Four Unexpected Ways to Wear Wedding Jewelry

When it comes to weddings, tradition (usually) takes the cake. Swarovski‘s creative director Nathalie Colin, a seven-year Swarovski veteran, is responsible for giving the storied brand a modern makeover while staying true to its heritage, and this is exactly the same take she has on weddings. “I think of course there are some traditions, you should wear something old, something blue, something new, and something borrowed,” Colin says, “But there are some very interesting things you can do.” Read on for the surprising ways you can wear jewelry on your wedding day.

Courtesy

A backwards necklace

“I like very much the idea to wear [necklaces] in the back above. As a bride, maybe you want to have the hair up and you have a very nice décolletage so it’s really nice to wear something to adorn your back,” Colin says, adding that since you aren’t actually facing the audience, having the pendant of the necklace in the back gives your guests something to look at. “It’s nice to have something in the back so it doesn’t contrast with the dress but is still a surprising feminine decorative element.”

A brooch
“I think brooches [like the one below, left] are great to adorn a dress that can be very plain. You can put the brooch in a more unusual place, at the waist or on the shoulder,” Colin says. “Why not in the back if you have a v-cut in the dress? You can adorn it in the V in the back. I think it’s quite nice.”

Courtesy

In your hair
“There’s also a big trend for hippie style, more cool dresses, loose, loose hair, so I think that you can wear actually a necklace in the hair,” the Parisian designer says, adding that she is designing a flower crown intertwined with a Swarovski necklace for her step-sister’s upcoming nuptials. “So you have the flowers and have a little bit of shininess wrapped in the branches.” Colin’s favorite type of necklace for this? One with a removable pendant (like the one above, right).

An anklet
“The other thing we try is to wear some of the bracelets at the ankle,” she says, adding that this look is best for brides who are wearing shorter dresses or dresses with a high-low hemline.

Above all, however, Colin notes that it’s important not to veer too far away from your personal style on your wedding day. “I think you have to stay true to who you are, in any case in life, because when you don’t dress the way you feel you will look disguised and it’s horrible to see a bride who doesn’t look like it’s really her.”

Article courtesy of Instyle

MAKE ME BEAUTIFUL

Esther Honig set out to test the different standards of beauty across the globe. She selected more than twenty five countries, one of which included Kenya, and approached amateur and professional designers to"make her beautiful" using Photoshop to edit a "plain" photograph of herself. Her conclusion was that though Photoshop allows us to achieve unattainable standards of beauty, the standards of beauty across the globe are so varied. The message,we concluded, being to love yourself, you can never be perfect in the eyes of everyone, (photoshopped pics included) . Check out how we (well at least the designer selected) "made her beautiful". 

                                          

CHEAT SHEET

Style Steals by Toteally Kenya

The DAISY flower has roots in Denmark. When Queen Ingrid gave birth to Princess Margrethe in 1940, Georg Jensen presented her with a special version of the DAISY to commemorate the event. Beyond Scandinavia, the DAISY is popular for women of all ages. It can be worn as a brooch, bracelet, earring or pendant and with jeans, business or cocktail attire. 

Our collection is fresh and all items go below Kshs 350 (4 USD). 

Earrings
forzieri.com

MARC BY MARC JACOBS stud earring set
shopbop.com

Daisy earrings
nastygal.com

ON THE GO

Tired of the old paper and plastic bags or lagging around boxy cooler bags just in a bid to have packed lunch? Toteally Kenya has the solution. Our Gourmet Getaway Lunch Tote is shapely, chic, insulated, and easy to carry. Conveniently store everything from your homemade leftovers and sandwiches to snacks and a drink. The Gourmet Getaway Lunch Tote sits upright when full, and stores flat so you can stash it in your shoulder bag on the trip home. What's more its easy to clean and therefore also suitable for kids!

Check out these celebrities toting similar bags. So what are you waiting for? Grab one today at Kshs 1400 for smaller sizes and Kshs 1500 for larger ones. 

DOs and DON'Ts of Wearing and Choosing Brooches

A brooch is a fashion decorative accessory that usually attaches to clothes with a rotating pin clasp. Follow these dos and don'ts to pick that piece that works for you. 

Do: Look for designs and shapes that complement your style like flowers, animals or abstract objects.

Don't force yourself to wear something that you aren't comfortable with.

Flying Horse

Do: Ask for a friend's advise or get a stylist if you are completely lost for choice of your jewellery.

Don't disregard the impact you could make if you choose the right accessories.

Butterfly 

Do: Spend some time when choosing a brooch, compare similar style brooches, pay attention to the general feel of it. 

Don't buy a brooch if it doesn't match any of your clothes. A brooch is an accessory for a dress, not the other way.

Bees and Flowers

Do: Experiment with your old brooches, you might re-discover them if you wear them in a new and unusual way.
Don't be afraid to add new brooches to your collection and give the old ones away.

Do: Create and re-create again your own style.
Don't blindly follow the latest trends.

Courtesy of Avalaya

D.I.Y SOCK BUN

The high bun is perfect for those days when you don’t have time to wash or do your hair, or if you’re opting for a classy up-do. Whatever it is, it’ll give you an elegant and fresh look… in under 5 minutes! You need a Hair Doughnut to pull it off easy. We have two sizes (suitable for different hair lengths and thickness)

Doughnut

If for whatever reason you cant access ours, you can make your own at home. 

Pic: Our Mode

1. Cut the toes off a sock.
2. Roll the sock into a donut.
3. Put your hair into a ponytail, making sure to brush out any tangles.
4. Slide your hair into the sock donut.
5. Wrap your hair around the donut, and roll upwards towards your ponytail.
6. Flaunt your perfect up-do!

Adapted From Our Mode

The Ear Jacket

When it comes to earring anatomy, the backing takes a backseat to the forward-facing component. It usually gets overlooked (and oftentimes misplaced). But we’re now seeing a role reversal, thanks to a new jewelry trend where the backing serves a purpose that goes beyond holding a stud in place.

Courtesy of Instyle

Coined the ear jacket, it’s an ornamental piece that clips onto the post from behind the lobe—it hangs and follows the curve of the ear. Hollywood stars are embracing the trend with Diane Kruger making an edgy statement at the premiere screening of Fargo. Below is a snippet of our own collection past and present.

Love Ear Jacket

                                 

                       

  

                        

                                

5 Hacks to Keep Your Mother’s Day Flowers Fresh

Mother’s Day means an abundance of fresh cut flowers gracing homes everywhere. To extend the life of your flowers, and your gift, try these tried and tested methods for keeping your flowers fresher, longer.

HACK #1: Bleach and sugar. This two punch combo is the most popular advice for keeping flowers fresh. Just add 3 drops of bleach and 1 teaspoon of sugar to 1 quart of tepid water. The sugar’s carbohydrates feed the stems and the bleach keeps the water from getting cloudy and inhibits the growth of bacteria.

HACK #2: Trim the stems. This is the oldest trick in the book. Trim the end of each stem at a 45-degree angle and submerge immediately in water. Experts say that leaving the stems out of water for an extended period of time (after they’re cut) allows air pockets to form that can block the path of water. If you’re hardcore you can cut them underwater, but immediately after is good enough for us!

HACK #3: Soda Pop. Whether you call it “Soda” or “Pop”, put the stale Sprite in your fridge to good use. Bring the soda to room temperature and then pour about 1/4 cup lemon-lime soda into a vase full of cut flowers and room temperature water. The sugar in the soda will make the blossoms last longer. If you have a colored vase, you can easily replace the clear soda with colored soda. They all work the same!

HACK #4: Vinegar and sugar. Did you know vinegar has anti-bacterial properties? Just mix 2 tablespoons apple cider (or white) vinegar and 2 tablespoons sugar with the vase water before adding the flowers. Portion it per quart of warm water. The sugar feeds the plants, while the vinegar inhibits bacterial growth.

HACK #5: Copper pennies. Find a penny, pick it up, and all day you’ll have…fresh flowers! Just drop 1 copper penny and a cube of sugar into your vase water. The copper in pennies is said to act like an acidifier, which prevents the growth of bacteria.

Pro note: You can repeat these steps once or twice a week (depending on when you see the flowers droop) to extend the life of your bouquet.

Courtesy of JustFab

ADDING ANKLE ARMOUR

Looking for an easy trick to "pimp" basic pumps? Fasten chunky gold or silver chain bracelets around your ankles. That way they seem to be part of the shoe design. 

Note: This shiny addition works best with simple, solid colour pumps. Accessorizing already embellished heels will completely spoil the look. In addition, the bracelet should just rest at the ankle level. Too large a bracelet will look awkward and give a careless gaudy look which is definitely a fashion No No.