Ok, so do you remember when you were 5 years old, and the best thing in the whole world (apart from dessert – what’s changed?!?) was a fresh colouring book?  Yep? I certainly do. When presented with the clean, crisp white pages of a newly purchased (by mum of course) colouring book, there were two cardinal rules to remember;

1. Do not go outside the lines (OMG so much stress!) and 2. Try to use as much colour as possible. In other words, use every pencil in the box (or crayons, if you’re into that kind of thing).

Well, we may still be totally obsessed with dessert, but let’s face it, we are more concerned about the latest fashions than the latest Little Mermaid colouring book. But, I’m here with good news – we can still abide by the same rules…

That’s right, the new Spring/Summer trend is

COLOUR COLOUR COLOUR

..as much as possible (as long as you stay within the lines).

Tim O’Connor (who will feature his collection in the AFF Chambord Showcase) tells me it’s all about mixing fine tailoring with eclectic colours and patterns.

“The big trend is lots of colour, and mixing that with crazy prints. My collection will feature lots of colour and prints.”

Glossy magazines are splashed with a rainbow of colours on every page.  And it’s not just about injecting colour into our wardrobes, but into our makeup and nails too!

Dale Dorning (official AFF makeup artist) says “colour is everywhere!”  He says it’s all about colour blocking for the lips and eyes. Drawing on pop culture icons like Katy Perry, Dale says this season is focussed on everything bright, and lots of primary and secondary colours.

Damian from Porcelain says;

“Colour blocking is the hottest trend and we’re starting to see people develop it on the streets which is interesting to see.”

But, a word of warning lovely readers – keep it simple and don’t go overboard with your colour palette. While it seems we’re being spoilt for choice with this season, we need to think about our colour choices or we could end up resembling a creepy circus clown or an Oompa Loompa (no thankyou!)

(Here’s one I snapped in Rundle Mall…although I have to admit I do kind of love clowns!)

So..cardinal rule no. 3 – do not over-do it people!

For makeup and nails, Dale’s advice;

“Do your colour in an eyeliner, and on your toes – don’t just put it all on your face. If people want to wear yellow eye shadow, keep the gloss simple – don’t over do it.”

But what colours should we be putting on your toes?? And then what on our fingers? Just two of the many quandaries in a girl’s life. I’ve got the scoop for this season..so let’s get into it, lets talk NAILPOLISH.

If you’re like me, you simply cannot pass through David Jones without a quick browse by the OPI counter, and generally come home with a few more pots of happiness (aka nailpolish) to add to your GROWING collection. The good news this season – the sky is the limit when it comes to nail colour! You can go back to the days of your grade 8 social – pretty blues and yellows, and even quirky oranges. Dale recommends mostly primary and secondary colours.

“Anything goes with nails at the moment, put the ultra brights on your toes.”

Dale even reveals that Nail Art is back in this season. His only advice -

“If the polish is chipped, do it again! But we’re pretty spoilt for choice – it’s a bit like painting 101..it’s like art class!”

..so go for it my lovelies! The OPI colour palette/heaven is your oyster!

And as for your wardrobe, embrace colour this season – what better way to get rid of your winter blues?!

Want more?  I thought so. For a fresh hit of colour, head to the AFF for all the latest trends.  All the parades and events on offer this year will be your one-way ticket to see, first hand, our very own Adelaide designers as they showcase their own take on the world’s hottest trends of the season.

But now, it’s time for my busy little typing fingers to be pampered with a bright new OPI shade I think!  Bye for now.

El. xx