NEW HAIR + PAUL MITCHELL ULTIMATE COLOR REPAIR SYSTEM

Just between us, I've been in a big hair rut lately. My summer adventures, although very exciting, left my hair in a state that can only be described as a complete and total mess. One too many dips in the salty Pacific Ocean, combined with massive UV exposure thanks to my sun worshiping ways, left a lot of damage and made my hair look brittle and lackluster. To make things worse, in an attempt to give my hair color a bit of a lift, I decided to color my hair with henna. Not a good idea! Instead of a color lift, I ended up with a particularly horrendous shade of red, which after a few washes faded into something only Chucky would sport and hair that still looked overwhelmingly damaged:( 

So, after reaching my tipping point last week, I decided to turn to professionals at Paul Mitchell. After an initial consultation with the superstar hairstyling duo of Lucie Doughty, Paul Mitchell's Editorial Director, and Takashi Kitamura, International Platform Artist, we settled on a beautiful medium brown, a shade that is very close to my natural hair color ( before the unfortunate henna incident ) but with a bit more dimension. As I was staring at the swatch of this beautiful, gleaming shade, it suddenly dawned upon me, this beautiful new hair color deserved a cut as well! After all, I always said I will go short eventually and this felt like the right time to do it:) 

Once we settled on the cut and color, Lucie washed my hair with Ultimate Color Repair Shampoo and Ultimate Color Repair Conditioner, the first two steps in Paul Mitchell Ultimate Color Repair three-part, sulfate-free system which features reparative power of quinoa fused with nature-inspired ingredients, designed to lock in hair color and reverse the signs of damage. 

Next Takashi cut my hair, towel dried it and prepped it for styling with Ultimate Color Repair Triple Rescue spray, the third step in the system, which defends hair against heat styling - one of the primary causes of color fade.

Normally it takes me quite a bit of time to style my hair, but thanks to my new awesome hairdo the process of styling was quick and simple, which in my opinion is a true measure of a great hair cut. Takashi simply dried my hair with a round brush and then curled a few sections to add texture and dimension. 

Honestly, seeing this final result blew me away! The new hair looked much more polished, sophisticated, healthy and shiny:) I know, I know... I am gushing here, but I've been so unhappy with my hair lately and struggled to find the right products to use, so I am sure you can understand how happy I felt seeing such a tremendous difference after just a single application of the right hair care products.  

In terms of hair care, as I have mentioned before to keep this new beautiful hair color from fading and to combat the damage, Lucie suggested Paul Mitchell Ultimate Color Repair System, which is designed to keep the color fresh for up 9 weeks, reduce breakage and enhance shine. Naturally, I plan to continue using the Ultimate Repair System religiously, and keep you updated on my progress! 

P.S. If you have any questions about the cut, color or products used, please feel free to email me anytime! 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Paul Mitchell. The opinions and texts are all mine. 

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle  

CITY CHIC

Good morning, Everyone! Hope you had a wonderful weekend! 

Well, I am definitely having a black moment:) As I mentioned before, I've been completely obsessed with the color black lately, and little black dresses in particular. Naturally, when I spotted this asymmetric perfection on a recent trip to Nordstrom, it was love at first sight! Edgy and feminine, I  love absolutely everything about it, especially the leather accents and the draping on the side.

I got it about a week ago, and wanted to save it up for a special occasion, but every time I walked into my closet, the dress kept staring back at me begging to take it out for a walk. So last Thursday, I gave in and wore it for no particular reason at all other than the fact that I really wanted to:) Now, I really want to tell you that I am regretting this decision, I really do:) but the truth is dressing up for no reason at all is kinda fun! In fact, I might just start doing it more often!:) 

The Kooples leather contrast fit and flare dress | Samantha Wills Fate's Venture clutch | Mr Kate Treasure cuff & Treasure ear cuff | Michael Kors watch { similar here } | Barbara Bui leather biker sandals { in black and yellow here }

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle 

TRENCHING AROUND

Good morning and happy Friday, Everyone! 

I guess you could say I've been cleansing my palette lately. You may have noticed the overwhelming presence of black in my outfits lately. I don't really know what it is, but as much as I love bright colors, lately it's been all about black and more muted, calmer colors for me. This happened quite suddenly and without any explanation or reason, I simply got up one morning and felt the urge to step away from my beloved brights for a little while. Take today's look for example, normally, I would have paired a grey sweater with something in pastel, but the new me, wanted to keep the palette calm and neutral, so I opted to pair it with black and light beige. 

Not that I am saying goodbye to brights and pastels for ever, but for now, I am definitely enjoying my black/muted colors moment! Hope you guys don't mind:) 

ASOS Premium trench coat with panel detail { also love this midi option } | Equipment shirt { similar here } | Tommy Hilfiger Collection leather pants { similar option here } | TOPSHOP perfect premium Ghillie pumps { in burgundy here } | Movado Bold crystal accent watch | Tiffany & Co Peyton satchel 

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle 

BLACK N' BLUE

Good morning, Everyone! How is your week going so far? 

I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to a few of my recent Fall acquisitions, starting with the amazing leather detail coat I'm wearing in this post. If I had to name the most essential piece of outwear every girl should have in her closet, a great black coat would be it. 

Aside from impeccable tailoring, fit and length, reason why I love this particular one, is the presence of those leather details. You know me, I can't live without a bit of embellishment!:) But in this particular instance, I feel that the leather collar and sleeves add a bit of an edge to an otherwise classic-fitting coat. 

Another essential I can't imagine living without is a pair of black skinny jeans. Currently, I am a bit partial to coated denim, and the jeans I am wearing in today's post are definitely my favorite pair at the moment. Generally speaking a pair of perfect-fitting black jeans is not always easy to find, but these are soft and comfortable, yet have enough stretch to maintain shape throughout the day. Oh, and my personal favorite thing about them - rose gold zipper detailing on the sides:) 

Finally, I don't think it's a secret I am a little obsessed with cobalt. Ok, maybe a little more than obsessed:) But in my defense, cobalt is one of those amazing colors that pairs beautifully with just about anything. Naturally, once I spotted this gorgeous trapeze bag featuring bright cobalt front, black leather and metal corners, it was love at first sight! It's completely crazy but it looks great with everything in my closet! Seriously! So, hopefully you won't mind seeing quite a bit of this bad boy on my blog in the near future:)!

P.S. If you are just as obsessed with Ted Baker as I am, you're in luck because for one day only, you can get 20% off instore and online tomorrow! 

Ted Baker Nexie leather detail coat, wax finish skinny denim & Ferne exotic base trapeze bag | Isabel Marant Royston leather ankle boots | Movado Bold crystal accent watch | Nasty Gal Through Thick and Thin multi ring set | BaubleBar Big bondage chain ring

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle 

ON THE EDGE

Good morning, Everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! 

I wanted to take this opportunity to continue the conversation about Fall essentials by adding yet another item to my must-have list. Personally, I can't imagine my Fall wardrobe without a great leather jacket. Aside from the fact that a leather jacket pairs with pretty much anything from jeans to dresses and goes from day to night with a few right accessories, it's also absolutely timeless and never go out of style. 

Just like with most of my wardrobe staples, I am pretty particular about what I like and when it comes to leather jackets: quality, cut and detailing are some of the main things I consider. Reason why I fell in love with the gorgeous Dawn Levy one I'm wearing in today's post is because aside from being impeccably tailored and crafted, it has just enough of those special elements I look for. I think the zipper detailing and the beautiful Clover color alone make it a stand out piece, but the combination of snapped tab collar,  fold over lapels, ribbed shoulder and elbow panels make it absolutely irresistible:)! 

What about you guys, what do you look for in a great  leather jacket? 

Dawn Levy Kristine leather jacket in Clover | Asilio On the Edge dress |  Isabel Marant Royston leather ankle boots | Chanel Boy flap bag | Silver aviator sunglasses - old { similar here } | Movado Bold crystal accent watch | Nasty Gal Through Thick and Thin multi ring set | BaubleBar Big bondage chain ring

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

PRETTY PEARLS

Good morning, Everyone! Hope your enjoying your weekend so far!

I just wanted to say a quick hello and share a few images of my new pearl pieces from Gold Philosophy. I've always been a big fan of pearls, but lately seeing pearl jewelry take on a slightly edgier look just makes it that much more appealing for me. The main reason I am completely obsessed with the pieces I am wearing in today's post is because I feel they are feminine and glamorous yet edgy, modern and slightly rebellious at the same time. Yet another reason I love them so much is because I am such a big fan of layering jewelry and these particular pieces look great worn separately or combined together for a more dramatic look. And I don't know about you guys, but when it comes to jewelry, dramatic always wins in my book:)! 

Gold Philosophy star pearl earrings, pearl bangle, planet ring & open bar diamond pearl ring

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

BORROWED FROM THE BOYS

Good morning and happy almost weekend, Everyone! I am excited to share yet another post from my year-long collaboration with Nordstrom Rack as part of their year-long campaign. 

Now, if you read my blog on regular basis, you know how I feel about blazers, and menswear inspired ones in particular. So, I decided to create a borrowed-from-the-boys look based on one of my favorite combinations - a blazer and leather pants. To highlight the menswear inspired vibe of the look, I chose to pair the blazer with a white button-down and a skinny tie. I then added a pair of strappy heels and layered gold jewelry, for just a hint of femininity. And voila! All done! :)

I am also excited to announce that I'll be hosting an event with Nordstrom Rack to open a new store in Brooklyn next week. During the event, I'll be hosting an INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAY for a Nordstrom Rack gift card and one lucky reader will have a chance to win a gift card for themselves and a friend! I'll be announcing the GIVEAWAY details on Instagram on October 7, so stay tuned!:) 

P.S. The new store is going to have some amazing treasures and finds, so be sure to check it out once the store opens on October 8!

Brooklyn Nordstrom Rack: 550 Gateway Dr Bldg 2, Brooklyn NY 11239 ( Gateway Center, off the Belt Pkwy at Erskine St )

This post was brought to you by Nordstrom Rack. 

1.STATE blazer { similar here } & Alexander Wang shirt { similar here } via Nordstrom Rack | Tommy Hilfiger Collection leather pants { similar here } | TOPSHOP pumps { similar option here } | Saint Laurent bag { also love this option here } 

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