Collective Beauty & Fashion Shoplog: Lush, MAC, ZARA, Sting, H&M & more

Yup, it’s that time again: I went shopping. In The Hague to be exact. The Hague is a city near me and they have a bunch of store Leiden doesn’t have, such as Lush, Sephora and ZARA, a more extensive H&M with the Trend collection and some other bits and bobs. I go The Hague once a month to get my allergy shot and before or afterwards I usually go into town to check out the stores I can’t get to regularly. I also bought some items from the H&M website since they still have a sale going on. Needless to say, I found plenty of cool items and today I’ll be showing you everything I purchased. There are some beauty and fashion items, and I will just post these in a random order. Sit back, relax and enjoy the craziness, because I bought quite few things!

Black straw Trilby hat (H&M)

I sorted through all of my accessories the other week and actually threw out a woolen Trilby that I had lying about for ages. It was too warm for summer, not practical enough for winter. This is much more of a summer hat. It makes me want to go to festivals: lying in the grass while listening to music.

Black faux fur shawl (H&M)

This comes from the online H&M sale. I used this as a cover up for my roaring 20s party look. It’s the only reason why I bought this, but I think I’ll be able to peruse this again next winter. And if I don’t, at less than 5 euros, it’s not exactly a waste.

Silver choker necklace (H&M)

I contemplated buying this for such a long time and never did. Then it sold out everywhere and I regretted not getting it. So when I found it in The Hague and it was the last one there, I didn’t hesitate and picked it up immediately.

Lush hair mask in Jasmin & Henna Fluff-Eaze

Hair mask. Not something I have used before. I use face masks alright, but hair mask have never been part of my routine. The hairdresser did use a delicious mask on my hair when I got it cut and that asked for more. So I bought this one because it smells divine and I was curious about it. I have yet to try it and I will probably do a review when I like it.

Big comb, curlers, make up remover (Afro shop & Sephora)

The Hague is the proud owner of a very special beauty shop. It’s called the Afro & Indian Beauty Market and they sell tons of brands and products you can’t find in regular Dutch drug stores. I had heard they had all different types of curlers and since I wanted to curl my hair for the 1920s party I decided to give these a try. My favorite (eye)make up remover is the Sephora brand one and since I was nearly out I repurchased it.

LA Girl lipliner in Currant, MAC lipstick in Impassioned (Amplified), MAC Select Moisture Cover in NW 20

A few other make up items I purchased. I needed a dark plummy colored lip pencil to go with my dark lipstick for the 1920s party. Regular drugstores didn’t carry any plums and when they did they were too light or too expensive. The LA Girl one I found at the Afro shop for less than 3 euros. I went to MAC in search of a new concealer/ foundation for summer. My Studio Sculpt concealer in NW 15 has become too light for my skin and it’s also too creamy and heavy for the warmer weather. The make up artist pulled out this one and I wore it for some time while shopping. It didn’t feel heavy, stayed on great and it didn’t make me itch so I decided to just go with it. Swatches:

Lipliner in Currant, MAC Impassioned, MAC Select Moisture Cover

The lipstick is a hot coral pink color. It’s an Amplified lipstick meaning the color is very in your face. The color is very opaque and it looked great on. I just picked this up while waiting for someone to help me and decided to swatch it. The minute I put it on I went: Wow. I will feature this in a face or look of the day some time soon I’m sure.

White Ginger Eau de Toilette (H&M)

For summer H&M has released a new body product line including some new perfumes. At only 5 euros a piece these aren’t expensive, but the scents have to be your cup of tea. Many of the H&M perfumes are sickly sweet. When I smelled this one I was pleasantly surprised. This scent has a bit of spunk to it. I’m guessing it’s the ginger.

Mint colored belt (ZARA)

Mint is my favorite color this season! I already own a few shirts in this color, have a pair of earrings in this color, so a belt is a very logical follow up.

Pot holder with print (Xenos)

How cute are these? Cupcakes, pretzels, tomatoes, cooking utensils? I just couldn’t pass these up. I needed new ones anyway as my housemate made my other ones magically disappear!

Beige/ light gray blazer (H&M)

A light colored blazer had been on my wishlist for some time. I tried on a few white ones in the past, but those just made me look dead. Then H&M had a 25% offer off of 1 item. When I saw this blazer I was a bit skeptical because of the color, but I decided that with 25% I could at least give it a try. I could always send it back if anything. Lucky me: the color is great, it is comfortable and it looks great on.

Coral crochet top (ZARA)

My other favorite color this season: coral! This a bright coral color with a crochet look to it. In the back there is a fastening with green lining, which I thought was a nice touch. It’s slightly baggy and a bit see through, but with a top underneath it will be no problem. Here’s a close up of the pattern:

Mint colored sleeveless button down (H&M)

This top is more of a pastel blue color, but I think it can still pass for mint. Apart from it having my favorite seasonal color it also taps into another love of mine: button downs! I have a bunch with long sleeves, but short sleeves, or sleeveless? Not that much. This changes that. I think this will go nice with the pastel galaxy ombre leggings I bought from River Island in Antwerp not too long ago.

Coral short sleeved button down (Sting)

Another button down, but this time with short sleeves and in coral. They also sold these in several other pastel/ on trend colors such as mint, but I thought this color looked best on me. I also had more minty items than coral ones and this evens out the score quite nicely.

Summer dresses (Zeeman)

These two dresses are identical, but of course have a different color scheme to them. The one on the top has a blue top and a floral bottom with blue and coral/ peachy colors. The other one is plain gray on top and dark blue at the bottom. I bought these at Zeeman. For those of you unfamiliar with the store: it’s a super super cheap store. These dresses only cost €4.95 each. Now that to me is a bargain!

Dark brown heels with ankle strap and block heel (H&M)

Again an H&M sale item. These had been reduced to less than half price. They are pretty high, but the sturdy block heel makes them surprisingly easy to walk in. The ankle strap is a nice touch and I love the 70s retro vibe these give off. I’m sure my mom must have owned a pair of shoes like these way back in the day.

Black skater skirt (H&M)

This last item isn’t all that interesting but I thought I’d share because I got a good deal on it. I already owned a plain black skater skirt, but I ruined it by spilling chlorine/ bleach onto it while DIYing my jeans shorts. I was bummed so I searched for a cheap skirt and they had these in the H&M sale for roughly €5. And you know what: I like these more than the ones I originally had!

That’s it! Those are the things I bought in the past couple of weeks. I got some good deals as well as some things I needed, plus of course a bunch of things I don’t necessarily need, but which I do love. It’s just one of those years where styles, cuts and colors are exactly to my liking. So I’m stocking up in case next years trends are hideous!

What trends are you loving?

Roaring 20s flapper girl look

Last night I went to my very first 1920s and 1930s inspired party ever. I have a friend who runs a living history company and she organizes parties from time to time that go back to a certain day and age. This time is was a 1920 and 1930s inspired party. I first attended a lindy hop course just to get a hold of the basics and after that there was a party with a live band. Now, knowing my friend it would be expected to come in style. So I did some research online and in my closet and found all the things I would need for making a 1920s look. Here’s what it turned out to be:

Full outfit

Fashion at the time meant bare arms & legs, a low waistline and a flowy skirt with beaded jewelry to match. Well, I think I got that down. The dress I have owned for years. I purchased it as a prom dress back when I was still a full time student. Little did I know that it was a 1920s inspired cut! The only things that are missing from my outfit in this picture are my faux fur shawl which I got from H&M for less than 5 euros (it is featured in another picture in this post though) and my Aldo clutch which I’ve had for years. Other items:

- Dress by ZARA (5- 6 years ago)

- Shoes by Bronx (again 4 -5 years ago)

- Necklace by Sixx (on sale about a year ago)

The main effort of this look however, isn’t in the clothes but in the hair and make up. The 1920s meant the first era where women were allowed to show themselves. Hence the bare arms and legs, which before were a complete no-go, were now shown and also hair and make up were a major part of a ladies’ persona for the first time ever. The bop was the favored hair style and the make up was exemplified by an thin, arched brow, dark eye looks, pale skin and small cartoon-esque drawn on mouths. Since I wanted to go as authentic as possible, I did some research on youtube, found a hair and make up tutorial which seemed doable, gave them my own twist and came up with this:

Full face look

I faux bobbed my hair and did my make up including the weird little drawn on mouth. The lipstick didn’t stay put though. One beer and it was a mess, but hey, it looked cool didn’t it? I did a trial look on Friday, without the fake lashes, just to see if my ideas would work out. This is what that looked like:

Trial hair and make up

Here I am wearing my faux fur and I think my hair worked out better too, but at the time I had been wearing it an entire day and didn’t use any hair spray so it was super frizzy! Let’s have a look at some close ups and I will tell you how I created this look.

Faux bob (blurry because I was in a hurry to get out the door)

I turned my hair into a bob using this tutorial. I just didn’t do a finger wave. Instead I used curlers (papilloten in Dutch) which I put into my wet hair to create a poodle like effect. I then sectioned my hair and did what the lady does in the video: make a pony tail with half your hair, tuck it under and pin it and pin the rest of the hair. And there you go: I went from fairly long hair to a bob in a matter of 15 – 20 minutes. It’s really easy to do and I quite like it, so perhaps I will do this some time this summer to keep my hair out of my face and neck when it’s very hot.

Eye make up. Excuse the blurriness. I took this one at midnight after coming home from the party as none of the pictures I took that afternoon had come out.

I know about the eyelash. I stuck it back on after taking this pic and it lasted all night, as you can see in the picture above.

I used the following tutorial for this make up look: click here. I did exactly what she did, but I didn’t have some of the products so I changed it up a bit. For a full list of the products I used, please see below.

The make up I used

Products used:

Eyebrows:

- MAC chromographic pencil in NC15/ NW 20 (to neutralize parts of brows)

- Benefit Instand Brow pencil in Medium to Dark (to draw on brows)

Eyes:

- MAC Painterly Paintpot as a eyeshadow base

- The Bodyshop matte white eyeshadow as highlight under brown bone

- Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero (underneath eye and smudged along top lash line)

- NYX Jumbo Pencil in Slate (base color for eyeshadow, all over lid)

- MAC Sketch eyeshadow (all over lid and to darken the crease) (Row 2, eyeshadow 3)

- MAC Blackberry eyeshadow (to blend the crease up and out into the matte white shadow) (Row 2, eyeshadow 2)

- Fake lashes: MAX (from a store called Action, these retail for 80 cents per 3 pairs)

Face:

- MAC studio sculpt concealer in NW 15

- MAC mineralized skinfinish natural in Medicum

- Sephora blush in Rose Rebelle

Lips:

- MAC Lip erase in Dim

- LA Girl lipliner in current

- NYX lipstick in Black Cherry

Nails:

- Diamond Cosmetics Cherry Tobacco:

Late night in my kitchen after a few drinks and some dancing. The hair had to be repinned a few times, but stayed put quite nicely. As you can see the lipstick got very smudged and looked horrible afterwards, but I am quite please with the rest of this look. Even though the lashes were difficult to get on at first, they worked quite nicely in the end.

I personally loved going all out with a look for a change. I don’t get to do this often. I got quite a few stares from people while on my way to the party, but I didn’t mind. I think that all in all, as a complete hair n00b and with zero knowledge on 20s make up I did quite good. All I know is that I loved doing this. What about you? Have you ever make any period looks? Which one? Or which one would you like to try out? Let me know in a comment below! Thank you for your time.

My favorite stores for shopping clothes

If you hadn’t noticed already I love to shop. I’m not an expensive shopper, which is one of the reason why I can buy quite a lot of things. If I spend more than 50 euros on a single item of clothing it’s a lot and then it better be good too. I will only spend 50 euros or more on items that I deem special enough to be worth the money. This means that it’s usually limited to dresses, the occasional blazer or cardigan and a pair of jeans. I make exceptions for shoes though, as a good pair of shoes is usually a bit more expensive. Which is why I usually end up going to the same stores and why I like getting a good deal (on sale or just in general). Over the years I have thus developed a few favorites and that is why I thought it would be fun to give you a list of my favorite places to shop for fashion. Here are my 5 favorites.

Source: weheartit.com

H&M

This blog has featured plenty of hauls from H&M. It’s easily accessible and not expensive. I have to say that H&M can be a bit hit or miss at times, especially when you order something online, but my experiences overall have been good so far. I think that most of my clothing comes from the Swedish mega company. I just love how they have good basics in the colors that are trendy that season, as well as some more trendy items that seem to be taken straight from the catwalk. You can get dressed from head to toe under 50 euros using only H&M as they also have great accessories, shoes, bags, underwear etc. And not in the least bit important: I exactly know my size so I usually know right off the bat which size I need. Biggest disadvantage: everyone and their mother wears it.

Asos

This website I usually only use for window shopping. Just to get inspiration. I don’t always find the price/ quality combination worthwhile on Asos, but they do have some great, more different items that not everyone in your town will be wearing. It is also huge. I think that if I were to spend an entire week on that website I would still not have been able to see everything that is on there. Another thing I love is how they actually have a catwalk video for all the items so you can see how the clothing moves: whether it’s stiff or flowy etc. You usually cannot see that in a picture.

ZARA

What I love about ZARA is how they are usually very quickly with translating trends from the runway into consumer fashion. If you read about a trend today, chances are ZARA is selling it tomorrow. I also like how they have a lot of more business casual clothing at affordable prices. I know that if I ever need to buy smarter clothes for a future job, all I have to do is hit up ZARA and I’ll be set and ready to go within minutes. They usually have a great selection of blazers and dressy shirts but the TRF/ Trafaluc line is definitely edgier, with more trendy pieces. The main downside with ZARA for me is that the sizes can run a bit small and sometimes a large won’t even fit.

Topshop

Topshop is not yet available in Holland, nor anywhere near it, but every time I go to London I have to have a peek. You don’t go to Topshop for basics, but for the more trendy items they sell. Especially because that is where you can get the best deals. A t-shirt at Topshop can easily cost you 25 punds, which for a t-shirt is quite expensive if you ask me. However, I bought two knits in February and both cost around 30 – 35 pounds each, which for a thick knit sweater that not everyone and their mother will wear is definitely not bad. Out of all the stores in this post I think Topshop is also the most trendy one. They seem to sell the trends before they become trends, if you know what I mean. It is not only great for clothes, but also for shoes, accessories, make up and everything else you need to put together a complete look.

Urban Outfitters

Last but not least is Urban Outfitters. This US store (which is also located in Antwerp by the way) is not for basics. It’s trendy, but slightly more edgy and rough and tough looking than Topshop. If there is one thing for sure it’s that you will not find a standard item in the store. The cuts are always slightly different, so are the colors, the textures, well everything. That is probably why it is expensive. A knit cardigan can set you back 75 euros in one go and basic looking t-shirts can cost as much as 30 – 40 euros. However, some of my most loved items (little black dress, comfiest cardigan and one of my favorite t-shirts) all come from this store. So if you’re willing to make an investment and you like slightly quirky clothing items this is the place for you. And even if you think the clothes are too expensive: have a look at their accessories, books, and quirky pop culture items that are also being sold there.

LOTD: Casual lavender

A really quick look of the day post, as I came home after a brutal train journey that lasted nearly 4 hours. It left me exhausted and with a headache so I didn’t have much energy to write a more thoughtful post. Luckily for me, I took some pictures of my look and outfit a few days ago, which enables me to put something up here. Let me know in the comments below what you think!

Let’s start with the outfit which I was wearing.

• taupe colored sheer blouse (H&M)
• denim shorts (H&M)
• taupe tights (H&M)
• light brown ankle boots (Van Haren)
• spike necklace (Topshop)

As you can see, I went with mainly taupe color. Just to break up all those neutral tones, I decided to add my denim shorts. I love those because they are so versatile and with a pair of tights they are perfect for this transitional weather we’ve been having. The blouse is a bit shorter in the front than in the back, which is why I didn’t have to tuck it in. I am wearing a nude colored tank top underneath the shirt to cover up a bit more. The boots are insanely comfortable and have a zipper at the back rather than on the side which gives it a nice touch. I am wearing my hair up because when I wear it down it looks hideous now. It needs a cut and it’s going to get one next week so stay tuned for that!

Close up of the Topshop necklace

The eyelook is very simple. Excuse the smudging but I took these pictures after a long day of work and university so by this time this make up had been on for nearly 10+ hours. I decided to go for a pop of lavender (using my new Inglot palette) to add some color to the otherwise very neutral outfit. I used the three left most shadows in the bottom row of the palette as well as the highlight.

I will try to write a more elaborate post, quite possibly one on second language learning, for tomorrow. If not, it will have to wait till next week, or maybe the week after. Next week is vacation time as it is May break and I am sensing I’m in need of a break. These past weeks were filled with open days, classes, exams, uni assignments, losing a job and finding a new one and I have noticed it has taken its toll. I’ve been feeling quite drained ever since this weekend. So it’s time I rest and focus on all the good stuff that is yet to come. Hope you don’t mind and see you all on the other side!

 

Amsterdam shoplog: Inglot, MAC, River Island, H&M etc

Yesterday I went shopping in Amsterdam. I hadn’t been there in months. The last time I was there at all was November and I last went shopping there almost 6 months ago. Since yesterday would be the last semi-decent day till who knows when I decided to head out do some shopping. It’s not a massive haul, but I think I got some pretty cool things. Here it goes!

Black patterned wallet (Sasha)

I had decided that I needed a new wallet. My old one just wasn’t very practical. For one it was humongous and secondly money kept falling out. That’s why I wanted to look for something smaller, handier. When I spotted this one at Sasha at half price I knew it would be perfect. It fits all my stuff and is only half the size of my old one, so I’m good to go for a while again.

Short silver/ gold geometrical necklace (H&M)

This season I’m loving all the short chunky necklaces that have been hitting stores. I hadn’t seen this one yet but instantly loved it. This will immediately give an edge to any outfit. I like pairing such a necklace with a clean button down: adds instant spunk!

Short black sweatpants (H&M)

Since spring is happening, my work out pants are all becoming too hot to wear as they are all full length. I do have shorts, but they are well, short. I only wear them with leggings and soon, that will also be too warm to wear in a gym or dance class. I have seen plenty of people wearing longish short sweatpants, though I had never found them. While browsing around H&M, I found these in the men’s section. That’s right: the men’s section. They hit me just above the knee and will be perfect to work out in during the warmer months.

Black & white striped leggings/ pants (River Island)

When I saw these I wasn’t sure what to think. When I put them on they were actually really cool. Like this, they also look like a regular pair of pants, while actually they are thick leggings. They look like pants on as well so I decided to run with it. I think this will look good with a black or white button down, or a brighter colored shirt. Since they’re leggings I could even pair them with a simple black skirt or shorts. Some black biker boots to top it off and it will instantly make any outfit more interesting.

White distressed t-shirt with black studded cross (New Yorker)

Another look I love are distressed t-shirts. Unfortunately I find most of them too sheer to pull it off, but this one is textured enough for it to not look like it has been eaten by mots. I was immediately drawn to it because of the big black cross. And when I saw it was studded, it was just an added bonus. It’s a loose fitting top and I actually wanted it a size smaller, but they had run out. I still bought it because I loved it too much. Boyfriend jeans, this top and black low rise Converse sneakers = perfect laid back outfit.

Sheer black/ grey/ white leopard print button down (H&M Divided)

Amsterdam has roughly 10 different H&Ms and my initial plan was to go into only one. However, I ended up visiting all of them, as I saw this shirt at the first one and decided to not get it. It looked great on, but not being sure when or where I’d wear this, I put it back. Half way through my shopping trip I started regretting that decision and went looking for the shirt everywhere. Finally, in the last H&M I knew they sold the Divided collection I found it again (it had sold out everywhere else). It’s a button down. It’s sheer. It’s got a contrast collar. It’s got leopard print. What’s not to love? (Note: I used to hate leopard print, but I think that in this grey color it looks much classier than in the traditional brownish hue).

Coconut & Mint M&Ms (Eichholtz US & UK Foods)

During my shopping spree I also found a small concession store selling mainly US, UK and Dutch delicatessen. They also sold different types of M&Ms. I had never tried these yet, so decided to pick up a bag of each. I especially liked the minty ones!

H&M nail polish in Peppermint Fusion, MAC Eyeshadow in Patina, Yves Rocher hand cream

I have yet to try H&M nail polish. I had spotted this color online, but it had unfortunately sold out. It’s a very pretty lavender color with a very subtle shimmer to it. Great for spring. At MAC, I didn’t buy that much this time. The only thing high on my wishlist was Patina eyeshadow in pan form. Last time I was there it had sold out so I decided to get it now. I was also in need of new hand cream and Yves Rocher just recently reopened a store in Amsterdam and they had a special discount on several items. This hand cream was one of them.

10 Freedom System eyeshadow palette, square (Inglot)

Now the reason why I really wanted to go to Amsterdam: to buy another Inglot eyeshadow palette filled with matte spring colors. The last time I went shopping in Amsterdam I also paid Inglot a visit and I am still in love with the 5 eyeshadow palette I created at the time. Inglot has some great matte eyeshadows and since I love matte shadows, and since they let you create your own palette, I thought it would be a great combination. There are a few shimmery colors in there (3 in total) but the rest are all matte. They are perfect for spring and together with the palette I already have it is also a great combination. I will make a separate post on the palette in a few days.

So that’s it: my Amsterdam shoplog. As you can tell, it’s not that much, but I still had a great shopping spree. I started at Inglot in the Van Baerlestraat and made my way to the railway station via PC Hooftstraat, 9 straatjes, Kalverstraat and Nieuwendijk. And can you spot the theme in the clothing items I’ve been buying lately? First I had a haul with only taupes, last week it was brights, and now it’s all black and white. I only realized that when I got home. I will try to make a lookbook/ outfit of the day type thing with some of the stuff I’ve been hauling some time soon.

Enjoy your day and leave a comment below telling me what you think of these items. Would you wear the stripy leggings? How about the leopard shirt?

Shoplog: a bit over the taupe

First of all: Happy Spring everyone! Today marks the official start of spring so yay for that! Over here the weather is getting a bit nicer and so I’m stoked on wearing all of the spring trends. One trend you surely will not have missed is the fact that this time around bright colors are the way to go for spring & summer. Personally I like combining these bright reds, pinks, greens, yellows and purples with neutral colors for a more toned down look. Color blocking is cool but not always work appropriate. So that’s why I decided to buy some more neutrals to up the anti. H&M had a nice discount the other week where your most expensive item was 25% off so I hit up their online store. Here’s what I got.

Taupe sheer button down (H&M)

If you follow this blog, then you will know that this isn’t the first button down I’ve purchased in the past couple of months. In fact it seems to be all I’m buying this past couple of seasons. The reason being is that many of these shirts now come in a baggier fit and in straight cuts which make them very wearable. Because the blouse is sheer, the color is a bit more muted than a full on taupe and is gearing more towards a nude. The color looks great on and I love how it has the breast pocket and hidden buttons down the front. Price tag: € 19.95.

Basic beige t-shirt (H&M)

This really isn’t worth mentioning, but since I was taking pictures anyway I decided to throw this in here too. It’s just a basic beige/ taupe colored t-shirt. Great for layering and combining with printed bottoms. Price: € 4.95

Taupe colored medium sized messenger bag (H&M)

The minute I spotted this bag I knew I’d have to have it. It’s slightly bigger than a purse, but smaller than a full on bag which will make it perfect for shopping or just going out for the day. It has a short handle as well as a long shoulder strap which will make it easy to carry around. Those weren’t the selling points for me though. No, it were the details that did it for me. Let’s have a look!

Rose gold clasp close up

Rose gold detailing

As you can see the details on this bag aren’t just silver, or gold, but rose gold. It’s fake of course, but I really thought that was a nice touch that makes this bag just a tad different. Original price is € 19.95, but with the discount this was € 14.95.

Skinny taupe & orange belt (H&M)

Detail of belt

I love skinny belts and I don’t have that many in neutral colors yet. I have tan, brown and black mostly and then some brights, but nothing like this. I thought this one was a fun little piece to add to my growing belt collection as I don’t have any skinny belts in a greyish/ taupe color and I think the orange adds just a pop of color to make it work with more toned down outfits. And it wasn’t expensive as it retails for € 4.95.

That concludes my short but sweet H&M shoplog. As you can see I love button downs and taupe. What have you been liking? Anything you bought? Share it in a comment.

OOTD: First hint of spring

Just a quick post today as I have been busy doing job interviews and being let go at my actual job and I’ll be heading out with a friend in a few as well. So here’s just a quick outfit and eye of the day. Here’s the outfit first:

Outfit

What I’m wearing:

• nude bell sleeve shirt with peter pan collar (Asos)
• petrol colored highwaisted chinos (VILA)
• tan brogues(Ebay)
• belt came with the pants

I just whacked on this outfit as I was still wearing my suit from a job interview I had this morning and I didn’t want to look all formal and dressy when my friend showed up. I was looking for something spring-like and something that I could still wear to work tomorrow as I’ll only be wearing this for 2 -3 hours tops. I think it turned out great, for a quick, spur of the moment outfit. Now on to the make up:

eyelook

Products used:

• MAC eyeshadows in Satin Taupe (all over lid), Shale (crease) , Mulch (outer V) & Vanilla (brow bone)
• MAC fluidline in Dark Diversion as eyeliner on top and bottom
• Maybelline the Falsies Flared Black mascara
• MAC Chromagraphic pencil in NW20
• Concealer: MAC studiosculpt in NW15
• Benefit Ooh La Lift in inner corner
• Eyebrows: MAC omega eyeshadow as brow powder & Bodyshop clear brow gel

By the time I took this picture this had been on for nearly 9 hours as I did my make up at 8 AM this morning. I threw on this combo a few weeks ago before heading out for work and loved it so much that I thought it would look nice to wear to my interview as well.

What are you wearing today?

 

Fashion Wishlist Spring 2012

Spring hasn’t even started yet, but summer fashion is already making its way into the stores. I already showed you a few fashion items that I purchased recently featuring spring trends. My favorites have to be the bright and pastel colors. I have always loved a good pop of color in my wardrobe and so I couldn’t be happier with the ongoing color blocking trend. In fact, I love it so much that I have already spotted some new items that I am contemplating on getting.

First of all I’ve been eyeballing this pair of shoes by Sacha:

These are super basic, black ankle Chelsea boots. I saw these type of shoes a lot when I was in London and I think you can never have enough basic black boots. The only basic pair of black boots I have, are more of a cowboy/ Western inspired look. This is clean and simple and would fit multiple occasions. These retail for roughly 70 euros.

When I said I loved color I wasn´t kidding right? I already purchased a pair of bright green pants when I was in London, but another item on my wishlist is a pair of bright blue pants. I found these babies on the H&M website and at only 10 euros I think it’s a steal.

Another bright pop of color. I don’t know about you, but this dress shows up like a bright neon red color on my screen, but I already saw this baby hanging in store and it is in fact a bright orange color. Orange and lace. Pretty daring combo if you’d ask me, but I am curious to see if I could pull it off. This dress is available at Mango and the price tag is 55 euros.

So these are 3 items I definitely want to check out in stores the next couple of weeks. I am trying to save it, so I can give myself a bit of a treat when and if I know more about my contract. I should know more next week and if my contract falls through, I now have not one, but two job interviews lined up for next week as well. That is why I shortly hope to be able to celebrate something: whether it’s a new job or a permanent contract!

What is on your fashion wish list?

Handy fashion tips

You know how fashion is usually geared towards looking pretty? Well that’s not what I want to talk about today. No I want to share with you my handy fashion tips. In other words: my personal tips & tricks that are practical rather than esthetic. Want to know how you can prevent pantyhoses from ripping and sliding down your bum (amongst other things)? Then keep on reading!

Source: weheartit.com

1. Don’t you just hate it when your pantyhoses or leggings are sliding down as you wear them throughout the day? Well I do too. Solution: just wear a pair of matching undies OVER it. It not only prevents your tights from sliding down your butt, but it also ensures no one can have a look at your actual undies when your tights are very sheer. Win-win situation!
2. Another pantyhose related tip is to wear socks over your pantyhoses when you wear boots. I have ruined many pantyhoses because I wore them in boots or because I walked around in them around the house. Adding socks over it will prevent your pantyhoses from ripping and they’ll still be suitable to wear with those cute pumps you own.
3. I also like to prevent my tights from forming fluff from rubbing against the inside of my boots. I have plenty of calf high boots and they always seem to have some form of stitching that again ruins your pantyhoses. What I did is take a piece of band aid and stick it over the stitching.
4. Buy inlays for your heeled shoes. I have a bunch of heels that I have owned for quite some time now and they are all worn in and thus super comfy. However, by now my foot is able to slide down just enough that my heel actually pops out when I walk. I just stuck on these inlays that go in the back of the shoe and ta-dah: your old shoes feel as good as new.
5. Shorts that are too big or too small. Do you own shorts that suddenly don’t fit you anymore? Here’s what you can do about this: add an extra button or simply take off the button and attach it at a more convenient spot. I own a pair of jeans shorts that once were too tight. I just added a jeans button a little to the left of the original button so they would fit again. By now, they fit perfectly again and I just use the original button again.
6. Having sewing skills could majorly help you maintain, reuse or alter your clothes. Just a few basic skills are enough, such as stitching on buttons or mending holes. I have a black lace skirt that I once ripped while getting of my back. I just recently tried to mend the hole and they are now back to looking as good as new. I also replaced an ugly button on a pair of shorts I bought AND took in a dress and a skirt that ended up being too big.
7. Save your shoes in the original box as much as you can. This will give your shoes a proper way to be stored and they will be damaged less quickly and look nicer for a longer period of time.
8. Instead of throwing delicate items in the wash you can also try letting them air for a while (lest they are not dirty of course). This is what I do with blazers. Many blazers are dry clean only and if you’d wash them it would take ages to dry. If I’ve worn a blazer for a day, I turn them inside out, put them on a hanger and hang them in front of my open window for a day. Any nasty smells are gone and your blazer is good to go!
9. Have any old shirts or sweaters lying about that you won’t wear anymore but which look too nice to throw away? Reuse them as work out shirts, pyjama tops or as an extra warm layer for underneath your clothes on cold days.
10. Gym or work out shoes can become smelly quite quickly. The trick is to always take them out of your gym bag and make sure the top is open. This way your shoes can air. I have had my pair of dance sneakers for nearly 10 years and they still don’t smell even though I wear them multiple times a week.

There you have it! My 10 practical fashion tips to use, reuse and prevent your clothes from going bad or uncomfy. What are yours?

Youtube: favorite fashion channels

I love watching beauty videos on youtube and there are plenty of gurus that I follow and I blogged about them too. What I’ve never done is tell you about my favorite fashion and style channels to follow. I have selected only 5 of them. I follow a few more, but I may have to feature those in another post. For now I will share with you my 5 favorites.

1.) Clothesencounters

This channel has to be featured here, because that’s where my youtube style video obsession started. Originally run by best friends Jenn & Sarah, it is now just Jenn who’s making videos as Sarah got too busy with uni stuff. Nevertheless they have a very edgy style and what’s more they love mixing thrifted finds with high street items. Another thing I love about these videos is that the music selection as it’s right up my alley.

2.) The Fashion Citizen

Featuring twin sisters Melissa and Stephanie, this channel offers two styles for the price of one. Both sisters are very different in what they like. Melissa is more sophisticated chic, while Stephanie is more edgy. They also feature some cool music in their videos and are the queens of thrifting. They seem to be hitting up a different Good Will or thrift store every single week, finding the coolest items for outrageously cheap prices. Denim shorts for 1 dollar anyone?

3.) Beautycrush

This British gal has some serious sense of style. Being a graduate in fashion styling may help her, but she also has her share of beauty videos up. I only recently started viewing her channel, but I’m hooked. Again, she’s quite edgy and seems to have a very sweet personality. Me likes!

4.) Chrisellelim

Chriselle started with her friend Michelle Phan, but her own channel has been on the rise for a while now. Her style is very sophisticated and she’s all about layers and textures. I’ve only been watching her for a little while as well, but I was instantly drawn in by her use of colors and smart ideas for layering.

5.) Wendy’s Lookbook

Now if you don’t know this lady yet, you have been living under a rock. This channel is known for its fantastic editing and great locations for filming. The amount of work that’s put into these videos is amazing and that is already worth watching them. But that’s not all. Wendy has some great sense of style as well and focuses mainly on single pieces that are on trend and shows you have you can style them. Her great spirit is an added bonus!

So these are 5 of my favorite fashion gurus on youtube. What are yours? Share them in the comments below so I can maybe find a few I don’t know yet.