BLOWN AWAY

The first time I met this dress was a little less than a year ago at Nanette Lepore runway show during New York Fashion Week. I spotted it as it was floating down the runway and immediately knew we were destined to be together. I am, as you may know, particularly fond of pieces that evoke a certain feeling and something about this dress just oozed happiness. 

Well, fast forward a few months and we are finally together! It is, just as I imagined, one of those pieces you simply cannot have a bad day in. So far, I've worn it twice and each one of them involved a ridiculous amount of skipping, twirling and dancing. What can I say, put me in a bright yellow dress, which also just happens to have those oversized front pockets I am so fond of, and I simply cannot resist the urge to engage in completely child-like behavior!:) 

NANETTE LEPORE Blown Away dress | SOPHIA WEBSTER Amanda printed faille sandals | REBECCA MINKOFF Perforated Julian backpack | DOLCE & GABBANA sunglasses { similar option here } 

FLUTTERED FLORES

I've been a busy little bee these past few weeks working on expanding my collection of old and new favorites and this outfit is basically an accumulation of my efforts. I don't think I need to tell you how I feel about leather jackets. Studded, perforated, printed and brightly colored, I want them all! And this coral perfection from IRO is my newest and brightest favorite:) The color alone would have been enough to make me want to add it to my collection, but the fact that I am particularly partial to moto leather jackets, made it that much more irresistible!

Flared jeans are my new obsession. After wearing skinnies for years and years, this style feels new and fresh not to mention the fact that it pairs beautifully with pretty much anything from crop tops to leather jackets. My only concern when it comes to flared jeans is the length. As I have mentioned before, given the fact that I am 5.8 and have a soft spot for high heels, finding the right length is not always easy. I found a few styles that are super long ( you can click here to check out the story ) and I am happy to say that this pair from Hudson is yet another addition to the list. Aside from the length, what I really love about them is the wash and of course the two front pockets. Yep, I am still obsessing over details:)! 

What about you guys, what are your obsessions at the moment? 

IRO Ashville leather jacket in coral pink | ANTHROPOLOGIE Fluttered Flores blouse | HUDSON Taylor high waist flare jeans | CHLOE Mini Drew shoulder bag thanks to Barneys { in cream here }  | GUCCI Candy ankle strap sandal | NIALAYA panther bangle in gold | DELFINA DELETTREZ eye piercing earring 

ELIZABETH ARDEN PREVAGE SWEEPSTAKES

If you read my blog on regular basis, you know skincare is a bit of an obsession for me. Normally, I am very good about taking care of my skin. I eat well, I exercise, I try to get plenty of sleep and use good skincare products. Yet, no matter how diligent I am about taking care of my skin,  the damaging effects of certain environmental assaults such as sun exposure, pollution and stress are simply beyond my control.

Take my recent trip to Palm Springs for example. Though I certainly tried to hide my face from the blazing desert sun under hats and massive amounts of sunblock, the result of spending hours in the sun was nonetheless quite obvious and damaging. 

As I was staring at yet another freckle, i.e. sun spot in the mirror, I received an email from Elizabeth Arden about the PREVAGE® skincare line designed specifically to prevent damaging effects of environmental assaults, and to help support the skin’s natural repair process. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to personally test the line! 

The PREVAGE® set arrived on the day of my friend's wedding, just as I was leaving for the Bel Air hotel, our home away from home for the duration of her pre and post wedding festivities. Since my face hasn't exactly recovered from all the abuse I put it through in Palm Springs, I decided there was no time like the present to deal with the damage. 

I started by cleaning my face with PREVAGE® Anti-aging treatment boosting cleanser. Next, I massaged PREVAGE® Anti-aging Daily Serum onto freshly cleansed face, and followed with PREVAGE® Anti-aging eye serum, by gently patting a small amount around the eye area.  I finished by lightly brushing PREVAGE® Anti-aging Moisture Lotion Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30 across the face.

Though, I certainly didn't expect to see results right away, I have to admit that my face did look smoother and brighter right after application. In fact, even though I was expecting to go a bit heavier on the make up that day, I was actually able to skip eye concealer completely. A very good thing considering I am not a huge fan of heavy make up and eye concealer in general:) 

Overall, though I just started using the PREVAGE® line, I am very impressed with the results so far. I am noticing a lot of improvement in the texture and clarity of my skin. It's definitely much more even looking and the redness around my nose is slowly disappearing. YAY! I am planning to continue using the line and keeping you guys posted on my progress! 

Now, here comes the best part! One lucky VivaLuxury reader has a chance to win a complete Elizabeth Arden PREVAGE® skincare giftset. 

All you need to do to enter is:

1. FOLLOW @ElizabethArden on Instagram by CLICKING HERE

2. REPOST THIS IMAGE to your Instagram page, tagging @ElizabethArden #PREVAGE #SWEEPS

3. Please leave a comment below, so that I may contact you if you win 

The contest will end on April 29 and the winner will be announced on the following day. I wish everyone the best of luck!

Find Rules & Regs HERE

This post was brought to you by Elizabeth Arden, all opinions are my own. 

TIBI one shoulder wrap dress { also love it in white here } | CHELSEA PARIS Ava pumps | STRATHBERRY OF SCOTLAND Mc Nano powder blue bag | FORD + HARRIS The Vicious upper finger ring & The Charlie slit ring | SARINA SURIANO Moonrise white pearl ring | MY JEWEL BAR earrings 

COACHELLA 2015 FAVORITES

Coachella has come and gone, and somehow in all the excitement, I haven't had the chance to share most of my favorite looks and moments. Oh well, better late than never, I say! So, without further ado, here are a few of my favorite Coachella 2015 looks! Hope you enjoy! :) 

REBECCA MINKOFF Enabel three quarter sleeve tweed jacket, Mila high heel open toe booties & Kemper dress | CHLOE The Marcie mini textured leather shoulder bag | GORJANA Elea cuff & Bali hand chain | CULT GAIA flower crown 

THE KOOPLES studded leather skirt, minibox bag in embossed python style leather & straw hat | ETOILE ISABEL MARANT Salvia broderie anglaise cotton top | ISABEL MARANT Aleen belted leather studded boots | DYLANLEX Kaa bracelet, Liam bracelet, Ari ring, Rio ring & Syd ring 

BCBGMAXAZRIA Farrell zip fringe jacket & Florance mini quilted leather bucket bag 

ETOILE ISABEL MARANT Caleen cotton blend voile dress { in white here } | ISABEL MARANT  Lucie studded sandals { in black here, similar option here } | PIERRE HARDY fringe bag | THE KOOPLES biker jacket in suede 

SUNSHINE, SURFING & SKINCARE

I can't count how many times I promised myself this was going to be the summer when I finally take surfing lessons... I even went as far as purchasing a wet suit, yet somehow summers went by and I never made good on my promise. Well, last week it all changed! Last week I decided it was going to be now or never! And... I finally did it! 

Though I imagined many times what surfing would be like, I don't think I ever realized just how challenging it really is! Yes, call me naive but I thought that years of swimming and yoga should at least give me some edge! Well, let me tell you, I was wrong! Very, very wrong! Forget riding the wave, or even just standing up on the board, after my 3rd lesson, I more or less mastered paddling out, but that was pretty much my only achievement:) Well, that and really sore arms! Can we count that as an achievement? 

But I am not giving up! My fourth lesson is scheduled for next week and I am adamant about at least standing up on the board by the end of it! Overreaching? Perhaps, but I am an eternal optimist at heart!

What I was a little less optimistic about was the condition of my skin after spending hours in the salt water. Even after the first lesson, the skin on my face, arms and legs, and especially elbows and knees was so dry, I seriously wanted to cry. To make matters even worse, my usual lotions and potions didn't help much, which send me into a state of complete and utter panic! 

But of course the state of panic didn't last long! You know me, I am a problem solver. If there is a problem I'll find a solution, and find a solution I did! While I use different lotions to remedy dry skin, I never really considered that I could actually start my skincare routine right in the shower! I now love to use the NEW Dove go fresh Revitalize Body Wash and Beauty Bar right after my surfing lessons. These new cleansers are mild, help replenish my skin and my face is now starting to look human again:) Another reason why I like the NEW Dove go fresh Revitalize products is because not only do they provide the perfect combination of freshness and care but also because I am a bit obsessed with the scent! The combination of mandarin and tiare flower is absolutely amazing and leaves your skin refreshed and renewed! And sure bringing a big bottle of body wash to the beach may not be ideal, but you know what, the payoff is definitely worth it! The way I see it, I would bring a canister if it guaranteed I didn't have to deal with dry skin:)! 

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story and I will keep you posted on my surfing progress!

This post was created in partnership with Dove. I have been compensated for my participation, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.