100% silk $999.

What the Frock?! dresses are available to buy online and shipping is free in Hong Kong OR if you want to try before you buy you can arrange an appointment with the lovely Maria one of the founders of WTF, just email [email protected]

At Sassy Mama we LOVE showcasing local, affordable labels that give the (limited!) high street options here in Hong Kong a run for their money. If you missed the last couple of weeks we’ve enjoyed featuring Aly & Rachelle and Cameo. These labels are definitely worth having on your shopping radar this season!

And if you like the necklaces teamed with the WTF dresses above then I’ve found the same or very similar for you on ETSY!

1. “3 colours bubble necklace” $121.60 from Arkpearl on ETSY; 2. Yellow “bubble statement necklace” $76 from GemPearls on ETSY.

3. Red rose flower beaded necklace $280 from HandMadeGarden on ETSY, if sold out also check out these sellers: JShineJewellery and BestQuality666 who are carrying the same or similar necklace, but slightly more expensive; 4. “Lemon yellow stone necklace” $93.17 from Red Marble Jewel not on the WTF models above but thrown in for good measure.

Tip 1: some of my friends love ETSY but bemoan the fact that there’s just too much stuff to wade through and it’s overwhelming. What I’ve found out is it’s all about the search terms you use. For example to find fabulous statement necklaces put in search terms such as ‘J Crew Statement Necklace’, ‘Anthropologie Statement Necklace’ or ‘Kate Spade Statement Necklace’ and you’ll literally come up with some real gems inspired by these designers, or possibly even last season’s designer overruns for a fraction of the price. Get clever with your search terms and you’ll cut out a lot of the dross!

Tip 2: Don’t be put off if a seller says they don’t ship to HK. Have a ‘convo’ i.e. send them a message, and often they’ll be very accommodating and send direct to you.

Tip 3: If you like something, make it a favourite by clicking on the heart button and you can save it for later. You can also make shops favourites by clicking on the heart button next to the shop, and in turn you can see who the shops are following to get even more inspiration / temptation! You can follow me at Instant Goddess on ETSY and you’ll see a veritable treasure trove of statement necklaces… yep, the jewel junkie rocks!

Vamastyle

Vamastyle is not a HK label but a Singaporean favourite that prides itself on keeping us looking effortlessly chic when the mercury rises. Vamastyle is available to buy online and offers free worldwide shopping… so, Goddesses what are you waiting for?! Shopping goggles on! This is what caught my eye from the current Stolen Moments collection:

“Arabella” dress in silk $1195; “Go-between skirt” in heart silk print $817.

“Brunch at Sea” dress $1320 in silk print with 2 knee high side splits.

“Stolen Moments” in fresh mint satin stretch silk and polyester $1540.

What do you think you look like?

If you haven’t already seen the Dove Real Beauty Sketches video – it is definitely worth a watch. As women we often are our own worst critics and blind to our own beauty. Rather than celebrate our beauty, we often hone in on the flaws and are always in search of that wonder product that will make us look and feel more beautiful, or 10 years younger.

Watch the Dove video where women describe what they think they look like while behind a screen an FBI sketch artist sketches out their description. He also sketches out a description from a stranger who has just met the woman. The sketch artist doesn’t see the woman in question until the end of the process.

Side by side, the sketches really highlight that as women, we don’t give our own beauty enough credit. Whether it’s that we fear we’ll be seen as arrogant – loving ourselves too much if we talk too much in a positive light about our appearance – is it just easier to be negative or have we trained ourselves to be negative as it’s what everyone else does? I don’t know, but if this video can teach us anything, it’s that we need to start being a little kinder to ourselves and in the words of Dove “You are more beautiful than you think”.

Midweek Meal Inspiration

This week I give you Brown Rice, Salmon & Asparagus Salad by Stefano Faita who I’ve only just recently discovered. He’s an upcoming celeb chef from Montreal and credits his Mum with teaching him everything he knows about cooking… aww I like him already! He prides himself on inspiring viewers of his TV show In the Kitchen with Stefano Faita to make food from scratch with fresh, simple ingredients. And this dish really is simple and quick to make, oh and what’s more it’s pretty healthy just what every discerning Goddess needs after a hard day’s graft.

Full recipe here.

Yogi tea saying of the week: “You’ll never be alone because you’ll always be by yourself”.

Instant Goddess saying of the week: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, I am more beautiful than I think!”

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