COBALT COLORBLOCK

Good morning, Everyone! I hope you had a great weekend! If you read my blog on regular basis, I am sure you are well aware of my obsession with shoes and I think, I've also mentioned before that one of my biggest dreams is to some day design a shoe collection of my own. So, you can imagine my excitement when I was approached by Shoes Of Prey, a website that allows you to design your own custom shoes, to create my very own design! 
I have to admit that the design process was completely addictive, with so many shoe shapes, leathers, fabrics and colors to choose from, I spent countless hours playing around the 3D Designer. 

I started by selecting the shape of the shoe (you can choose between ballet flats, stilettos, sandals, oxfords and wedges). Since I am completely addicted to high heels, for me it was between stilettos and high heel sandals. And with Summer right around the corner, I figured a cute pair of strappy sandals is just what the doctor ordered:) 

Once I selected the shape of my shoes, I started playing with leathers, fabrics and colors (170 in total to choose from). As you know, I absolutely love bright colors and color blocking in particular. So, after playing around with a few different color options, I decided to go with a beautiful cobalt blue. Since I wanted the blue to be the focal point of this design, instead of adding another bright color, I chose to pair it with black and white. I also wanted to play around with a few different textures, which is why I opted to combine leather, suede and fish skin together. I think this combination adds richness and depth to the design. What do you guys think? 

The best part of this whole experience, aside from the design process of course, was opening the box and finally seeing my design come to life! I am so happy with the way they turned out. Fun, bright and comfy, they are exactly what I had had in mind for Summer. So, I suppose I should warn you in advance, you are definitely going to be seeing quite a bit of them on this blog! Hope you don't mind!:)

P.S. If you are just as obsessed with shoes as I am and/or have a soft spot for custom made heels, head over to shoesofprey.com to design your perfect pair! 

Shoes Of Prey custom made color block sandals | Finders Keepers Time Traveller skirt { also love this version } & peplum top { similar here & here } | Gucci Soho leather Disco bag | Vita Fede original titan bracelet & ultra eclipse crystal midi ring | BCBGMAXAZRIA Multi strap buckle waist belt | J Crew drop earrings - sold out { similar option here } 

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE, 

Annabelle 

FEW FAVORITES: NIALAYA ARMPARTY & JIMMY CHOO REBEL BAG

Good morning, Everyone. I hope you are having a great weekend! Now that Spring is finally here, I simply can't help but go back to my beloved pastel palette:) So, I wanted to take this opportunity to share a few of my current favorites. Hope you enjoy!

 

Nialaya flat bead bracelet, rose quartz string bracelet & golden scull bangle (20% off with code vivaluxury) | 7 For All Mankind x Malhia Kent jeans in rose gold | Zara heels | Jimmy Choo Rebel grainy calf cross body bag { also love this color } | Gold Philosophy Pearls & Spikes ring & Chance Diamond ring | Stila Pretty Pick-Me-Ups lip glaze and convertible color set | Butter London nail polish in "Slapper" 

Thank you for Reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle 

NEW SKIN CARE FAVORITES

Good morning, Everyone! How is your week going so far? Since I've gotten quite a few emails asking what type of skin care products I normally use, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk a bit about 2 of my current favorites. I am sure I've mentioned before that I don't like wearing foundation and since I am pretty much walking bare face most of the time, great skin care products are simply a must! For the most part I have normal skin, with the exception of my t-zone, which tends to get a bit oily. Thought a little oil on our face is actually a good thing, I have to take really good care of my t-zone so that I don't get clogged pores. Of course my problem as of lately is that with my schedule being completely nuts, I haven't really had the time to just unwind and do something nice for my skin:)
So, when Bioré reached out and suggested I take a moment to #BlackOutWithBiore, I though this was the perfect opportunity to take a break from social media, kick back, indulge in a little pampering and take a day all to myself:) During my black out, I got a chance to try the Bioré Self Heating One Minute mask & Deep Pore Charcoal cleanser. I started by washing my face with the cleanser, which left my skin feeling clean but not at all dry, like a few other deep cleansers I've tried. Next, while my face was still wet I applied the heating mask, wetting my fingers a bit to help activate the warming action even further. After about a minute, I washed the mask off with warm water. My face felt really clean and as I mentioned before, even though my skin can be sensitive to deep cleansing products, I didn't experience any redness or dryness. 

Later on, as Emil and I set on the couch, drinking mint tea, watching silly movies and chatting, I kept thinking about how hectic our lives get... With so many places to go and things to do, I think we forget to take a break, enjoy the simple things. Well, no more! From now on, I will make sure to always find the time to enjoy life's little pleasures! 

Bioré Self Heating One Minute mask & Deep Pore Charcoal cleanser

Thank you for reading
& Keep On Smiling,
LOVE,
Annabelle

BLOSSOMS & BLUES

Good morning and happy Tuesday, Everyone! Hope your week is going great so far! If you read my blog on regular basis, you know how I feel about all all things blue, especially when it comes to super cute Kate Spade bags at a fraction of a price. Making its second appearance on this blog, I simply can't resist wearing this bag again and again. To be completely honest with you, I've been looking for a perfect blue bag for some time now but I just haven't been able to find exactly what I was looking for. That is of course until I spotted this one on my last trip to Nordstrom Rack. Love the color and size, and considering it was 70% off retail price, I definitely had one of those "Yay!" moments:) 

Now, here comes the best part! Next time you spot an amazing find at your local Nordstrom Rack store and have your own "Yay!" moment, share it on Instagram using hashtag #ShopGenius for a chance to be featured on @NordstromRack Instagram account. 

I will also be selecting 3 favorite #ShopGenius reader submissions to feature on my Instagram at the end of this month! So, happy hunting, Everyone! :) 

Kate Spade handbag via NordstromRack { here & here } | Genetic Denim jeans { also love this option } | IVI Vision Daggerwing sunglasses in Aqua Fade | Equipment signature blouse { similar here } / Zara heels | Cameo The Label blazer { similar here & here } | 

Thank you for reading
& Keep On Smiling,
LOVE,
Annabelle 

ROSY - LOEFFLER RANDALL RIDER BAG & SCHUTZ ARIELI SANDALS

Hello, Everyone! Hope you are enjoying your Saturday! As I mentioned before, we've been enjoying super warm weather in LA, and since I am more of a sunshine and warm weather kind of person anyway, I've been more than happy to break out my Spring/Summer wardrobe a bit early:) Case in point, today's super cute soft pink linen suit. A huge fan of pastels and especially pink, I am particularly attracted the slightly loose structure of the blazer and shorts.
Another reason why I love it so much is because it's definitely one of those suits you can dress up or down, depending on the occasion. Today, I paired it with a floral print crop top and metallic lace-up heels, but I think it could work just as well with some cute oxfords and an oversized tote. What do you guys think? How would you wear this suit? 

P.S. You can check out more collections of favorite suits, crop tops and jewelry and follow me on eBay here.

Joie Mehira blazer & Leiden shorts { also love this option } | Schutz Specio Prata heels | Finders Keepers Somerset floral print crop top { also love this version } | Loeffler Randall Rider bag { love this cobalt blue option } | Movado bold watch | Alexa Leigh gold pave diamond Elijo ring | Pandora Light As A Feather ring | House Of Harlow Sound Waves cuff bracelet 

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle 

CAT EYES & CUT OUTS

Good morning, Everyone! Hope you are enjoying your week! I came back to LA from Miami, only to find that Summer is in full swing here. So, I guess no more coats and boots for now:) Not that I'm complaining, I'll take all the sun I can get! I don't normally wear my hair up, but something about an off the shoulder top makes you pull the hair off your face:)

So, I attempted to rock a top bun... The key word being attempted because it took me 40 minutes to do and quite honestly it was still very far away from perfect:) Hopefully I will get better with practice! What do you guys think of this hair style, yay or nay? 

Chanel Boy flap bag | ASOS Holborn heeled sandals | Cameo The Label Gerome skirt { in navy or red here } | ASOS cat-eye sunglasses | Monopoly stripped top - sold out { similar here & here } | Vita Fede ultra titan crystal ring & mini titan bracelet | Wanderlust & Co spike bracelet { similar here } | OPI nail polish in "Passion" & "Let's Do Anything We Want" 

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle 

EXPRESS SUMMER 2014 FASHION SHOW IN SOUTH BEACH

Good morning, Everyone! I hope your week is going great so far! As I have mentioned before, last Thursday I was fortunate enough to attend EXPRESS fashion show in South Beach, Miami. The event took place at the historic Raleigh Hotel and was hosted by the gorgeous Kate Upton, who was super sweet and even more stunning in person! Trying to decide which was my favorite part of the show as I was writing this post, was definitely not easy:) The music, the warm Miami weather or maybe the gorgeous models walking on water (the runway was floating over the pool) wearing amazing looks from EXPRESS Summer 2014 collection... Of course it's entirely possibly it was the combination of all those elements that made this event so unforgettable!

I seriously wish I could share all the images we shot but I'm afraid I would run out of space on this blog:) So, I hope you'll enjoy looking through my absolute favorites, like the beyond gorgeous white one-piece Magdalena Frackowiak wore on the runway, my girl Sydne Summer and I hanging out at SLS Hyde Beach just before the EXPRESS show and catching up with the sweetest Daniela Ramirez from Nanys Klozet, whom I met in San Francisco recently and immediately felt like we have known each for years! 

I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for coming, I had such a great time meeting you all in person! And for those of you who couldn't make it to the show, you can CLICK HERE to view more images, go behind the scenes and also shop your favorite looks from the Runway Collection. And if you don't see all of your favorites right away, just check back as new looks will be added every week. 

EXPRESS soft bomber jacket in Mink, textured metallic shorts, V-Neck racerback cami, stud and sequin embellished clutch, purple lens aviator sunglasses, rhinestone embellished enamel bracelet, pave link bracelet & stackable rhinestone ring set 

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle