Wardrobe inspiration : summer essentials.

1. Bikini - Zimmermann : I tend to gravitate to more demure, effeminate bikini styles that can transition into the evening when worn with a billowing maxi skirt or Palazzo pants. 

2. Tan & silver sandals - Pour La Victoire : my fundamental shoe maxim when on vacation is versatility and I don't think these will be incongruous to any outfit I own.

3. Powder puff volumising powder - Kevin Murphy : I'm not very fastidious with my hair (I don't even possess a hair brush haha) but I do keep this volumising powder in my beauty arsenal for that summer nonchalance. 

4. Soho wide leg pants - Rachel Rachel : these pants are so beautifully constructed with their flowy contour and high split. Perfect for throwing over a maillot for a seamless segue into cocktail hour. 

5. Number One sunglasses - Karen Walker : the feline/wayfarer hybrid is such a flattering contour, this is the sunglasses equivalent of The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. 

6. Classic tank - Kain : how delectable is this shade of nude/stone? I would wear these on the plane and, well, everywhere else really. 

7. Tinted daywear - Invisible Zinc : living in Australia, my skin is incessantly assaulted by UV rays and I literally don't leave the house without a liberal slathering of Invisible Zinc. 

To celebrate the end of my med school days, I have an incipient sojourn to Thailand where I'm hoping to indulge in beachside massages, lychee daiquiris, and general indolence. These are the summer fundamentals that I intend to bring along with me! 

Are any of you going on a summer vacation? I would love to know what your obligatory beach items are! 

Love, Mandy. xx

Enlightenment.

(Top - this is a plain tee, skirt - Kookai, necklace - Pree Brulee, shoes - Charles & Keith)

Ever since finishing med school (as of last Friday!), I have become unfamiliar with this concept of having copious amounts of time at my disposal. Becoming a doctor has been a childhood dream of mine so this marks a truly pivotal point in my life and whilst I know that there are lovely things to look forward to, I can't help feeling simultaneously rather sad that it is the end of an era. Med school has honestly been the most wonderful years of my life and I am so grateful for all the beautiful people who have shared the journey with me along the way. 

Anyhow, on a more frivolous note, this outfit epitomises my typical casual aesthetic - neutral tones with subtle pops of colour. These images are particularly sentimental to me as they were taken on one of the few sunny days when I was in London a few months ago! 

Love, Mandy. xx

Sprinkle of sparkle.

(Top - She Inside sequin black chiffon top, skirt & heels - Zara) 

Today has been one of those perfect Sundays that starts off with a rainy morning and a warm cup of tea and then ends with a spontaneous evening of beautiful company, cabanas with magenta curtains (see here), and even more pots of tea (Madagascan vanilla, of course!). I hope you all had a beautifully spectacular weekend too! 

                                                              Much love, Mandy. xx

Jardin du Luxembourg.

(Cardigan - Ted Baker, skirt - ASOS, bag - vintage Dior, shoes - Jeffrey Campbell)

Oh, Paris. One minute, you're losing yourself in its labyrinthine streets struggling with the indecision of which patisserie to pick for one's morning croissant (I inevitably visited all of them) only to find that the meticulous selection you deliberated on have been voraciously consumed the next minute. And just a few moments later ... you stumble upon a jardin that happens to have a chateaux and then suddenly, you revert to your halcyon days of youth and pretend that the whole landscape is your backyard (climbing fountains in a whimsical mint skirt is completely normal, oui?). 

.... And that's it. In the course of a few minutes, the innate magic of Paris has stolen my heart once again. 

Have a sparkling weekend, everyone!

Much love, Mandy. xx

Light, lemon, & London.

(Top - Finders Keepers, shorts - Bec & Bridge, cardigan - Cos, bag - vintage Dior, shoes - Charles & Keith, sunglasses - Sarroff Designs) 

The clouds have taken an ominous hue of grey of late so sharing these images from London that are filled with light and my favourite shade of the moment - lemon - seems like an apt reaction against the gloomy skies. I usually have an affinity for muted tones, nude palettes, and all shades of pink ... but I think yellow is slowly usurping them in my wardrobe! 

And speaking of light - tomorrow is Friday! I hope you all have something beautiful planned for the weekend. :) 

Much love, Mandy. xx

All that glitters.

(Top - Backstage & glitter shorts - House of Wilde, both from ADRENALIN BOUTIQUE, cape - Chip Chop, sandals - RMK)

When you're in a place as whimsical as Paris, it really calls for packing a suitcase that is equally whimsical. Traipsing around town from the Musee Rodin to the Notre Dame in this glittery sartorial confection just made everything seem even more magical ... though I'm incredibly pleased that I had the insight to pack a cape for the sudden cold snaps! 

A big thank you to Dean from Adrenalin Boutique (an absolute imperative if you're on the Gold Coast) who helped me pick out this outfit before my adventures! 

                                                             Much love, Mandy. xx 

Avocado and coconut ice cream.

On my recent sojourn to East Timor, I had an exquisite drink called es alpukat - essentially an Indonesian avocado milkshake with just a drizzle of chocolate syrup topped with ice cream. It is absolutely indulgent and yes, there are still remnants of it on my hips (but it was utterly worth it). Since I am not in possession of an ice cream maker, this recipe didn't turn out quite as lusciously creamy as I would have liked - for future reference, I think I will pour them into ice block containers for a refreshingly delectable summer treat!

Ingredients - avocado & coconut ice cream

2 avocados

1/2 cup sugar 

1 1/2 cups of milk

1 cup of coconut cream

A squeeze of lemon

Process all the ingredients in a blender until ridiculously smooth. Pour into a container and leave in the freezer overnight.  Scoop generously into a large bowl ... and thank me later. 

                                                                 Much love, Mandy. xx

Deauville photo diary.

When one of the travel agents in Paris (a laconic man whose English was neatly clipped with typical Parisian overtones) advised me to elope to Deauville for a seaside getaway, I was envisioning a small fishing village with quaintly dilapidated cottages by the sea completely dissociated from civilisation. Thus, you can only imagine my surprise when I arrived in this incredibly beautiful enclave of crisp seaside air, expansive beaches dotted with colourful umbrellas, and grandiose mansions by the shore. The moment my heart skipped a beat? When I stumbled upon Louis Vuitton on a casual morning stroll peeking through the perfectly manicured pathways. 

Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised - I later found out that this is after all the place that F. Scott Fitzgerald mentions as Tom Buchanan and Daisy's honeymoon spot in 'The Great Gatsby' ... 

Where is the prettiest place you've ever visited? I would love to know! 

Much love, Mandy. xx

Collar on collar.

Whilst it is completely undeniable that I have an irrepressible love for travelling the world, living out of a suitcase can be quite sartorially challenging - constantly thinking of the different permutations and combinations of the elements of a heavily edited version of my wardrobe really becomes very taxing! Therefore, I tend to grow fond of the more meticulous details through accessorising, such as this collar necklace that I stumbled upon from ASOS, which was enough to elevate even the most prosaic of outfits. 

And how beautiful are the streets of Amsterdam? These images were taken on a casual weekend getaway there while I was studying in London ... as you do. 

Photos taken by John Li. 

Much love, Mandy. xx

Thames.

(Top - Equipment, skirt - Zara, bag - vintage Christian Dior, shoes - Charles & Keith)

I have finally returned home after three months of the most life-changing itinerary involving Paris, London, Boston, New York, Amsterdam, and most recently East Timor - all relating to my studies as a medical student. I was constantly pinching myself for the incredible experiences these opportunities imparted, though it does make reflecting upon these these images taken in front of the Thames all the more nostalgic and bittersweet. My mind has been in such a state of perpetual wanderlust that I am already planning my next overseas sojourn! 

In other news, I can resume blogging on a regular basis! Thank you to all the sweet souls who have stopped by to leave gorgeous comments and words of support. I love you all. <3 

Much love, Mandy. xx