Sale

 What a magical time of year.

Nothing puts me in a better mood than seeing a big neon colored sign with those four letters across it.

Unfortunately it's not all rainbows and sunshine.

Shirts, blouses and sweaters piled up on tables, racks and racks of unsorted skirts, pants, trousers, shorts and dresses.

Many people prefer to just pay full price.

Not me.

I love it.

 

No really, I do.

Sale shopping can be like treasure hunting and very addictive as I'm always sure the perfect item is just waiting to be found in the chaos.

 

 

Zara
Black jeans with faux leather trimming down the sides
€16.95

 

Loved these as soon as I saw them.

They had a white version with black trimming as well.

If they'd had my size, I would've gotten both.

The leather trimming gives just enough of an edge to make these jeans night time apropriate.

I'm thinking high heels, a silk button down and statement jewelry.

  

 

Pimkie
Red, waxed jeans with gold detailing.
 €10.-

Got these during the first week of sale.

I haven't shopped at Pimkie since I was 15 but being the bargain hunter (scrooge..?) I am,
 I couldn't possibly ignore €10.- jeans!

These are actually darker in real life, almost an ox-blood hue.

The flash of the camera makes them seem a lot lighter than the are.
I've worn these multiple times, with black ankle boots and either a black knit of a denim button down on top. 

White knit with black beaded detailing.
€15.-


My favorite item.
This is the perfect light weight knit. It's soft, stretchy  and I love the mix of smaller and bigger beads on the shoulder and sleave.
Ironically, I found it in a small, run down store with piles of dusty clothes.
 



Essence Light Reflecting Concealer

Years ago, my mother had a YSL Touche Éclat highlighter pen.
At the time, I was really just experimenting with makeup and would sometimes try to borrow (steal..?) it.
Despite my lack of makeup knowledge, I somehow knew that this was something really useful.
Nowadays there are several dupes for the YSL product at different pricepoints.

This one is  €3,99.-, which is about €25.- less than it's YSL cousin.
On first glance it seems to be  a pretty good liquid concealer, though I predict major foundation smudges on the shiny packaging.

Oh well, at least it looks nice.

If you'd like a full on review of this, let me know.

xx Ana

Product review: Nivea In shower body lotion

 

 

 Don't judge me, but I'm am really really lazy
when it comes to using bodylotion.

You step out of the shower, you're cold, you put on lotion
after which you've got to stand around waiting for it to dry so you can put on your clothes.

It's just a hassle, a hassle I really, really hate.

So what's a girl to do?  Can't just go around with flaky, dry skin.
Nothing sexy about that.

 

Enter Nivea with their In Shower Body Lotion.

I wanted to try it since the first time I saw the happy naked lady
using it in the commercial.

 

It's a smooth, creamy, white lotion you're supposed to
use after the regular body wash.
When applied to the skin, it feels like it's leaving a slightly oily residue, making it similar to using something like baby oil.
The problem with using baby oil is that it's so damned
difficult to rinse off.
Also, I personally don't like the intense sweet scent of baby oil.

This lotion leaves the familiar Nivea scent on the skin
without being too much.

It rinses off easily, leaving the skin supple, smooth,
soft and moisturised.
After using it for a few weeks I've really noticed a difference.
The state of my skin had definitely improved,
no longer dry and fragile.
 

And I didn't even have to get messy with body lotion. 

 

Best money spent this month and a definite repurchase.

Xx Ana



Disclaimer: This product was purchased by myself. All opinions are my own.

Bananas of the moment

1.
Warm & cozy sweaters in basic colours.
Easy to wear with statement jewellery.
 

2.
Bright coloured knits.
This one from Forever 21 is a bit cropped, great to wear with a button up underneath.

3.
Ebooks. I've had a tablet for almost a year. Only last week did it occur to me that I could be reading books on it.

I know. My intelligence is astounding.

4.
Picked up a gingerbread man on my trip to Germany. It seemed like a good idea to only buy one...I dont remember why and regret not buying a dozen more.

It's going to take all my self control not to eat this fellow before christmas.
I might not succeed.

5.
Mixing metals. These two rings are part of a Swarovski set. They were a gift (a long time ago) and even though there's not a single crystal left, I still love them.

6.
Metals again. I quite like simple tops and these necklaces are great to spice it up.

Xx Ana

I don't get it: Heeled Sneakers

We all have things we just dont get.
For me it’s algebra, or advanced math, or anything involving a number higher than ten.
And there’s the trend of the heeled sneaker.
If you dont know what a heeled sneaker is, be thankful and stop reading this post.
Really.
You’re better off not knowing.
You're welcome.
Just make sure to stop by for the next post.
 

Isabel Marant High Heeled Sneakers

 

 For those of us unfortunate enough to have been confronted with this schizophrenic hybrid, feel free to read on.

Like most female specimen, I have a healthy dose of obsessiveness toward shoes and a love of high heels.
I mean, what girl doens’t love a shoe that makes you taller, leaner and all together more attractive? There is no easier way to boost your confidence than stepping into those 5-inch babies and doing your sexy walk.
Over the years, the shape of high heels has changed, going from block-heels to stiletto’s and everything in between.
It doens't matter.
I buy an obscene amount of them all.
 

Aren’t heels supposed to be feminine? Elegant? Yes? Allright. Now explain to me why one would want to mix that with a bulky, sturdy sneaker?

Dont get me wrong, I like sneakers.
Wear them all the time [read: when I workout].
No seriously, sneakers are comfortable, they have a flat yet squishy sole that make your poor feet feel like they’re alive again.
So why would you take that redeeming quality and just throw it away by adding a high heel?

 Heeled sneakers are not elegant like a high heeled shoe is and they’re not comfortable like a sneaker ought to be.
It’s the unlucky child of the shoe world.
Only inheriting the worst of both parents and none of the good stuff.

And yet, I see ladies out wearing this ‘’unlucky child’’ every day. Why?

Maybe I'm missing something here. If so, please feel free to save me from my own ignorance.
Until then, I dont get it.

Xx Ana

To the Zoo

Last week we took a trip to the local zoo. Even though I've been there several times, I still love seeing the animals and walking through the fall leaves.
Winter has really set in here, and I broke out my parka for a day outside.

 

I have to admit I had a lot of trouble deciding on a winter coat this year, and I

must have visited the Zara, Asos, River Island and New Look websites a zillion times. You'd think I would have spotted this beauty right away but truth is, sometimes you have to really see and touch the clothing to realize how much you like it. With it's down lining and fur lined hood, this one won me over the second I tried it on.

 

The hardest thing about winter attire is trying not to make it look bulky. Thick warm knits and heavy outerwear can make anyone look related to the Michelin man but there are always tricks to keep a look slick without sacrificing warmth.
Black tights (I always layer 2), a black wool sweater, metalic accents and a belt to emphasize the waist are some ways I try to avoid looking bulky and frumpy during these cold days.

Also, the pictures are a little dark as it was one of those great days where the sun stays covered for the entire four hours it's even up. Yes I just love this dreary climate.

 

 

 

 

 

Coat & Belt: Zara * Skirt: H&M * Sweater: Mango * Boots: River Island * Bag: Vero Moda * Watch: Michael Kors

Xx Ana

The First

  

Welcome to my blog!

After reading other people's blogs for years, I've decided to finally start my own.

So, after picking a name and going through the steps to actually create a blog I hit my first writer's block (although blogger's block seems more appropiate).

Even though I'm excited to start blogging, the first blogpost seems awfully intimidating.

After wasting much of my time worrying (which I'm very good at), I've decided to just jump into it.

My motivation for blogging is to inspire and share my inspiration with whoever is interested in my ramblings about beautiful things. Could be clothes, food, music, interior design or simply my own weird habits and thoughts. So here are some things inspiring me right now.

What's your ''thing'' at the moment?

 

 

1. Sparkly statement necklaces held together on a silver heart-shaped mirror.
2. Empty perfume bottles given a new purpose.
3. Huge candle casting a warm light on my coffee table.

4. Leopard-print, gold-studded slippers.

5. Dark Chocolate that I seem to crave more as the days get shorter.

 

 

 

Xx, Ana