February through My Phone

On the last day of February I wanted to show you some of the hightlights of this month which is so special to me. All in all I had a really busy month, full of excitement and some interesting opportunities. Not to mention that a few days ago I celebrated my 25th birthday! It feels so epic :))

 

Enough with the blabber, here are some photos I took this month:

 

Birthday outfit - I decided to wear my favourite Topshop jumper which has a lovely beaded neckline. I had such a lovely day, mostly thanks to my wonderful family!

My birthday cake! Yumm!// Some of the gorgeous flowers I received on my birthday. I love spring flowers, they smell divine!

 

My latest order from Topshop: a beautifully embroidered jumper and a new leather chain wallet// The products I used for my birthday celebration makeup.

My new scarf from the Zara sales// New draped jumper from Asos and new necklace from Accessorize (ignore the tired face).



The pretty violet from my office bloomed// Some gorgeous tulips I received on Valentine's Day. 



 The salad I made for my Mum's birthday// Watching Marie Antoinette...again...for the millionth time :D

 

 

That's all guys, what have you been up to this February? Was it a good month for you?

 

Lots of love x

What's in My Bag - Winter Edition

 

Hello, girls! I always love reading What's in my bag posts so I though I might as well do one. You know I love bags...you might even say I have an obsession with them, hence when Santa bought me this Zara leather bag with zips, I couldn't be happier. It was a perfect present indeed. It is very spacious, the golden hardware is gorgeous and the shoulder strap can be very handy in case it gets to heavy. So, without further ado, here's what's in my bag!







1. Glamour magazine - I always need to have something to read in my bag, weather a book or a magazine, because I get so bored on the tube when I go to work or into town// 2. My organiser - since I managed to secure a part time job at an online magazine (besides my normal, full time job) I really need to organise my time better. I also use the organiser to write article ideas, various information or certain tasks and meetings// 3. My Blackberry - without which my life wouldn't be complete// 4. Makeup bag (it will be detailed below)// 5. Orbit drops// 6. A pair of leather gloves - during winter I always need to have a pair of gloves in my bag because, obviously, it's freezing and  my hands can become really dry and coarse if I don't take care of them// 7. My purse from Guess which I bought in the summer during my holiday in Rome// 8. Some hand wipes// 9. A little pouch - where I like to keep some Nurofen pills, some bobby pins for my hair, a small sewing kit and some band aids.

 

 

Here is the contents of my makeup bag: 1. Himalaya Lip balm - I have really sensitive lips and I constantly need to hydrate them// 2. Nivea had cream - as I said, during winter my hands can become really dry, this is why I always need to carry a moisturising hand cream in my bag// 3. Lancome Juicy Tube in Lychee// 4. Small version of Moschino's Glamour - sometimes I can be very sleepy in the morning and forget to put on some perfume; this is why I always care a small perfume version with me, so that I can apply perfume later in that day// 5. Clarins face powder - I carry this powder with my because it is very light and soft, perfect for touch ups during the day// 6. A travel size face brush// 7. Small mirror - I have this mirror for about four years. I bought it during a trip to Versailles and it has Marie Antoinette on the lid. This is by far my favourite mirror.

 

So these were the things I carry in my bag on a daily basis. I hope you liked this post and you are going to have a lovely week!

 

Lots of love x

Top 12 Beauty Products of 2012

Since 2012 is drawing to an end I thought that a post about the products I discovered and loved the most this year would be very appropriate. 2012 was a great year beauty wise because I managed to discover a lot of products which have now become some of my staples and which I will probably use for years to come.Therefore, here are my top 12 beauty products of 2012!

 

1. Urban Decay Naked Palette. This is literally the best makeup palette I have ever used. I am a huge fan of natural/ neutral looks so this palette is perfect for me. The eyeshadows have some really beautiful shades and are of great quality.

 

2. Guerlain Lingerie de Peau foundation. 2012 was the year I've found the perfect foundation for my skin. It fuses so well with  my skin tone, it is really light and it leaves a natural and soft finish.

 

3. Dior blush in Sunkissed Cinnamon.  Satin texture, peachy bronze shade, beautiful finish...what's not to love about this blush?

 

4. Benefit They're Real Mascara. I've read mixed reviews about this mascara, so I was really eager to try it. And when I did...I loved it! I didn't find it clumpy at all, it gave my lashes great volume and length while carefully separating them. I will definitely keep repurchasing it.

 

5. YSL Touch Eclait. Back in summer I gave in and bought my first Touch Eclait and I'm happy I did because I really like it. It brightens by under eye area without making it look cakey or unnatural.

 

6. Sephora lipstick in shade CO7. I love Sephora lipsticks because they have a very soft and hydrating texture. And since 2012 was a very berry coloured year I couldn't pass the opportunity of buying a lipstick in this particular shade. It has a versatile colour because you can either apply it until your lips look rather dark and intense or you can apply it with your fingers so that you will obtain the "just bitten lips" effect.

 

7. Bioderma cleanser. This is one great makeup remover, because it cleans the skin really well, it doesn't make my eyes sore and it leaves my face really revitalised and fresh.

 

8. Flora Gorgeous Gardenia by Gucci. Fragrance wise this year I've fallen in love with this sweet and subtle scent from Gucci.

 

9. Syoss hair repair mask. I love this hair mask so much. It strengthens my hair a lot and it gives it great texture and volume. I use it once a week or once every other week (depending on my mood and the state of my hair) on wet hair and leave it for only two or three minutes to do its magic.

 

10. Carmex lip balm. Because I have sensible lips, lip balms are really necessary to me; and in my opinion Carmex is the best lip balm I've ever tried. It's very hydrating and I also use it as a base for my lipstick.

 

11. Rimmel Soft Kohl eyeliner. This is the best black eyeliner out there, it doesn't smudge, it lasts the whole day and it is really intense.

 

12. Sally Hansen nail polishes. I'm really happy I've discovered this nail polish brand, because they have a great variety of beautiful shades with a good staying power (my favourite shade so far is Greige Gardens - the one in the above photo).

 

So these have been my top 12 beauty products which I loved the most this year. I hope you liked this post and you've been inspired to try new products :)

 

Lots of love x

Christmas Gift Guide

Can you believe that December is already here? I can't believe we are only a few weeks away from Christmas! And since we are all looking for the perfect Christmas gift for our dear ones, I though that I should dedicate this post entirely to Christmas gift ideas for all budgets. So sit comfortably and go through the selection of gifts I've put below because you might just find the perfect gift idea for your mum, sister or best friend!

1. Ciate Caviar Limited Edition Manicure - £18 from ASOS (but I've also seen it at Sephora). This year has been all about statement nails, so why not buy your sister or best friend a kit for the most amazing party nails?

 

2. Accessorize wallet - £17 here or at your local Accessorize store. I think that an elegant wallet makes a perfect gift. I chose this one due to its lovely blush shade and the golden bow detail.

 

 

3. Make-up palettes - What girl doesn't love make-up palettes with countless options to choose from when creating the most interesting looks?

Sephora limited edition make-up palette (around 25 Euros) - you can find this in pretty much any Sephora out there.

Sleek "Oh So Special" make-up palette (around 10 Euros). My Romanian readers can find this palette on  The Makeup Shop

Too Faced limited edition palette - £19.00 from ASOS, but you can also find it in Sephora

Stila Limited Edition Large Snowflake Eye Shadow Palette With FREE Mascara - £29.50 from ASOS

 

4. "Courtesan " from Amazon. I already did a short review of this book a few months ago, so if you saw it, you probably know how much I enjoyed reading this book. It is beautifully written and it will keep you on the edge of your sits until the last pages. And what woman doesn't enjoy a wonderful love story like the one between the famous courtesan Diane de Poitiers and Henry II of France? (for my Romanian readers, you can find this book at your local Diverta)

 



5. Love jumper - £40 from Inlovewithfashion. What other colours scream festive season than white and red. This jumper from Love is a great option to wear not only on Christmas Day or during the festive season but also in the months to come since it has such a beautiful girlie design and it's so soft and comfortable.

 

 

6. Clarins skin care kit (around 45 Euros). I think that skin care kits are a great gift for our mums and not only, because what women does not want to have perfect looking skin? Again, you can find skin care kits from a multitude of brands in your local Sephora.

 



 7. The perfect party dress - £48 pounds from Topshop. If I were to receive the perfect dress for the upcoming Christmas parties or New Year's Eve, this would be it. The design and the embroidery are wonderful and I think that this is the type of black dress you will wear for years to come.

 

 

 8. Nina Ricci perfume set (around 60 Euros). Whether you choose to buy just the perfume or an entire set, any girl would love to receive her favourite fragrance for Christmas. You can find these types of sets in every Sephora or online.

 

 

9.  Pandora bracelet - For the ones with a bigger Christmas budget, a Pandora bracelet would be an amazing gift to offer to your girlfriend or your sister. The idea behind Pandora jewellery is really interesting and the charms are all beautifully designed.

10. The perfect black bag. I literally don't know a single woman who doesn't love bags. So if your budget allows you, a classic black leather bag would be the perfect gift for those bag obsessed ladies out there. You can find this one here.

So these were my suggestions for the perfect Christmas gifts; needless to say, these are only some ideas meant to inspire you, I did not try to imply that you should buy exactly the gifts I've mention above since there are many other things you can buy for Christmas.

 

I hope you've enjoyed this post and if you have some other gift suggestions please leave them in the comments box below so I can read them and get inspired! Happy Christmas shopping everyone!



November Through My Phone

Hello loves! As November is coming to an end I decided to show you how this month has been for me by means of the pictures I managed to snap with my phone during these past weeks. November has been a great and extremely busy month for me. I just love months like this when I always have something to do because I am full of energy and I have the feeling that I am not waisting any moment of my life. It's a great feeling and I wish more months could be like this! 

 

I couldn't start the month without a trip to the countryside to visit my adorable cats. I am a major cat lover and I enjoy spending time with these two little monsters so much.

 

My favourite makeup products this month// My first Pandora bracelet which my boyfrind bought me as a present for my nameday this month

 

Getting off the plane in Brussels// Eating mussels with fries; this is a traditional dish in Belgium yum!

 

Christmas has already came in Brussels! Many of the sweet shops were beautifully decorated as seen above x



 Some of the gorgeous gowns exhibited at the Costume Museum in Brussels

 

 Delicious dishes I ate at a gorgeous restaurant in Brussels called Drug Opera; left: Cordon Bleu and right: salmon fillet with Bearnaise sauce

 

 New winter coat from Zara (ignore the dumb face). I love the golden details and the furry collar// My first Bioderma bottle; I'm really excited to try it!

 

 The December issue of British Glamour// Santa came early for me with this amazing new pair of tan boots; I don't want to take them off!

 

Leonidas chocolates, the most delicious chocolates in the world!// I wanted to buy this book written by Catherine Delors from the moment I've read Melanie's review on her blog, although I don't understand why they've given it such a cheesy title in Romanian (Love and Blood). The original title is Mistress of the Revolution and yes, the action is set on the eve of the French Revolution :D Can't wait to read it! 



 That's it for my November round up! I hope you also had a beautiful month and that the month to come will be filled with wonderful and special moments! x 

  

Guerlain "Lingerie de Peau" Foundation Review

Every year I used to switch my foundation because I wasn't pleased with any of them, whether they were from the high street or from more expensive brands. Fortunately for me, I believe I have finally found my holly grail foundation, namely Guerlain's Lingerie de Peau in the shade 03 - Beige Naturel. This is an amazing product, it feels really light on the skin, while giving it a natural and healthy finish. This foundation has a light towards medium coverage, but it is buildable, thus if you want to hide some imperfections you can apply another layer without worrying it would look like a mask. The result is a beautiful, radiant and natural looking skin.

 

I think that the foundation has such amazing results because it is build around a formula of skin-infusion, which means that this foundation blends in the texture of your skin, offering you the "second skin" effect. I really love the name they came up with - Lingerie de Peau; I think it really captures the essence of this product: as light and soft as a lingerie.

I should probably add that this foundation has SPF 20 and it can be quite hydrating, thus making it very comfortable to wear. Furthermore, it has a great staying power and it tends to keep my T-zone under control; my face can look a bit oily after a few hours of wearing make-up, but this particular foundation really reduces the sebum production and the shine effect.

However, because this is a light and transparent foundation I don't think it is suited for a skin with problems which needs more coverage. Furthermore, it is really pricey (around 45 Euros). Is it worth it then, you may ask? I would say definitely yes, because it leaves you with a perfect looking skin. But, as I said in many of my reviews, this is my personal opinion of the product and I describe how it works on me. This is why I think that the best thing to do is to ask for a sample and try it at home before purchasing it.

I hope this review has been helpful x

YSL Shocking Mascara Review

I've been using YSL's Shocking mascara for the past month and a half and I wanted to share my thoughts on it. Considering the good reviews I read before purchasing it, I really had high expectations, but unfortunately it disappointed me immensely. It's true that it gave my lashes some volume, but it was very clumpy and it made them look really heavy. Furthermore, it didn't provide any visible length and it also transferred to my lower eyelid. Also, it dried too quickly in my opinion, after less than one month and a half of use. Unfortunately, the only shocking thing about this mascara was haw badly it looked on my lashes.

 

However, I would like to stress out that this mascara might work really well on somebody else because as you know, not all products work the same on everyone. This is just my personal opinion on this particular product which can be perfect for somebody else.

 

Until now, my ultimate favourite mascara remains Diorshow Extase, but I'm currently using Benefit's They're Real and I am really pleased with it so far. Let's hope I will be just as pleased after one month of use as I am now. 

Lots of love x

Rome Haul

Hello girls, I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend! For today I decided to make a little haul post about the stuff I bought in Rome. I didn't go all crazy in the shops, but I absolutely love all the things I've bought!

A few thoughts about shopping in Rome? Well, to be honest I wasn't overly impressed. It was OK (my all time favourite shopping street continues to be Mariahilferstrasse in Vienna). Their main shopping streets are Via del Corso, Via Nazionale and Via Condotti (which is filled with designer shops). Among the high street brands there's Zara, Mango, Guess, Massimo Dutti, Bata, Promod, Levi's and H&M. But there is also a large number of Italian boutiques, some of them being a little pricey. My favourite was named Class; they have beautiful and qualitative clothes, so be sure to check out this pretty boutique if you're there.

Now on to the things I've bough...In terms of clothing I purchased only two things, a lovely studded collar blouse from Zara (finally!!) and the most perfect tan leather jacket from Class. I always wanted a leather jacket which resembled a blazer and which was fitted at the waist and I was lucky enough to find this one at a reasonable price in the sales. The quality of the leather is incredible (after all, Italian leather is famous for its quality), it fits beautifully and it has a gorgeous colour.

The next thing I've bought is a purse from Guess also in beautiful tan colour. I always wanted to own something from Guess but their prices are kind of steep for my budget, therefore when I found this beauty reduced to a reasonable price I jumped at the opportunity.

My next exciting purchase (for me at least) is Urban Decay's Naked Palette which I've been longing for quite some time, but since it is unavailable in my country and because I was reluctant to buy it from the Internet, I waited until my trip to Rome to buy it from their Sephora. It's so beautiful, the colours are gorgeous and perfect for my style.

The last things I bought, are a few YSL makeup products from the duty-free. I bought the Faux Clis Shocking Mascara, the Tough Eclat and a radiant blush. I think my favourite product is the blush because it is half matte half shimmery and it gives your skin a nice pinkish dewy finish.

The end :) Did you like anything in particular? If you want me to review any of the products of if you want more information, feel free to ask. Also, I find it unnecessary to add that I'm by no means trying to brag! It is only the pure joy of sharing my excitement with people who are interested in the same things as I am.

Take care, beauties x

Clarins face powder & Sephora present

Hello girls!

Today I want to show you my new Clarins compact face powder and a few bits and bobs. As I told you before, I'm all for a natural look, therefore I wanted a light and soft face powder which could give my skin a healthy, matte finish. I'm very pleased with this powder and I think that the description from its packaging suits it perfectly, because it really has "an ultra light texture which melts into the skin for a natural, velvety finish" and it "evens the complexion in a subtle, soft veil". So much poetry :)) To make things simpler, these are the words that describe it best: light, natural, soft, comfort and subtle. So if you are searching for a powder which can give you all of these, here it is!  It comes in three shades and I have no 30 Beige sable/ Sandy beige.

Next, I wanted to show you the little present I received from Sephora and Givenchy. Because I recently purchased some products from Givenchy, they offered me (and many other customers of course) a free make-up bag, some brushes (except the face brush the rest of them are really tiny and kinda useless) and an anti-wrinkle cream sample (which I'm gonna give to my mum).

I really like the make-up bag; it was perfect timing because I was actually searching for a new one.

And last but not least I wanted to tell you that My New Look order arrived yesterday and the cardigan looks great! It has a gorgeous lively colour that will make any outfit stand out. I must say I expected it to be shorter, but I like it nevertheless. Here is a sneak peek...the rest in a future outfit post :D

That's all lovelies!

Until next time, lots of kisses!

New Cosmetics: Chanel Vitalumiere & Sephora goodies

Hello lovelies!

How are you all? I'm so busy with work at the moment...so many things to do and so little time. Other than that, I've ordered a waterfall cardigan from New Look and I can't wait for it to arrive! I hope it doesn't get lost on its way :D

Anyway, today I wanted to show you the latest additions to my cosmetics collection. Fortunately my budget didn't quite suffer that much because I've got most of them as a present for my name day's anniversary a few weeks ago. So I was pretty lucky :)

Here they are:

This is my first mineral foundation. It's from Sephora and I have to say I'm really pleased with it. It has a medium coverage but it is very buildable in the same time. It offers a matte finish and it's indicated for all skin types. The foundation also has SPF15, it's oil free and it doesn't have parabens. I really recommend it because I like how matte and how picture perfect my complexion looks after applying it. The shade I have is R30 (moyen/ medium).

Next up: Chanel Vitalumiere. I wanted this foundation for such a long time and I've got it as a present. It is very light, you barely feel it on your skin, it has medium coverage but is is also buildable if you want a thicker coverage. I personally like lighter foundations because I'm a fan of the natural look and I'm very happy when I find products that offer me a healthy natural glow. And this is what this foundation offers me. It is very moisturising and soft and it has SPF15. The shade I have is nr. 30 Cendre. However, during the day it may look a bit oily around your T zone, and you might need a powder to mattify this region. But overall, I'm pleased with it because it does everything it says.

Last but not least, I wanted to show you these 2 eye shadows.The first one is from Sephora (shade peach beige nr. 13) and the second one is from Too Faced (shade Glamazon). I'm a big fan of neutral/ pastel eye shadows and in the days when I don't feel like wearing too much make-up I apply one of these eye shadows, then some eyeliner and mascara and I'm ready to go :)

That's it guys! I hope you liked these products and in case you were thinking about buying one of them (or all :D), I hope I've managed to help you make up your mind (even a bit) :P

Have an awesome weekend!