12 TARANAKI DAILY NEWS Wednesday, August 21, 2013 www.taranakidailynews.co.nz

Black is fabulous, it is a great neutral that can effortlessly tie a wardrobe together. It is safe, sophisticated, chic, elegant and powerful.

Dark colours recede making the area it is worn on appear smaller. So yes in comparison to light and bright colours dark colours, especially black, can make you appear slimmer.

Unfortunately black is not easily worn by everyone especially when it is placed near the face. Black causes shadows to settle into lines and wrinkles on the face and can make a light skin look paler. My recommendation if you have medium to light skin is to wear black on your lower body and lighter colours on your upper body. By wearing low necklines and showing lots of your décolletage you also keep the colour as far away from your face as possible. I recommend adding more depth to your makeup, particularly stronger eye definition and lip colour. Colourful scarves and jewellery are an easy way to break up the effects of black against your face.

Colourful scarves are a key accessory this summer - so invest and enjoy!

I have heard that wearing black can make you appear slimmer. Can anyone wear the colour black?

Ph: 06 758 315144 Broughan Street

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It’s a Tokyo Story

Your questionsanswered byMeghan MaherRepertoire’sStyle Director

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What’s Going Down at

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FLAIR

Kilim colours spice up interiors

Originating from theBalkans to Pakistan,kilim tapestry-wovencarpets, rugs and

cushions are adding an exotictouch to modern interiors.

Whether you have a sleekcontemporary home or a rusticeclectic mix of homewares,kilim textiles set the tone for aninteresting space.

Take inspiration from thecolours in a kilim cushion andpair it with a plain cushion in aselected tone.

Gold framed paintings andportraits look beautiful as abackdrop to a kilim rug, alongwith simple glass vases filledwith greenery from the gardenand Turkish pendant lighting.

Unfinished timbers, antiquewoods and industrial furniturehave fabulous structure andgrittiness which look effortlesswith a kilim-inspired look.

Another way to spruce upyour home with thistrend is to add brassside tables andaccessories.

To enhance acontemporary kiliminterior, ensure youpair this textile withbold, solid colours –maybe an oversizedprint of hot pink or avibrant blue throw.

Enjoy investigatingthis aesthetic andcreating a beautifullife...

For more information on furnitureand homewares or any designqueries email:design@thandijazmine.co.nz

RESULTS MAY VARYPutting popular products and their claims to the test

Colgate Optic White toothpaste

We’re starting this section with a winner,folks. Unlike the other whitening toothpastesI’ve tried over the years, Colgate’s new OpticWhite actually works. The paste contains aone per cent dose of hydrogen peroxide (thewhitening ingredient dentists use), and it’sobvious from the first use that it’s prettypowerful stuff. It fizzes away on your teethlike it’s getting straight to work on stainsand leaves your mouth minty fresh. Thepack promises three shades whiter teeth infour weeks (with the usual ‘‘Individualresults may vary’’ disclaimer) but I saw achange within a week or so. Does it do whatit says on the box? Definitely. Unfortunately,the idea for this little write-up came to me acouple of weeks after I started brushing withOptic White so I hadn’t taken a before photo.You’ll have to take my word for it – my teethare definitely whiter. Whitening products areusually pretty pricey but a good sized tubeof this costs around $9 and it’s available insupermarkets nationwide. – Esther Taunton

An exercise in domestic envy

Craft queens: Photographer Amanda Prior, left, and the Crafty Minx, AKA Kelly Doust, in Doust’s Sydneyhome. Photos: FAIRFAX MEDIA

The Crafty Minx opens her home

Made by the Minx: Craftycreations in Kelly Doust’s home.

By her own admission,Kelly Doust isn’t theworld’s greatestseamstress or wielder of

knitting needles and crochethooks.

But what the 36-year-old authordoes have – in bucketloads – aregreat ideas when it comes to craftycreations. While materials can bebought new, of course, Doust lovesnothing more than envisioningnew lives for vintage, retro andrecycled items, from canefurniture and quirky postagestamps to knitted jumpers andkitsch tea towels.

This boundless creativity andimagination is channelled intoDoust’s fifth non-fiction book, TheCrafty Minx at Home, shot in herSydney home over five days byphotographer Amanda Prior, aformer model who now worksbehind the lens rather than infront of it.

Visiting the Crafty Minx athome is, as you might imagine, anexercise in domestic envy. Doust’snest features colour-coded rows ofcookbooks in the kitchen,artistically arranged bedroombookshelves, and a candy-stripedgarden bench seat that isimmediately recognisable fromher 300-page book (many of theone-off creations in the book aren’tat home – they’re off doing thepromotional rounds in bookstorewindows).

It’s hard to believe this artfulhome also houses a four-year-old(but does explain the toy dinosaursurveying the kitchen and lettermagnets on the fridge doorspelling out, ‘‘Oh Miss Olive’’).

Craft hasn’t been this popular

for decades, Doust says. ‘‘Ethnictrends were very popular in the1970s,’’ she says. ‘‘Because of airtravel, people were bringingthings back from overseas -fashion went through that wholeboho-ethnic phase and peoplewere really into traditional craftlike macrame and tapestry. The’80s were so materialistic … craftjust fell out of favour and became

unfashionable - it didn’t becomefashionable again until recently.In recession times, people look tosave money by making thingsthemselves.

‘‘We don’t really need to makethings now but I think there’sbeen a backlash against that massconsumerism and production ofthe ’80s and ’90s - I think peoplenow do it out of a need to feel

connected with an object, and tomake something themselves andfeel proud of what they’ve made.’’

Doust loves putting time intomaking one-off gifts. ‘‘Quite oftennow, you can spend a lot and stillnot be happy that you’re givingsomething that’s very personal orindividual,’’ she says. ‘‘The firstthings I made were hot-water-bottle covers out of chopped-up,

100 per cent lambs’ wool jumpers Ifound in op shops.

‘‘For weddings, I’ve now madeduvet covers for two friends. I gotthem to choose fabric, I’ve chosenvintage fabrics to go with them,and I’ve made completelypatchworked duvet covers to gowith the colours they like. I thinkthat’s a much nicer gift than a $200voucher.’’

Adding a funky new edge tosomething old is easy thanks tomodern designers developingcutting-edge fabrics, yarns andother craft basics, Doust says.‘‘That’s injected a bit of freshnessinto it,’’ she says. ‘‘Craft alwayshad those nanna connotations butnow I don’t think that’s there at all- I think craft is very hip.’’

FAIRFAX

Glass half full of ideasGlass jars: Good for all sorts around the house. Photo: FAIRFAX MEDIA

Glass not only adds brilliance andbeauty to home decor, it also servesas a reliable workhorse, helping outwith lots of tasks around the home.Nothing helps turn the mundaneinto magic like glass containers andaccents.Here are some suggestions:

Glass Jars Hold Everythingin Style

If you have limited space on yourkitchen benchtops, glass jars arekey.They allow you to showcase dailystuff beautifully. A plain glass jar onmy counter holds the cats’ food.Somehow, simple glass jars makeeven kitty kibble look beautiful.I also use glass containers in mybathrooms, filling apothecary jarswith cotton balls, decanters holdingmouthwash and compotes with dailygrooming items such as earbuds orsoap.

Pitchers and Glasses MakeTabletops More Picturesque

I’m of the school of thought thatdishware is artwork. In a glass-front

cabinet I fill them with anassortment of glasses and dishes,arranged simply but beautifully so Ican drink in their sparkling grace.Do you have a way to put yourglassware and glass serving piecesout for public view when they arenot in use? Try working them intodisplays in your home, like holdinggarden flowers on your mantel orvotive candles on your kitchenwindowsill.

Glass Accents Add toEveryday Decor

My favourite way to decorate withglass accent pieces is to interspersethem throughout my home, windingthem through displays. A decanterand glasses are a perfect focal pointfor a display on a coffee-tableottoman. And then there’s theapothecary jars again, ideal forstorage and decorating. If you wantsimple beauty in a display, leave thejar empty so the focus is on thecurves of the glass or let them holdnatural treasures, such as nuts, abird’s nest or autumn leaves.

SNHS