♣ Halloweenspiration

Boo! Because tonight it's Halloween, here some inspiration... I'll post you a photo of my costume soon.

from left to right, top till bottom:

Baroque leggings - Luulla // Black Swan - film still // Cabaret guy // Photograph - Sally Mann // Moonrise Kingdom - film still // smoky lips // A Clockwork Orange - film still // black laces

from left to right, top till bottom:

Black cat - Pinterest // Swarovski gas mask // Edward Scissorhands // black goldfish // Eyelashes // Pug with icecream // The Trial - film still // Entr'acte - film still

What's your plan for Halloween?

 A Clockwork Orange - Alex' beauty secret!

A few days ago I posted that I was looking for a new mascara... Find out which one I bought.

TA-DAAH!

Scandaleyes from Rimmel

Highly recommended by A Clockwork Orange brat and nitwit Alex!

"Adding that extra touch to my eyelash. I never looked more scary. This is a keeper!" - Alex

(Sneak peek at my Halloween costume. Kind of crappy make-up, but it's just a test... More soon!)

♣ Things I don't like...

Socks in sandals

Something my mind can't grasp...

Photos: Nike socks // laced socks // yellow socks // black socks //  beige socks

UGG

Or should I say UGGly? They look nice and comfy for a cosy evening at home, but not for walking the streets. I prefer my comfy snowboots for that. :-)

What I do like is their accessories and the summer collection was also nice, but to this bear claw I still say no.

Earmuffs from UGG Australia

Crocs

Oh no, another Australian brand. I hope it's just a coincidence...

These shoes were actually a hype for some time. I still can't get my mind around that... Seriously, have you actually had a good look at 'the thing'? It's hideous! Luckily for the brand, they realised that in time (when they were facing bankruptcy) and decided to expand their shoes collection. When you've a look at their shop now you can actually find some nice shoes, but they still haven't abandoned this monster...

What I do like is their waterproof flats. Like this blue flat with funny pattern.

I saved the best for last...

Adidas poodle sneakers

Photo: Highsnobiety.com

In case you don't like these they also come with panda, bear or monkey heads. ;-)

Anyways, it's kind of what fashion is about. Not taking yourself and life so seriously, a little bit of self-mockery now and than, and of course you want to get noticed...

I'm sure I forgot a whole lot of fashion horrors, any ideas?

 I desperately need a new mascara...

A few days ago I was talking about my daily beauty rituals. Actually, my Bourjois mascara is almost finished, so time to go looking for a new one. Honestly, I'm really satisfied, so I could simply by the same brand. But everyone likes a change from time to time. Anyways, I'm really curious about the Miss Manga mascara from l'Oréal Paris. The ad is adorable, but what about the product quality? Should I go for it?

Mangafy yourself :: Manga panda

Miss Manga mega volume mascara

I also like this mascara review from Beautylab. Their favourite is Scandaleyes from Rimmel.

♣ New in! - H&M black suede ankle booties

Ok, my spendings were exuberant lately. I've bought a new green parka, with faux-fur hoodie at New Look, a Desigual bag, a H&M leather handbag and finally I decided to buy these beauties. Now I've to put my shopping sprees on hold. Time to save some money!

I already spotted them a while ago, but I gave myself some time to think before buying them. Anyway I couldn't find a better (and cheaper) alternative, so I decided to go for it. I love the little fringes at the side! :-)

 Daily make-up & beauty

I figured that I haven't revealed a lot of my beauty rituals so far. I think this is mainly due to the fact that I'm not really much of a flamboyant make-up person. I tend to keep it simple. Anyway, there are some basics I simply can't go without.

I start the day with a freshly washed face. A facial wash or scrub is a must to wake up in the morning! At the moment I'm using the Acne Stress Control facial scrub from Neutrogena. Another one I like is the facial wash gel of Louis Widmer. I try to change the products I use regularly and I'm always looking for new things to try out. For a day cream I also like to change regularly. At the moment I'm using the Porefessional from Benefit cosmetics. I really like the texture and it's a good base to put make-up after. Another one of my favourites is the Oil of Olaz day cream. I just love the smell! For the moment I'm also watching out for a day cream to protect my skin from tiny lines and wrinkles showing up. I'm willing to spend a bit more on this cream, but I haven't made up my mind yet. I'll keep you posted about that.

After a freshly washed face...

Time to put the make-up that'll get me through the day! ;-) Firstly, when I've some upcoming spots I put the Anti-spot roll-on from Garnier (photo: the blue one at the top). It covers the spot with a transparent cream. After I put a concealer from Kiko.

Source

For my eyes I keep it simple, just like the rest. ;-) I just put a thin line under my eyes to get a brighter look. I use the Khol & Contour eye pencil from Bourjois (photo: on the left). Big fan! :-) For my eyelashes I firstly use a curler and than finish with the Full volume mascara from Bourjois (photo: on the left), again. My eyebrows are brightened up by a light brown eyebrow pencil (photo: under the Garnier roll-on) I got at H&M.

Finally, I can't go without some lip balm or even some lip-gloss from time to time. The ones on the photo (right) are from O'Neill and Nivea. I like to try out different ones with different tastes, but I also like a simple Labello. ;-)

On the photo you can also see that I use some beauty tools from Elite Professional, I found them at the supermarket.

So far my daily beauty rituals. As you see I don't usually put foundation as I still believe that the best make-up is a healthy skin (cliché, cliché). I try to take care of my skin by cleaning it daily, eating healthy and drinking enough water, and from time to time green tea.

What are your beauty rituals?

Ciao, ciao! x.

✈ Mi querido Cuba

In summer I went to Cuba for one month. My first stop was the Cuban capital, la Habana! Here some impressions of my first days there. After Havana we took a national flight to Santiago de Cuba.

Cuban kitsch in a Bed & Breakfast (casa particular) in Havana

Callejon de Hamel

Rumba

Malecon (seaside)

Ciao for now. x.

♣ New in - Desigual Cirque du soleil bag

I scored this Desigual bag after a day of outlet shopping in Roermond (Netherlands)

✈ Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis

The Opal coast in the north of France is the perfect weekend getaway in autumn. Beautiful landscapes, romantic routes and magnificent meadows. Inhale the healthy sea breeze and relax after a tough week at work.

Cap sur les caps

On bright days you can see the white cliffs of Dover from both capes.

Cap Blanc Nez

Cap Gris Nez

Boulogne-sur-mer

Have a moules frites or a dish with the maroilles cheese, some typical dishes from this region. When you're at Boulogne-sur-mer it's also worth visiting the Nausicaa aquarium near the seaside.

♣ Carnet de mode - A little bit of Paris online...

One of my favourite cities is - cliché, cliché - the city of 1000 lights, the city of love, of artists, philosophers... Paris! I was there two weekends ago (I should definitely write a blog entry about that) and I miss it already. On the website Carnet de mode you can find a little bit of Paris online. Ok, it cannot replace an afternoon shopping in Le Marais or Montmartre, but on the website you can find some original pieces by promising designers. Carnet de mode is a platform for creativity, where you can easily loose track of time on a lazy afternoon. Here some pieces I spotted on the the website.

1. Romantic silk dress by Emilie Renard // 2. Envelope case for Macbook by Harlex // 3. Golden triangle earrings by Oh La La! // 4. Faux-fur collar by Jeanne Lefrançois // 5. Bird necklace by Bourgeois Bohéme // 6. Arrow bracelet by Laure Mory Bijoux

✈ TGIF! - Summer reminiscense :: Firenze

Beginning of summer I went to Firenze. Here you can discover some of the pictures I took...

Strolling around Firenze...

Uffizi

Ponte Vecchio

Boboli gardens