Jogja Istimewa

"Memayu Hayuning Bawana, Ambrasta Dur Hangkara"

-Javanese Silat Proverb

Translation: Strive for safety, happiness and prosperity while eliminating characteristics of greed, wrath and jealousy.

What a lovely weekend! Did some work for a new resort on the outskirts of Yogyakarta along with Clara Devi and our awesome 'abang' Lambok Sinaga and as a result got to spend the night in the brand new villa! While our big bro was busy taking company profile shots, me and Clara decided to snap a few outfit pics - the decor was so elegant and traditional and went perfectly with Clara's new Bonvieux design (as well as my traditional blangkon hat!). That particular Javanese quote also seems fitting for this weekend, reminding us to keep a positive outlook as we come closer to the new year, and continue to be more productive and creative each day =)
Photography by Clara Devi

DRESS: Bonvieus

BAG: Vintage

HAIRCLIP: Inspired by Luce

Forest Trails

"I came across a fallen tree,

I felt the branches of it looking at me.

Is this the place we used to love?

Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?'

- Keane

Every now and then it's good to get lost, whether by visiting some new part of town or by making a little expedition into nature. You never know where you might end up, and even though these places are unknown they can sometimes even provoke feelings of nostalgia or dream-like quality. It's a great way to escape daily life and enter into a sort of story-book realm of possibilities, adventure and fantasy.

Photography by Clara Devi

TOP - Primark

JEANS - Topshop

SHOES - Shallygury

BAG - Reverse

HAT - H&M

7 Ways to Wear Your Nails

Here are some ideas for nail art and a little step-by-step of how to create them. I've ranked them in order of difficulty; from basics for beginners to more advanced (and time-consuming!) designs. Enjoy =)

1. Cracked Nails

Step 1: Base

Choose any colour as your base, and coat your nails twice so that the colour is strong. It's best to choose something contrasting with the colour of your cracked-look nailpolish (in this case it is black so I've chosen a shimmery cream colour).

Step 2: Cracked-look Nailpolish

Take any cracked-look varnish, this one is FACEit BK901 Black, and apply a thin layer ontop of your base. Then all you have to do it wait!

2. French Manicure

Step 1: Condition Nails
I find that wearing nail varnish almost everyday and changing it often can cause nails to look dry or unhealthy, so especially for a simple nude look like this manicure we need the nails to look healthy and clean. I usually use Boots Cuticle and Nail Oil all over my nails before painting them, and you can find similar products at most pharmacies or specialist shops.
Step 2: Apply Tape
Now some people are able to paint the tips of their nails by hand, but if you're afraid of messing things up you can use selotape or masking tape to get a nice straight line. Just cut off a piece and stick it on your nail, just underneath the tip.
Step 3: Paint Nails
Use any white nailpolish (here I'm using Casandra White) and cover the tips of your nails. You can be as messy as you like because the tape will protect the rest of your nail from getting any colour on it.
Step 4: Remove Tape
Wait a little while for the paint to dry slightly, and then slowly peel off the tape from left to right (or the other way around). You now have a clean straight line.

Tip: You can play around with the tip colour; white is good for a clean, sophisticated look but for something more edgy you could try black or perhaps a brighter colour.

3. Metallic Nails

Step 1: Base

Take some selotape or masking tape and stick it onto the tip of your nail. Then choose your base colour (in order to make the metallic colour really stand out I've used OPI Black Nail Lacquer) and cover the whole nail. Once this has dried slightly, you can remove the tape to reveal a straight line separating the colour from the tip of your nail.

Step 2: Tip

Once you have removed the tape, take a metallic colour such as this FACEit BR801 Gold (silver or bronze also work well) and fill in the tip of the nail by following the line created by the tape.

 Tip: You can choose to paint all of your nails the same, or you can cause variation by inverting the base and tip colour.

4. Varying Lines

Here are some examples of different ways to play with tape and nailpolish in order to create funky new patterns and lines; you can make a stripe, a three-quarter, or a diagonal simply by changing and experimenting with the placement of the tape. I've filled these designs in with black just to show the shape, but you can choose any colour combination and get really creative with this method!

5. Polkadot Nails

Step 1: Apply Base

Choose any colour (preferably a bright colour like this OPI Red Nail Lacquer) and coat the nails twice to get a smooth and strong background.

Step 2: Apply Dots

Take the tip of the nailpolish brush (with a contrasting colour such as white) and gently touch the corner onto your nail to release a spot of colour. Repeat this as many times as you want to create a dotty effect.

6. Flowery Nails

Step 1: Apply Base

Choose a base colour - for this I've used REVLON's Scented Pearl, which is a simple peachy nude colour, to allow the details to stand out. Apply twice for full colour.

Step 2: Paint Centre

In order to create the details of this design, I am going to use the tip of a pencil as it is smaller and more accurate than a nailpolish brush. First, dip the tip into some OPI Yellow Nail Lacquer and then press it onto two points of the nail (make sure the points aren't too close together).

Step 3: Add Petals

Clean the pencil with some tissue, and then use a pastel colour such as this Bubblegum Pink Nail Paint by Barry M to create five points around the yellow resembling the petals of the flower.

Step 4: Dual Colour

Repeat Step 3 with another pastel colour, for example this OPI Blue Nail Lacquer.

7. Nationalist Nails

Step 1: Basic Shape

Take a red nailpolish and paint a thick cross from the middle to the tips and sides of the nail.

Step 2: Background

Then take a blue colour and fill in the empty spaces between the red cross (it doesn't matter if this part is messy or not quite next to the red line).

Step 3: Outline

Using the tip of a pencil and some white nailpolish, carefully outline the red cross and create some diagonal outlines from the middle to the outside of the nail.

Step 4: Fill In Colour

After the white outline is dry, fill it in with red once again using the tip of a pencil for a neat finish.

Tip: Apart from the Union Jack, I also experimented with some other flags using the same colour palette. Lucky for Japan or Indonesia who have a simple design! But if you're feeling brave why not try something more complicated like the US?

Index of Products:

OPI Nail Lacquer

FACEit

Cassandra

Barry M

REVLON

Gothic Dolly Makeup Tutorial

Index of Products:

Blusher: BOURJOIS 

Bronzer: PAC 

Eyelashes: D'EYEKO 

Eyeliner: MAC 

Eyeshadow: CLINIQUE / LT Pro / REVLON

Lipstick: REVLON

7 Favs of the Week

1. Glamorous Gowns

I love being productive, so I'm always happy to have the opportunity to work with other creative minds. This week I was part of a team shooting a spread for Wedding Avenue Magazine at Kencana Mansion, Yogyakarta. The designer, Bramanta Wijaya, has a wonderful collection of work which is "classic but not old, simple but not plain" and had me feeling like some kind of fairy princess =) I can't wait to see the final result!

2. Fabulous Flowercrowns

Created by my friend/mentor, who is also an experienced blogger (unlike myself!), Inspired by Luce is becoming fairly well-known around Indonesia, and has also received orders from overseas such as Australia, the US and my own hometown the UK! These nature-inspired creations are perfect for weddings, parties & events, and they also have some smaller accessories for everyday use.

3. Artsy Antiques

This week I went hunting around town for something quirky and vintage along with @claradevi and @nicowijaya. We came across a charming little stall at Pasar Klithikan, a local market around Wirobrajan. There are plenty of choice for those who love collecting unique and authentic trinkets.

4. Blueberry Cheesecake

Nanamia Pizzeria is arguably one of the best pizza places in town, located at Jl. Moses near Gejayan. They also have a range of delicious desserts, my favorite this week being their cheesecake - it's a really nice blend of flavor; sweet cheesy filling, savory base and tangy blueberry sauce.

5. Track of the Week: Emmie - More Than This

I love this track! It's so dreamy and breezy and it makes me feel light as air, but at the same time it can be a little melancholy as well. It also takes me back to my 90s childhood - it was featured in Danging Stage EuroMIX, a game me and my sister used to play all the time (she used to work her ass off on the dance mat while I just sat back and used the manual controller! So lazy).

6. Budget Buy

I'm always lusting over things that are way out of my price range, and feeling as though my personal style is too heavily restricted by my financial situation, so I get a nice feeling of achievement when I find cute and stylish items at really reasonable prices. The latest bargain is this pair of red buckle-up wedges which are comfortable for everyday and evening wear.

Images via 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 (my own) / 7

7. Effortless Elegance 

French braids go well with almost any outfit and are great for keeping long hair out of the way. They're pretty simple to make and it doesn't matter if they get messed up because the whole idea is to look effortless. Also, for those who have dead straight hair like me, you can sleep with french braids and undo them in the morning to get tousled, wavy locks =)