Life has been rather hectic and I’ve fallen off the wagon for the last couple of weeks but here I am nonetheless. I’m sure most of us love to look at the latest trends and seasonal colours and keep up with what’s out there. I know I do. I even love to predict what is coming before it does, but this doesn’t mean I need to wear them all.

Have you ever seen someone who looks like they’ve scoured a fashion magazine and worn every trend and you somehow feel like the clothes are wearing them, not the other way around. This is the thing... not every trend suits every person. I know for myself that there are certain looks that just don’t suit me, my shape, my colouring or my style, and for this reason I don’t wear them.

For example; Palazzo pants. I love the way they look on certain women and I think they are beautiful, but I cannot wear them. My hips are too wide and my legs are thinner, so they look hidden and bigger in those kind of pants. My shape looks so much better in a skinny leg or tapered pant, so I avoid a palazzo pant.
Another example would be, my wardrobe is full of feather capes, sequins and very showy, out-there fashion. I use to tell people I’m like a crow, I’m attracted to anything shiny, however recently my style is changing as I’m changing. I’ve found that as I’ve become more grounded and content within myself, my clothing style has followed. To some of you my clothing choices may still seem “out there”, but trust me, it’s so much more toned down now. The other day I went to put on a feather cape and I had to take it off as it felt too much for me. So even if something is on trend, it doesn’t mean we need to wear it in order to be up with the fashion.

Each season several styles are launched, and often repeated ie floral, tiered dresses, pastels, velvet, or stripes etc etc There is always something to choose from that will suit you. Make sure you keep staple classic pieces, your go-to’s, and then add a couple of seasonal items. Right now I love velvet, especially with my home decor as well. I’ve bought a velvet skirt, but to make it more me I would add a classic tee, denim jacket and cons, or I might dress it up with a white shirt, statement necklace, leather jacket and killer heels.

Clothing should be all about expressing who you are. Have pieces that you know you look fab in, that great pair of jeans, little black dress, a classic white shirt etc and then add a few seasonal touches like a jacket, accessories, shoes to add glam and to modernise your look.

Remember that you want your clothing to help you feel empowered and amazing. If you put something on and you have to close one eye or tilt your head sideways to decide if it looks good or not, then you probably shouldn’t be wearing it.

My rule with fashion is; you should always love what you wear and not always wear what you love, (especially if it’s wrong for you, like bootleg jeans! 😜).

See ya next week!

Love, Ady

I bet this title had you questioning ... ;)

This is the phrase I would use when people would comment on how often I changed my hairstyle or colour.

Up until recently I was always trying new things with my hair ... after all, it does grow back.

I remember this one time talking to our neighbour who lived behind our rental that we had lived in for almost five years. She made a fleeting comment about how our house had had several different families living there over the past few years, as if I was the latest tenant. I thought at first she meant before us but soon realised she literally meant while we had been living there. I had to laugh to myself as she must have thought with all my hair changes that I was a different woman.

I actually loved this idea; that I could reinvent myself just by changing my hair and I'm sure all you ladies know what I'm talking about, when you get a fresh colour and/or cut you feel like a new woman.

That's the beauty of fashion . We can create a look, a character that can empower us, or on the flip side could be a tragic disaster with a result that can kill our spirit for a brief moment.

Speaking from experience, whatever the look you are going for you need to make sure it suits you and your lifestyle. Even though I'm a make-up artist and stylist my favourite style is natural. I don't wear make-up and only really wear it on special occasions or when going out. My staple go-to clothes are skinny jeans, a cool tee and brogues. After all, with five kids and work, who's got time?

When I cut my hair into a bob with a blunt fringe and coloured it peroxide blonde I found this look always had to be dressed up including with make-up. When I went raw it just didn't work. After a while it was too high maintenance for me. Another look I tried was short hair with a slight undercut on the sides and DARK brown. I totally looked like another woman. I loved it but regrowth looked wrong and with my busy schedule I had no time to constantly get my roots coloured.

 

Years on, I've settled on a textured, more natural blonde bob. I can go six months without getting my roots done and still get away with it, and can wear whatever I want!

So my advice is, when getting your next style or colour don't just look at a pretty picture and say "I want that". Really think about your lifestyle and whether the look is something you can or want to maintain on a daily basis. Are you willing to commit to and put in the time and effort the look requires? Walking out of the salon with a fresh look, all styled by a professional is an amazing feeling, but can be quite deflating when you can’t recreate it yourself. Make sure you talk to your hair stylist about what it is you want to achieve but also tell them about your lifestyle so they can create a look that can accommodate both. You’ll be so much happier with the results if you do.

Whatever look you get, you want to own it, rock it and feel like a new woman; the fabulous woman you are!

See you next week!

Love, Ady

Let me introduce myself!

My name is Ady Orupe from Perth, Western Australia. I was born and raised here by my parents who migrated to Australia from Holland. I am one of six children and I'm a middle child ;)

I'm married to Aaron who is originally from NZ and if you can't tell from the pic ..... he is Maori. We have five children ranging in age from thirteen to two. My last baby was a lovely surprise. She came five years later in my forties. She's a very cool kid who adapts easily.

At four weeks old she started flying away to work with me, teaching make-up, every week, twelve hours a day and was loved by all her adopted Aboriginal family. Her name is Inalen which is from one of the language groups of Aboriginals and means 'the coming together'. She is the final piece in our family puzzle.

Well Aaron decided getting a puppy one month after she was born was also a great idea :| so needless to say our house is busy.

I've been a fashion make-up artist for nineteen years now, worked for various cosmetic houses as a national artist and trainer, worked on celebrities, fashion shows, campaigns, magazines etc. I'm also a stylist and have been for ten years; and senior stylist at Westfield WA for the past six years.

Aaron and I started Arousal&Design in 2009, and in 2010 launched our own brand of cosmetics; in the latter half of 2017 we introduced womens slips to the label.

For years my husband and others have been telling me that I need to make videos and blog, to teach women (and men) all the skills that I have learned over two decades.

So here I am!

I figured that for those of you who don't know me, this would be the best way to start. Each week I will write about fashion, make-up and the juggle with life. I hope to help those who may struggle in this area or give confirmation to those who want to know if they're on the right track.

I can't wait to take this journey with you and look forward to getting to know you and what topics I can help you with.

Thanks for checking-in, and I'll see you next week!

Love, Ady