 I really love fashion, even though I spend most of my time in gardening clothes these days and don’t get dressed up very often. Although I’ve never gotten married, I love looking at wedding dresses because they’re just so elegant and extravagant. I love how designers and brides go all out when preparing them. There’s also something special about wedding dresses because they’re something you’ll wear only once in your lifetime (we all hope, at least). As some of you may recall, I covered my gym friend Aseel Mohammad’s beautiful wedding dress in a previous blog post. In this post, I’d like to cover a new wedding designer called Kayla Cummings whose business Between Me and You Bridal really caught my eye. I’m a member of the Facebook group Girls in Business and was really impressed to learn that Kayla and her sister Meaghan have recently launched a line of sustainable wedding gowns. The girls had always enjoyed making wedding gowns, but it was actually the once-in-a-lifetime aspect of bridal couture that inspired them to design and make eco-friendly, earth conscious gowns. While like me, Kayla and Meaghan loved the elegance associated with wedding gowns, they hated the waste and pollution made by a dress that is only worn once. That influenced their decision to use natural and recycled materials, instead of polyester and synthetic materials. Kayla and Meaghan managed to source certified organic cotton lace from Germany, as well as natural materials such as hemp, tencel, bamboo and linen blends. They even found recycled materials produced from PET bottles which they wanted to use in their creations. In fact, materials and accessories are sourced from all over the world - Australia, New Zealand, America, Germany, India and Asia. All dresses are sewn in house on the Sunshine Coast, Australia with organic cotton thread and finished off with high quality recycled zippers that have been made from recycled post-consumer polyester and yarn material. Packaging and tags also remain plastic-free. The finished gown takes 12-24 weeks to complete. There is a longer processing time than for regular dresses as they do not stock bulk rolls of textiles fabrics in order to reduce waste. Between Me and You Bridal dresses can only be ordered through their website. They will not be wholesaled or mass produced and are made to order. The current collection stands at six dresses and they are priced between AUD $1,200 to $2,200. If you have any questions or would like more information, you can contact Kayla at info@betweenmeandyoubridal.com 
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 I don’t really wear makeup these days , now that I don’t work in an office. But recently, I decided to get something new. I had accumulated enough rewards points at Life Pharmacy to earn a $10 voucher and they were also having a 15% off sale on beauty and fragrance about three weeks ago. I decided to buy a mascara to wear on the odd occasion when I do go out. New make up helps you to feel a bit special and can help banish winter blues, which I had a bad bout of about a month ago.
I have sensitive eyes and wear contact lenses, so I’m quite fussy about what products I use on my eyes (and no, it doesn’t necessarily have to be very expensive brands, in fact some of those products can be very harsh). In the past, I’ve used Clinique’s Naturally Glossy mascara, until I discovered YSL’s Faux Cils while I was living in France, which I just adored. Now that I’m living back in New Zealand and no longer working as a lawyer, YSL is out of my budget. Clinique is more affordably priced and with the incentives outlined above, was within my reach for a one-off splurge. I was incredibly impressed by Clinique selection of mascaras at Life Pharmacy in Manukau. The Clinique Counter had 10, many more than other brands, and in the end, I made my decision based on the brush. I have naturally long and thick lashes so I wasn’t looking for something to enhance volume so much as make what I naturally have shine. I like mascaras that have a small brush, making it easy to navigate and achieve full coverage on both the top and lower lashes. After looking at all the mascaras, I settled on the Lash Power Mascara Long-Wearing Formula in Black Onyx, which had a little brush. With my $10 rewards voucher and the 15% percent discount, I ended up paying $30, down from the RRP of $46. This mascara really opens up my eyes. It isn’t a waterproof mascara but it stays on. To remove, simply rub your eyes with warm water. There is no need to use an oil-based makeup remover. I would highly recommend this mascara to others who are looking for a long lasting mascara suitable for all occasions, day and night.  It’s not very often that I see a wedding dress that I actually like. Not that I’ve ever really looked at purchasing a bridal gown for myself. But you can’t help notice wedding pictures of celebrities in magazines and friends on facebook. Most dresses I’ve seen are hideously frou frou. Not to mention expensive. I just can’t believe some people would spend $20,000 on something that they wear only once for a few hours! After my gym friend Aseel Mohammad al Baghdadi got married to her sweetheart Andre Senaratne at Markovina Vineyard Estate on 12 March 2016, she uploaded her wedding photos on Facebook. I was simply blown away by the beauty of her gown. I told her that it was even more beautiful than Kate Middleton’s wedding dress. Many of her other friends also commented on how beautiful her dress was, so when I decided to launch my own lifestyle magazine, I simply had to include an article about Aseel’s amazing dress. Of course, it helps that Aseel is absolutely gorgeous and would look stunning no matter what she wore. Style: Mayra by Pronovias Stockist: Modes in Newmarket, Auckland. See http://modes.co.nz/garments/mayra/. Note that if you live outside Auckland or overseas, you will still be able to locate this style, as Pronovias is a well known wedding dress designer from Barcelona, Spain.   |
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