Shoot / Miss Aimee

I recently had the pleasure of shooting the beautiful Aimee of iammillagrae. We started off bright and early on a saturday morning in the winter gardens and around the museum in the Auckland domain:

Photography: Heather Mason

Eat, Read, Watch, Wear / Edition #17

Inspiration via Then Let It Be 

Eat // How pretty does this Colour Blocked Chocolate Bark from Paper & Stitch look?

Read //  Jessica Walsh and Timothy Goodman are two friends with opposite dating problems who find themselves single at the same time. As an experiment, they dated for 40 days. Take a look at what happened here: 40 Days of Dating.

Watch // I know, I'm behind the times. But Season 3 of Game Of Thrones... 

Wear // Generally speaking I'm a 'less is more' type of girl, and I'm loving this fresh, natural look with a bold lip.

Eat, Read, Watch, Wear / Edition #16

Moodboard Created by Heather Mason / Images via Pinterest

Eat // Bagels with cream cheese, smoked salmon and avocado. 

Read // The latest Urbis magazine for the latest offerings in stylish interiors, design objects, people and places. Their feature on Helsinki has me dying to explore... 

Watch // The House I Live In. This is a powerful documentary by (person) about the effects of the War on Drugs in everyday America. 

Wear // I'm all about the accessories at the moment - almond toed boots, leather jacket, chunky scarves and a topknot, to be precise.

Eat, Read, Watch, Wear / Edition #15

Photography Heather Mason

The last few weeks have been amazing, and looking back I guess a little overwhelming. I've had a lot on with various free-lance projects (more to come on these) and a brand new creative role. Although I've been happy and busy, I got hit with a migraine, which put me out for the best part of two days. Hence the late release of this post. 

Eat // Lately I've been on the hunt for healthier but still satisfying sweet treats, and this recipe for Dark Chocolate Cranberry Coconutty Fruit and Nut Clusters has me inspired. If you swapped out the ingredients for raw alternatives they would be nutritional right?!

Read // I'm not generally one for scientific reading, but I came across a copy of Bryan Sykes The Seven Daughters of Eve, and its fascinating. Professor Bryan Sykes is a leading world authority on DNA and human evolution, and this book traces the journeys our ancestors took, re-examining the way we have evolved and our sense of individuality and identity. 

Watch // Boy Meets Girl. This is a beautiful, tender story about love and what it means to be a real man or woman. It also serves as a reminder to stay true to yourself, be courageous and not let your fears get in the way of your dreams.

Wear // I recently wrote about taking a more natural approach to my beauty and skincare regime here. I have discovered Ilia, a contemporary range of makeup dedicated to creating the purest products possible. Totally ethical and sustainable, each piece is filled with certified organic bio-active botanicals that nourish and rejuvenate the skin. This Ilia Lipstick Crayon (pictured) combines organic ingredients and pigments for a creamy, matte finish.

Naturally

Image via Studded Hearts

Lately, I have been making an effort to eat a little cleaner, exercise more and generally take better care of myself. I've slowed my pace a little, and am learning to listen to my body a little more. Sometimes this is as simple as getting an earlier night, so I feel fresher in the morning or swapping my traditional english breakfast tea for a caffeine free, herbal alternative. I'm not rigid in my approach, but its beginning to filter into other areas of my life and I really want to overhaul my skincare and beauty regime. Our skin is our largest organ, and everything that we put on it gets absorbed straight into our systems. Chemicals and other harmful ingredients can wreak havoc on our health, and so I'm going to replace my beauty and skincare products with natural ones...

Do you use natural products? Which are your favourite go to's?

I'm at a bit of a loss for where to start, so any tips and recommendations would be amazing!

Current Mood

Moodboard Created by Heather Mason / Images via Pinterest

I'm coveting a new pair of black boots for this winter. Classic with a small heel and a pointed toe. I'm also in need of a new bag - something that I can fit my life into and tote along to meetings. In the jewellery department I'm still favouring delicate, stackable rings with small quartz crystals and gem stones.

Eat, Read, Watch, Wear / Edition #9

Image via Fire On The Head

Eat // There's something about winter that has me craving soup. Thumbing through Bite magazine I spotted a recipe for Kumara, Lentil and Coconut Soup. It looked simple, so I thought I'd whip it up for a mid-week dinner. Easy to make and delicious, we ate it with bread and butter. You can find the recipe over on Bite.

Read // 'Dr Libby's Beauty From The Inside Out' by Dr Libby Weaver. I feel like I'm a bit late to the game with this one, having just started it. Using nutrition as a starting point, Dr Libby deciphers beauty by bringing emotional and physical mechanisms to the fore in achieving radiance from the inside out.

Watch // What Maisy Knew (starring Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgard and Steve Coogan), the story of a little girl living in New York who becomes the centre of her parents bitter custody battle. 

Wear // Cooler weather with scattered and often heavy showers has me reaching for boots and cosy knits. 

Eat, Read, Watch, Wear / Edition #7

Image / Harper & Harley

Eat // Pasta smothered in home-made kale pesto. I used this recipe from the BBC Good Food site. It makes a generous amount, so any leftovers can be saved for up to a week in the fridge or frozen for a later date...

Read // Undone Journal, a thoughtful take on fashion, beauty, creativity and the good life. 

Watch // The Honourable Woman - An Anglo-Israeli baroness (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) works tirelessly to reconcile the Israelis and Palestinians and creates an international maelstrom in the process. 

Wear // Make like the beautiful Sara Donaldson, author of Harper & Harley, and wear your hair in soft, undone waves.

Autumn Favours

The clocks went back a few weeks ago now and the days are getting shorter. When the sun shines and you can find pockets of warmth out of the wind, its bliss. But then the sky darkens and down comes the rain. This type of weather has me second-geussing my outfit selections in the morning, as I never know what to expect! For this reason, I'm favouring skinny jeans or dresses with longer, looser layers for balance and proportion (and for ease of removal for when you find the pockets of bliss!):

All images via Pinterest

Essentials

Photography: Heather Mason

Feminine and delicate essentials.

Spring Styling

All images via my Pinterest

Lately the weather has been fickle and unpredictable - in true spring fashion I guess. I have been living in ripped jeans
and neutral, layered basics with a few delicate pieces of classic jewellery and tousled hair...

These southerly winds and frequent showers have me reaching for my faithful boots each morning but I can't wait
to exchange them for slides!

Moodboard / Spring Style

Spring has finally arrived in all its glory! The weather has been quite unpredictable over the past few weeks. While there have been some gorgeous, warm days others have had me reaching for opaques, merino and scarves...

I'm favouring neutral tones and ankle boots with the occasional print for good measure and tousled 'undone' locks for spring.

All images via my Pinterest

Band4Hope

The Band4Hope Project is an innovative, not-for-profit social enterprise which exists to encourage acts of kindness Actions4Hope and raise funds and awareness for charities through trackable wristbands called Band4Hopes with 100% of proceeds going to good causes.

Band4Hopes are ethically handcrafted copper and zinc wrist bands from Africa.

Each one is engraved with a unique ID which enables them to be passed from person to person and tracked online, spreading hope by encouraging people to do Actions4Hope (acts of kindness) and raising donations for your chosen charity for years to come.

My Band4Hope was a gift from my dear friend Mel. Here are some photos:

For more information please visit the Band4Hope website

Pretty Hair

I have to admit that when it comes to my hair I am a 'wash and wear' girl... I do love a great cut and have been experimenting with some soft, loose curls and braiding recently but the high bun usually wins most days!

I will never cease to love easy, undone styles like these though:

Image sources unknown

Undone Up - Do

As always, a fan of anything that doesn't look too polished...

Spring

Although spring feels like forever away, this peach make-up

range seems perfect for its eventual arrival.

So fresh and pretty.

Wholesome

This look is so fresh and wholesome somehow...

Undone Ponytail

Knot

This is my kind of up-do: a simple and tousled knot

at the nape of the neck.

Contrast

I love this outfit and the contrast between the textures and materials...