msveve

Goodbye Old Friends

2014-04-14T12:30:00.001+02:00

and bid this ol'blog adieu. I've had fun here and it has been a long journey. But I've come to the end of it here. However, I will be going through this blog and reviving my favorite posts (as I have already done so with one of the most visited posts yesterday) over on my new blog. That way, everything that I love will be all in one place.Yeay! See you there.

Very Veronique

2014-04-13T00:33:00.001+02:00

I finally bit the bullet and I did it, I changed my domain, made a new blog. So that means I will no longer be blogging here but from now on I will be blogging over at

http://veryveronique.com/

The first post is up although it is just an introduction. However, I plan on writing another one asap so please stop by and check out the new blog. If you like what you have seen here on msveve you'll definitely like what's on Very Veronique. It's basically the same but just focusing on the fun and happy.

UPDATE: already 4 posts! Please visit Very Veronique to make Veronique Very happy.

Chchchchanges

2014-04-08T17:42:00.001+02:00

The more I think about this blog, the more I want to change it. Actually, there are a few things that I want/need to change. The first and most important is my studying habits. They are currently at an all time low and this cannot go on. But concerning the blog - I feel like it has become way less fun than it once was and it needs some more "happy" all around. Mostly, I'm no longer happy with the name. I'm currently making up various titles and waiting if something sticks and I like it for longer than 10 seconds. And also if it's still available. Which is actually the worst part. I know I wrote that I would wait until all my exams are through but I don't think I can wait that long! Anyways, enough of that, let's move on to the shoes? *Now that I've stopped stressing about the pictures and I just take selfies and don't bother with mirror photos, it has become fun once again. I think addressing the problem has also really helped as it centered me and then I was like "this is easy to fix". Once in a while I can get someone to take my photos but in the mean time, I can still save a bunch of shoes:)

Shoes saved: Topshop Mary Jane two-tone flats

Wearing: H&M trench coat, thrifted beaded dress, H&M studded bag

Worn on: Monday (7.4.2014), coffee date with a friend

Monday was such a lovely day - the sun was shining and I was feeling really good. Though I did get less done than I had planned :/ Mr. Pig really enjoyed his afternoon walk. *Oh and while thinking about changing blog domains and everything, I have changed my instagram address. The new one is http://instagram.com/veroniqueloves#.

To learn more about the shoe challenge or to take part, visit www.shoeperwoman.com. See you soon with some more shoe saves and my daily adventures! Bya.

Drugstore Makeup Collections: Essence

2014-03-06T11:35:00.001+01:00

I got a new idea for the blog yesterday. While I was waiting for my sis to go to lunch, I stopped by the drug store and bought a few things (two lipsticks - NYC and Catrice, one chubby stick - Essence and one lip gloss - Catrice) and then afterwards I thought it would be a neat idea to do a "Drugstore make-up collection" type post, organized according to the brand. Well, here it is.

I decided to start with the brand Essence because they are one of the cheapest brands but also have quite nice products. I tend to like their limited edition products the best but some of their permanent products are also worth mentioning. Below is a photo that I posted on my instagram as a teaser to this post and it shows most of the Essence products that are currently in my collection. I didn't include nail polishes as I just didn't want to have to go through them all and photograph them! Anyways, let's move on to the products that I am showing you...

To begin with, here are a few eye shadows and two eye pencils, a mascara, the chubby stick I bought yesterday (from their limited "Love Letters" edition) and one of my all-time favorite products, a fruity blush. I won't go into detail about all of the products, for instance I'm not so pleased with the eye pencils, they're okay but honestly nothing special. Neither is the mascara or the silvery eyeshadow.

Now this product is definitely something special. It's Essence's Fruity Blush Sorbet in 01 "Smoothie Operator" and I'm in love. I'm so sad that it was a limited edition as I would surely keep on buying it over and over again. It's a gorgeous blush that not only looks very natural and lovely but also smells amazing. It's one of those products that just makes you happy putting it on.

Sorry that this picture didn't turn out the best. I was trying to show you the actual blush but it photographs pretty badly as I was going for a very close close-up. But at least you get the general idea.

Next we have a super pigmented eye shadow (or well it's not really an eye shadow but just "pigment" and it's meant for the eyes and body). This was also a limited edition (I have warned you) from the Twilight saga Breaking Dawn Part 2 collection. Funny thing, I haven't seen the movie but I love this product. It's in the color #03 "A Piece of Forever". (I love it when make-up products don't only have a number but also a fun name to them. It just makes using the products so much more fun.) The product itself is basically like little tiny pieces of gold glitter. Very fun and I love gold for the eyes so I love it. It also lasts ages.

Next is Essence's Smokey Eye Set in #04 "Show off". The colors are both grey - one is a mat dark grey and the other is with some shimmer. I haven't really used this product that much but I think I'll be giving it a try this week in honor of this post.

As this product started it all, I want to give it some more mention. This is Essence's Jumbo Sheer Stick in #02 "Dear Peach!" (they had two choices and I think it was the name that made me buy this one though I am thinking of getting the other one as well the next time I go drug store shopping. But then again this is a limited edition so I should definitely hurry!) The color is a very light peachy color and it looks very natural on. I wore it right away and I don't think it lasts that long but I was pleased enough with it to repurchase so I guess that's really the biggest test right?

Besides making decorative cosmetics, Essence also make some other lovely products like nail polish removers. I have trouble with removing nail polish and a lot of nail polish removers just don't "do it" for me. I must say that the two nail polish removers shown below have been very effective and I'm very pleased with them both. The one on the left also smells quite nice (which is a welcome change for nail polish removers right??) and the one on the right has these flakes of glitter and so honestly, I just love them both. As for the pocket beauty stop shine oil control papers - well I don't really use these as I don't get oily at all but I just wanted to show you the range of products that Essence has available. They also have a huge selection of nail polish and nail products.

I couldn't not mention this product as again it is a favorite (wow so many favorites from a cheapo brand!) and it's Essence Glitter Eye Gel in #04 "Show Time". It's really just what it says - a glitter eye gel - and it works marvelously. I had a glitter eye gel from Too Faced Cosmetics and it just dried out super fast and I didn't really get to use it that much but this product - I've had it for longer and it still works. You only need to apply a little amount and it also lasts forever. You can see it "on" in one of the swatches photos below. I only used a tiny tiny dot of the product and even that really shows. (I didn't want to waste it and I think this was also a limited edition).

Now as it is absolutely obvious by now I love Essence's limited editions but as for their regular products, I'm mostly a fan of their lip product selection. Below you can see a lip gloss (XXXL shine lipgloss in #14 "Bubble Babe") - it's okay but I don't really use lip glosses that much, I'm more of a lip balm kinda girl, then another limited edition piece (sorry, I know, I know, this is getting annoying) Vampire's Love lipstain in #02 "True Love" - this thing is amazing, the color is beautiful and I'm a huge fan of lip stains in general so yeah. On the far right is Glossy Lip Balm in "Sweet Strawberry" - it's more of a lip gloss than a lip balm. It's okay just not a favorite.

Last we have the lipsticks. When I go to the drugstore I first check out Essence's limited editions and then I move on to their lipsticks. The lipsticks are very affordable and the color choices are quite nice. I'm actually surprise I have so few!

From left to right: #33 "Glam Girl", #55 "Coralize Me!", then #55 "Coralize Me!" again but surprisingly the colors are NOT the same! as you can see in the swatches, then #65 "Glow Neon Glow" - I don't really like this one, #52 "In the Nude" and I have this one twice as well and again the colors are different even though it's supposed to be the same product - this inconsistency is the only issue I have with Essence, and last is #54 "Honey Bee" which is a very shimmery lipstick, maybe even too much for my taste.

I swatched them in the same order as I listed them above. In the photo above the product that is the highest is 33 Glam Girl, then are the two 55s and you can really see a difference, one is more pigmented than the other, and last is 65 Glow Neon Glow. The photo above was taken in artificial lighting and the photo below in natural day light. The list is the same (these are the same swatches) so before it was top to bottom and now it's left to right. Oh and you can see the little tiny glitter eye gel swatch in these as well. I love that product!

Now the three "nude"lipsticks. Top to bottom and below it's left to right: 52 In the Nude, 52 In the Nude, 54 Honey Bee. The swatch above is a bit blurred, sorry, I was getting tired. Anyways, again you can see that the products that are supposed to be the same really aren't the same. I like them both so it's not really a problem but I think this is kinda weird right?? I guess you just really have to check the individual product before buying - looking at the lipstick not just the tester. Although when they were lined up next to each other the colors DID look the same. I really don't have an answer to this. I guess just risk it, plus they're really very cheap so it's not like buying a Mac lipstick and not getting the color you want. This really isn't such a big deal.

I just wanted to show you one last photo and that's of my pink Essence lipsticks and I quite like the packaging as well. I've already said I really like the quirky titles of the products and over all it's just such a nice brand. Very price friendly (I can't not stress this, the price is definitely a factor in buying these. They're really "guilt free") and very fresh and young. If I want to try out some make-up trend I'm not completely sure about I usually check out if Essence are doing it and buy it there first to see if it's worth further investing in. That way I'm not stuck with an expensive product I don't use and there's no regret. I'm not saying I go all crazy and buy everything but just once in a while I buy a few things and it just makes me happy. So thank you Essence.

Oh and this has NOT been a sponsored post or anything. I hope you enjoyed it and let me know if you liked it, what you'd like to change or any thoughts either through the comments here or by email. Next time I'm thinking of either doing the Catrice brand or Rimmel.

Lusting after and saaving shoes

2014-03-04T15:52:00.000+01:00

Guys, my life is really super hectic right now. It's like there's always something I'm supposed to be doing and then there's work and school and house work and a social life. It's madness. So it's not too surprising that I haven't been getting any outfit photos taken. I actually had a super cute outfit on on Friday night but damn it, didn't get any photos taken because it just slipped my mind and then by the time I thought about it, I was already at home and then it was too dark and too awkward to take any photos. So today's post is more of a "lusting after"/stuff I think is cute and would maybe buy if I had the money post plus two half-assed shoe saves. It was either this or nothing at all.

I really love these soaps in tin cases by Mad Beauty, sold over at asos.com. I bought the "Purrfect" one and the one where one lady is whispering to another. The good news is that they're currently on sale (for 2 pounds each), the bad news is that only the "Purrfect" one is left. Otherwise I would have totally bought the kissing one as well. The soap smells really nice and the tin is just lovely. I'm thinking of using the tins to store jewelry or something. We'll see...

These tights are amazing really. Who wouldn't want glow-in-the-dark skulls on their tights? I would have totally bought loads of these but of course by the time I came across them only sizes S were left (and I'm too tall for tiny tights) and by now they're all sold out. But I'm still lusting after them nonetheless. These are also from Asos and I wish Asos had a "notify me if they come back to stock" option because look at those adorable skulls! I need them.

I think I may have mentioned this dress before, it's Asos's Pretty Jacqaurd Bardot prom dress and I think it would be perfect for Spring. It has a lovely shape and I really like the fabric as well. I'm thinking of getting it after payday.

Last on my lusting after list is this exclusive to Asos Anna Sui Mini Mouse make-up set. It is super cute, love the carved lipstick and all of the packaging. The only thing I'm not loving is the price tag. 48 pounds? I don't think so.

That's it for my miniature wish list. I mean, in all honesty, I'm definitely lusting after a bunch more but the products above were my favorites and I wouldn't want to bore you with the not so special stuff. Let's move on to the shoe saves, shall we?

Shoes saved: H&M leopard print lace-up flats

Worn on: Friday, 28.2.2014, to work

Wearing: you can't really see anything from my outfit, which is a shame as it was quite quirky (though I must say that the outfit I wore at night was omg the best, but I didn't even get a shoe shot). H&M thick knee high socks, Bershka black skinny jeans, vintage tan leather belt, Sisley tan sweater, Zara grey jacket

Shoes saved: Zara black tiny bow ballerina flats

Worn on: Monday, 3.3.2014, to uni and then to work

Wearing: Zara pencil skirt, H&M tights, H&M collared shirt, Pull&Bear black cardigan, Topshop quilted fake leather jacket, H&M studded bag

It's dull and grey outside today and I'm off to meet a friend about a pair of shoes and I think I'd just rather stay at home but I promised. I probably won't write a post tomorrow but I'll do one on Thursday, so see you then.

Deadline!

2014-02-27T20:25:00.000+01:00

Oh no! I totally spaced on one part of my Master's degree application - I was supposed to hand in my MA thesis along with my grades list, ops - the deadline is tomorrow so I've been working away today. I've decided that my thesis topic will be fashion and literature of the Romantic period and the Victorian era. I think that could be fun. Anyways, I'm kind of bummed out that I have to wake up early and go to uni in the morning and queue to see my academic clerk and then go over to our branch's office to hand in all the documents. What a drag! I had planned on taking photos for the blog today but obviously, I was short on time so that didn't happened. Instead I'll show you a photo of what I had for lunch, because it was very tasty and also very healthy.

The Veggie salad: contains cucumber, cherry tomatoes, a mix of salads, arugula, pine nuts, balsamic and some olive oil. Basically you just wash everything and then chop it up and voila, it's done. I'm thinking of starting a cooking blog but more on that some other time. Oh I have one more recipe I want to share. I found this online and am dying to try it:

The alternative to fries:

Instructions: cut a sweet potato almost all the way through, drizzle with olive oil (or butter), add some sea salt and pepper over the top. Then bake at 220°C (425°F) for about 40 minutes. Looks pretty good right?

A special Files of new

2014-02-25T14:09:00.001+01:00

Today has been a special hectic type of day. I woke up before 6 a.m. and had gone to sleep late, trying to solve an installation problem on my new computer. Anyways, I went to see my hairdresser and am super happy with the result. My hair feels good, it looks natural (well, the color is a dead ringer for my own hair color so I guess that shouldn't be a surprise!), I won't have to color my hair so much and I got a blow out and I love blow outs.

I got home, had some lunch (potato mushroom soup, so good) and got down to business. I had to contact my school but unfortunately that didn't come to the conclusion I was hoping for. Then I contacted Microsoft support about the installation issues I had been having. The guy on the phone was HORRIBLE. Not only did he obviously NOT understand computers AT ALL but he also had an attitude problem. I think he was just pissed off that he had to be working but still, that's no excuse.

He sent me some links that were complete crap and then he said he'd call me back in two hours to give me time to go through the links. It took me about ten minutes and still my problem remained. So I went to the US website and contacted customer support via the chat and was connected to Marc, who was just divine. He connected to my computer and in no time found the problem and solved it.

So I'm very happy right now. Very tired too and should be doing school work but I need a break. By the way, I do want to mention my outfit. Sorry for the blurry photo, I was in a hurry to have lunch haha.How do you like my new hair color?

Anyways, I'm wearing my H&M pink coat, pink pashmina, H&M studded bag, F&F thick tights (it got cold again), River Island boots, pull&bear cardigan, Angel Eye London dress. I felt good in my outfit:) and even better as I was leaving after getting my hair done. Oh And I haven't forgotten about the lipstick challenge it's just that I wasn't wearing any and so I'm skipping this week and will resume the challenge next week. (I never wear make-up to the hairdresser's - just a tiny amount of foundation and some cheek stain and that's it.) Anyways, my new computer says hi! He's white and so cute that I named this post after him...

Blurry Lines

2014-02-21T18:16:00.001+01:00

My outfit today was short and sweet. I wanted to go for very vibrant colors and a big fun factor. Unfortunately I only managed this poor blurry photo. And then I was just too tired after work to retake it. Oh well, I'll do better next time...

I'll update this post later with the outfit details when I'll be on the computer but for now I'll leave you with a photo of my most recent shoe purchase: Harajuku Lovers studded bowed sandals in a gorgeous pale yellow. I so cannot wait for Spring/Summer!! Aren't these sandals super cute?

New and improved

2014-02-20T11:59:00.001+01:00

If you follow me on instagram, you would have seen the photo below with the caption saying that I have started a new cleanse diet on Monday. I want to mention it in a bit more detail here. For the past year or two I have become very sloppy with my health - I haven't been exercising at all and I have been eating horrible unhealthy food. Junk food, fast food, overeating. Yuck. Especially during my exams I eat really unhealthily. Now that a new semester has started I decided to stop eating crap. That means no sweets (only allowed sugar in my coffee 1x a day), no junk food (especially chips, I eat way too many chips), no over eating (I have rather drastically reduced my food intake). I only started on Monday but I think I can already see a little bit of results. I also went running yesterday and although I though I was going to die during the run, I did feel pretty proud of myself afterwards.

The photo above was taken on Monday as I was returning home after work. I thought since I knew I wouldn't get any shoe saves done during the work/school week, I'd at least wear a cute outfit that I could show you. (I only have a few wintery pairs of shoes left and all are with heels and I don't do heels when I'm running around hectically during the week. I also have a few wellies left haha so maybe you'll see those. Otherwise I'll be saving the remaining pairs of heels during the weekends and posting them during the week.)

Wearing: Zara Woman DIYed boots (they were knee length and awkward so I shortened them to ankle boot height), Asos green coat, H&M doggie scarf, River Island black and white dress, Zara hat, Parfois backpack, Pull & bear cardigan.

And continuing with the Lipstick Challenge I was wearing my Tony Moly Bunny Gloss Bar in #5 "Juicy Peach". You can't really see that I'm wearing anything though. I should really start taking photos in the morning!

I also wanted to mention: I have a new photo cover! It's from Asos and it's this cute monster with heart eyes and vampy teeth. It might be a tad too big but whatever, for now it'll do. Anyways, I spent a lot of time at work this week and it has been quite a change since during my exams I was working from home. But I have a new project that's only doable from the lab so I've been going there a lot.

Now I'll show you another close-up photo for the Lipstick Challenge. It's from today and sorry that I look so tired. I hadn't slept well and had this really freaky dream with spiders. A spider won't creep me out in real life, but that's if there's one. Or two. But in my dream there were lots and it was really disturbing. Let's forget about the whole thing. Back to the make-up.

I used Tony Moly Bunny Glossy Bar in "Juicy Peach" again and I added a layer of Maybelline Popsticks in 030 "Pink Lollipop". For my eyes I kept things really naked hahha with Urban Decay "Naked 2" eye shadows (I used "Foxy" all over and then just a smidge of "YDK" for some sparkle). I used the Urban Decay brush to apply the eyeshadows and I really like the brush. I also added some F&F metallics eyeshadow in "Oyster shell". For the rest of my face I used Garnier BB Cream in Light (though maybe it's a bit too dark for me in winter and I'll use it in summer when I'm "tanned") and on my cheekbones I used Dermacol blusher/bronzer color duo #4.

Have to run, it's time for lunch. (Mini pizzas might not be the healthiest to eat but I've been really good this whole week and it'll be a reward. Still no sweets for me though, boo hoo.) See you next time, xo.

Zoo Time

2014-02-10T15:00:00.000+01:00

Sorry about not posting on Friday, I was beat. I had my exam on Thursday and thanks to all who wished me good luck - I passed! Friday I went to the lab to work and then M and I had a family dinner and at night a friend came over to the flat for some wine. Saturday was SUPER BUSY: lunch at my parents' place and then we went to the Zoo.

I didn't get that many photos done because I wasn't feeling too well but the photo above is my favorite. What a looker. I didn't save any shoes during the zoo trip because I wanted comfortable walkable shoes instead of anything high and mighty. So I wore old favorites - Topshop studded ankle boots. I really liked my outfit but I think you can tell in the photos that I wasn't feeling my best. Trust me, that smile is strained.

Wearing: Topshop "Adios 2" studded ankle boots, Zara Woman jacket (new! I got it right after my exam), Topshop fake fur hat, Reserved coral dress, Bata leather gloves, Pull & Bear sweater (thank goodness I bought two of these, because they are in constant rotation), Mango bag (one of my favorites)

I knew I'd be posting these photos this week so I chose a lipstick that would be perfect for the lipstick challenge - 070 Orange Crush popsticks by Maybelline. This lippy is almost clear with just a bit of color and it's perfect for when you don't want to be wearing anything too much and it's also good as a base for other lippies. I chose it because I didn't want to wear any lipstick and this is a perfect choice for that criteria.

I don't have a close-up of my face (I told you, I wasn't feeling too well) so you'll have to settle for a product photo of the lipstick itself. I actually have two of these in my lipstick collection (two of the same color, I have more from this range) and I use it quite a lot (one of the ones I have I lost the cover so I'm really trying to use it up asap and get rid of it) just instead of lip balm.

Last but not least (and sorry for this post being so random but Friday and Saturday a lot of things were happening so this post reflects that), Friday was my name day and to celebrate I went to lunch with my sister to one of my favorite restaurants Radost FX. It's a vegetarian/vegan restaurant and we're so lucky that it's close by to where we work. They have a really big selection of foods and although they definitely aren't the cheapest, I think the food is worth it. The service is good and the waitresses are very pleasant and I'm just really a fan of this place. We both had the Fricasse menu. It's vegan and absolutely divine. Well, that's it for now, see you soon, mwah!

Snow Bunny

2014-02-03T14:01:00.001+01:00

I can't believe I forgot to post this shoe save sooner. It's from a week ago Friday, I wore this outfit to walk Mr. Pig and then I wore it to a dinner date. It was COLD. Thus the weather permitted me to wear my Moon Boots. I love these shoes!

Shoes saved: Moon Boots by Technica

Wearing: H&M coat, Topshop fake fur stole, Reserved dress, Pull& Bear black cardi, H&M old pink tights (need to buy some new ones!), for the dinner date I just swapped my pig walking bag for a different one, suitable for company:)

Just wanted to mention my make-up, I was having fun with my eyeliner and I love how it turned out! And this was before the lipstick challenge began so I'm not sure what I had on, though I think it was my favorite lippy from Etude House. Love that brand!

I'm taking a tiny break from the lipstick challenge this week, because I have my exams on Thursday and I know I'll be at home until I go to uni and I won't be saving any shoes or taking any photos. (Although I did venture out today because I had to go to the bank to pick up my new debit card. And I stopped by Iron Fist, I'll say more in my next post.) So, I have one more post lined up (a save from the weekend and my mini haul) and then that's it until Thursday! Please please please wish me luck! Oh and if you don't already, please follow me on instagram! See ya.

Snow Digging

2014-01-31T13:31:00.001+01:00

Hey guys, this will be a quick little post as I'm just taking a break from studying (it is not going well, I can't seem to concentrate). The majority of these photos are from this morning while I was out walking Dracul. He was fascinated by the snow and wanted to dig in it, but at the same time he was cold and didn't want to be outside. What can I say, it's a pig problem.

Shoes saved: F&F snow boots bought two years ago?

Wearing: Zara TRF coat, swamped tee/tunic, F&F legging style pants, pig walking bag

It's day two of the lipstick challenge so I'm still wearing my favorite, 112 "Pink Lemonade" lipstick by L'Oreal, but I added a coat of Maybelline Color sensational Popsticks in 070 "Orange Crush". You can't really tell much of a difference as the Maybelline goes on almost clear, I was just playing around with it. I used my Blink eyeliner by BarryM again (well first I tried to use Rimmel's scandalous eyes eyeliner but that didn't work at all - I usually like Rimmel products but this one is really crap).

Back to the shoes. I actually saved these a few days ago but only had one picture that I posted on my instagram and the photo wasn't even very nice, so I decided to re-save them. This way Mr. Pig got to be a guest star.

In other news, I created a new blog and it's dedicated to food and healthy cooking. I haven't posted anything yet but I'm planning to start as soon as my exams are through. I need to start eating healthier and I thought this would be the perfect way to do so. Here's yesterday's dinner as a teaser for the blog to come - cherry tomatoes, carrot, cucumber, sunflower seed bread roll and hummus. So delicious and very filling as well. I have to go now but hopefully I'll get at least one pair of shoes saved during the weekend so I'll have something to post before the big exam on Thursday. I'm already so nervous, please wish me the best of luck. See you soon, mwah.

Pink Lemonade

2014-01-30T12:41:00.000+01:00

Sometimes I get inspired by other bloggers and what they do with their blogs. I have one amazing blogger friend that I particularly envy for her superb shoe and make-up collections and she has this ongoing lipstick challenge that I've been thinking about ~~copying~~ joining for a while now. I feel that now I'm even more interested in make-up than I've ever been before, and I've been into make-up for a long time...

So what's the lipstick challenge and how does it work? Well, I'll first just sum up what the lovely Pink Haired Princess does and then I'll get to what I'll be doing (it'll be similar but a bit different). Basically, Gemma wears one lipstick every week in order to get more wear out of her collection, she posts a picture of said lipstick on the sidebar of her blog and she wears that lippy in her posts that week.

I think that's great but I'm new to beauty blogging (actually just got started this month) and I've realized today that taking detailed pictures of my face, well, it's certainly more difficult than I anticipated! Now then, how will my lipstick challenge work? I will be posting some close-ups of my face (sorry, haha) although it might not be in every post that week. And I won't be posting a picture of the lipstick on the sidebar (too lazy) and rather I'll just have a photo of the lipstick in all of the posts of that week. There's really no rules to my challenge other than wearing one lipstick per week (I can mix them up with other lippies or glosses too) and documenting it (taking close-up photos of the lipstick and of myself wearing it - there's the real challenge, ha). I'll have to think up of a system so that I don't repeat but I don't think that should be too hard. And there's no penalties or getting rid of the ones I don't use, nothing like that, this is all just about fun and getting more wear of out products and documenting it. Let's begin, shall we?

Lipstick Challenge #1: L'Oreal Pink Lemonade Sheer 112

I wanted to start with a very special lipstick for me because well, the first one ought to have some meaning right? Well, you might not believe but, this is the first lipstick I ever bought. Yup, I got it over ten years ago! I think I was about twelve or thirteen (?) and I remember buying it. I was on vacation (well a working vacation, my parents don't do holidays, workaholics to the core) in Puerto Rico and I convinced my mom to get it for me. I was so happy with it too. And I think I also got one lip gloss. Anyways, I'm not sure about the year because we went to Puerto Rico three times (at the time my parents were working on jelly fish and we went there to catch them). Anyways, I love this lipstick but sadly L'Oreal doesn't make it anymore (I've been looking for a replacement for ages but nothing comes close - although that may have to do with the memories more than with the lipstick, I'm sentimental).

What you see it all that I have left :/ so there's really very little of it now, thus I'm happy to have started this week late and that I won't have to waste the lovely product. I save it for special times. Today I'm just wearing it to start the challenge and I'm just going to the shop to buy some food, not very exciting, I know. But I've got an exam coming up and don't have time to go anywhere special... As for the rest of my make-up, I'm wearing L'Oreal Nude Magique BB cream instead of foundation, Catrice allround concealer in pink instead of blush (I have this thing that I tend to experiment with make-up and see if I can use a product more ways than intended), I'm wearing that same pink concealer as an eyeshadow base and on top a Topshop eyeshadow from a kit I bought two years ago. And that's it - I'm too lazy for mascara if I'm not going out so I just tend to skip it during the day. I really hope you enjoyed this post and let me know what you think and stop by Gemma's blogs to see what inspired me. Until next time, mwah!

Korean Love

2014-01-28T11:26:00.001+01:00

Hey guys, I know I said I wouldn't be posting much but I wanted to share this fun post with you in between my studies. I mean, Medieval literature needs a bit of lightening up. Seriously.

I'll start with a fun pair of shoes I wore not long ago. Sadly, I didn't write down when it was I wore them or where to, but these are some comfy cute shoes from Iron Fist and I love the quirky print. They're called "Glamour Guts". Anyways, I knew it wouldn't be hard to save them in the challenge since I basically wore them as soon as I bought them (always a sign the shoes were a good buy). So anyways, per tradition:

Shoes saved: Iron Fist Glamour Guys lace-up shoes

More than a shoe save post, this is really a pretty things post or a Files of New post. I've been buying some make-up (and spending a bit too much so next month I have to tone it down). I have fallen in love with Korean make-up. They have the cutest packaging and the lipsticks and lip balms also smell so good. It's literally addictive! You see that little guy in the middle? Little pink dude with the bunny ears is from Tony Moly and he is the Petite Bunny Gloss Bar. Very cute. And I love the color (more on that in a latter post!)

Next up, okay so I FINALLY got myself some Nivea Lip Butter. Ever since Kristina mentioned it on her blog, I have wanted it. It wasn't available in any stores though but luckily I found it online. I'm so happy about this product, it smells so lovely and feels really good on. I've always been a Nivea fan so it makes me very happy when they come out with a great product and I'm really pleased with this one!

Let's get back to Korea, shall we? Next I got "Nature Flower Lip Stick" from Apieu. The photo above (as most of the photos, it's from my instagram, follow me please! I like to use the A Beautiful Mess app for photo editing but honestly, I expected a bit more from it, some of the free apps available are actually a bit better and this is a paid app, I just use it because well I bought it so I better use it, right? Now, back to the lippy..) doesn't do the lippy justice. It looks SO GOOD on, you wouldn't believe. I'm planning some more make-up posts soon so you'll definitely be seeing it! As I've mentioned, it also smells delicious and the packaging is quite cute.

Now, on to my new favorite lipstick: Sweet Recipe "Dear My Jelly Lips-talk" from the Korean brand Etude House. Oh my goodness, this is one amazing lipstick! The box was super cute but then you take the lippy out and things get even cuter! Again it smells nice and the color is just the best coral ever. Perfection. I am now a huge huge huge fan of Etude House and will definitely (once I have some spare cash) be buying more products!

I bought one more product from Etude House and it was their "Oh! M' Eye Lash" (what a perfect name for a mascara). I've tried it out once so far and have been very happy with the results. I'm not much of a mascara girl (I am super lazy to take it off so I usually just go without) and taking this baby off wasn't the easiest but when I had it on, my eyelashes looked really good and I have some short stubby lashes, believe me.

I really have to run now but I wanted to show you one last photo and it's of my lipstick drawer. It's getting kinda crowded in there!

Eccentric

2014-01-24T13:24:00.001+01:00

As I've mentioned before, going back to blonde has also helped me get back to having fun with fashion. I used to wear the weirdest things haha and you know what? I've missed that. I've been going too casual with my dark hair and it's been a bit boring. But I'm back. Be prepared for some weird y'all.

Shoes saved: Carvela Stud Jelly Flat Shoes bought via Asos

Wearing: vintage rabbit fur coat DIYed into vest (hey, it's vintage), Reserved sweater, H&M studded bag, Asos mustard yellow tights, Zara leather shorts

My outfit was pretty out there but I think it was still very wearable. I have had that fur vest/coat for ages and have never really worn it out (if you don't count pig walking and I don't). I thrifted it and I loved it but it had these horrendous shoulders, yikes. I decided to cut the arms all off and make the coat into a vest and I'm glad I did because I'm sure I'd never wear the coat as it was. Anyways, I'm glad I finally wore it out and I think it goes perfectly with that sweater.

Now the shoes, I had a bit of a problem getting these shoes as they got lost in the post but Asos was great and they resent them and I'm so happy. Now, remember my ordeal with Topshop?? Not so happy with them, part of my order was MISSING and nothing is being done about it. I got an invoice for two pairs of shoes that were NOT in my parcel and I wrote Topshop right away - I mean I spent 40 pounds on these shoes so I was a bit what's going on - and it took AGES for me to get ANY reply and then the reply I got was to wait and see what will happen and if anything will happen. Whaaaat. Yesterday I got a new message asking for me to write them the order number and the item codes of the missing items (all of which I wrote in the first email I sent them - obviously!). This is SO FRUSTRATING. So I am missing two pairs of shoes that I paid for and basically I can go fuck myself. Seriously Topshop? This is how you treat online shoppers? Well, never again. I will never order anything on the Topshop website, their stores are awesome and I love the brand but online shopping? I can't recommend it!

Now with that off my chest, I can get back to my usual blogging. Saving shoes.You know, the ones that I actually have. Not the ones that I pay for and they never arrive. Okay, okay, so I'm not over it. Sue me. It pisses me off that the customer services aren't what I expected at all. But for now I'll leave it and let's talk shoes. Pretty shoes.

These Carvela flats are super cute and I love the studs although I realize that you can't really see the details in the outfit photos. That's a shame, well, at least the product shots give you some idea. The shoes are comfortable enough although they're much harder than I expected (I'm used to Melissa jelly shoes). And they kind of slide on certain surfaces but otherwise I really like them. I should get some good wear out of them come Spring/Summer but I couldn't wait that long and had to wear them now. It's snowing but we took the car so it was all good. I'm off now to get some work done, see you next week with more shoe saves and maybe some make-up reviews. Mwah.

Furry Friends

2014-01-21T12:44:00.001+01:00

So I might be a bit obsessed with cutesy stuffed animals, I admit it. I see a soft cuddly toy and I'm probably gonna want it. I mostly go for piggy toys but I love sheep too. Anyways, M and I were browsing for home stuff (need a new trash bin) and we came across this beauty:

So cute and such lovely details. I fell in love a bit, but man, she was pricey!If I'm gonna spend nearly three thousand crowns, I'm going to be buying shoes. And M wasn't too impressed.

I really did want her though but I knew it wasn't complete love at first sight, it was love but just a bit. Then I came across this guy:

OMG, a sheep dressed up as a wolf? I knew that this indeed was love. He was even more expensive than sheep girl but like twice as cute, right? You can even take his little hood off.

Yup, that's right, he went home with me. And we cuddle like all the time:)) That's my smug face btw..

I'll have a shoe post for you later but now I have to go study. Exams, brrr!

A Strange Coat and a Stranger Hat

2014-01-17T12:26:00.000+01:00

This is really more of a files of new than a shoe save post but what the heck, why not right? A few days ago I thrifted this totally warm and completely Russian vibe coat. It's from Mexx and to be honest I do feel a bit strange while wearing it but it's coat and I just need to style it differently.

Shoes saved: thrifted and DIYed leather boots (I shortened them)

Wearing: Mexx thrifted coat, Mango jeans, Promod turtleneck, H&M studded bag

I'm kinda thinking I might get rid of these shoes even though they are now officially saved.I just don't like them that much but again I think it might be due to styling and I'll give them one more shot. I wanted to share one more photo with you in this post and it's from yesterday while I was walking Mr. Pig. Do I look like those Brit soldiers that guard Buckingham Palace? :))

Wearing: Topshop fake fur hat, Zara Woman coat, Bershka cropped jeans, H&M knitted legwarmers, Zara TRF chain detail flat ankle boots

Winter Favorites

2014-01-13T12:21:00.000+01:00

Although I have loads of favorite shoes (I have loads of favorites of everything), I only have a few winter suitable favorites. Winter just isn't my season. That said, these next shoes are definitely winter favorites hands down. I love these shoes. They are comfortable enough and I think they are super stylish. I also love that they can be styled three ways (you can either fold them completely over, or fold them over leaving part up - that's how I usually wear them, or you can have them all up).

Shoes saved: Gamloong shearling detail fold-over ankle boots

Worn on: last Monday (6.1.) shopping trip*

Wearing: H&M coat, H&M studded bag, Reserved mini skirt, vintage sweater, H&M opaque tights

*bought the cutest white leather motorcycle jacket at Zara (amazing quilting detail, will show you once it's Spring, promise)

I looked through the blog but couldn't find their last year's shoe save (I didn't look too thoroughly though and yes, I do the challenge every year) but I did find the year before and the post when I bought them. Man time flies!

Below is another example of when I wore these shoes this year - I think I mentioned it, saying that I wanted to get better pictures and this photo below was all I had at the time. But anyways, it goes to show that I do wear these shoes a lot and if you check out the older posts you can see that they go equally well with jeans as they do with short skirts. I love a versatile shoe...

Remorse? Nope, This is What Needed to be Done.

2014-01-10T16:27:00.002+01:00

I'm a little sad about this shoe save because although I had saved these shoes, I have since exchanged them for something else. The thing is, somehow, these shoes just weren't me. And they weren't that comfortable. And I basically knew I would hardly ever wear them (just liike once a year in order to save them in a challenge or something like that).

So instead of them taking up space in the shoe room (and there is no space in the shoe room), with a heavy heart, I let them go. I was almost on the verge of keeping them anyways, but I already had a buyer for them and so off they went today. It's always hard for me to get rid of stuff but shoes especially. It's like they're not just things to me but more. Anyways, I hope they'll have a happier home (get worn loads) now and at least I did save them once and I can look back at these photos and be like, I once had these shoes. So without further ado, here are the photos from last weekend.

Shoes "saved": Asos Muddle Western flats

Worn on: 5th of Jan, Sunday lunch

Wearing: H&M mama coat, River Island scarf, Zara miniskirt, long sleeved top, Zara knitted vest

When I look back on these photos I'm thinking you know, those were cute shoes, but all-in-all I'm glad I let them go. And that's the thing, you can save shoes and still - or rather in the process - find out that those shoes aren't for you. I mean, I might have loads of shoes that I don't wear too often but if I love them, I'm keeping them!And that's the whole point of the challenge for me - to go through my shoes and enjoy having them. But honestly, there's no way I'm getting rid of shoes that I love.

Anyways, with that said, this basically means that I no longer have any really Western shoes! Gasp! I need some cowboy boots, seriously. But I haven't come across ones I love yet, I'll keep you posted.

I think that these just weren't Western enough. But I liked that they were black and white and not full on boots but rather ankle boots.They definitely had potential. I have one more save for you from the beginning of the week. Wore them to work, you seen these before (they're from River Island). Oh and it was a really muddy day.

Juicy Gummies

2014-01-09T21:14:00.001+01:00

First off, I no longer have this hair color. Yesterday I visited my hairdresser and after ages (4 and a half hours to be exact) we were done. I'm now way more blonde. I'm actually not that pleased with the results but that's for a different post.This post will be about last week and some shoe saving.

After half a day at work I met up with my bestie and we went shopping, well more like window shopping, as neither one of us bought anything. Then we went to my flat and she had a latte (my sis got me suuuuuuch an awesome Christmas gift) and read Elle magazine while I walked the pig and then later we had pink champagne and gossiped. Was a great night. Then M and I walked her to the bus stop and then we bought more champagne (but the store ran out of pink, boo) and these perfect fruity sour sweets called Juicy Gummies or something like that. I love them because they aren't made from gelatin but from fruit. You'd be surprised how many sweets are made from gelatin - I'm not a complete vegetarian (I eat fish and sea food and once in a while chicken) but ick, gelatin just seems so gross. Anyways, back to the shoes saved and the clothes, yeah?

Shoes saved: Asos creepers in grey

Wearing: Zara Woman winter coat, Pull & Bear overall playsuit, some top, Pull&Bear black sweater, red pashmina

I love this playsuit - it's super comfy and I think it's cute too. It can be a bit difficult to think up of what to pair it with but I think it works best with a tight top and a neutral (black) sweater. Oh and tights! I love a short shorts and opaque tights look so obviously I love a playsuit with some tights too. This post is more photo heavy than usually since I couldn't withhold these epic photos of me taking off my hair band. So much action. Plus they show off that playsuit so well. Eh, whatever.

And since I brought up the topic of food and what I eat and don't eat, well, I have to mention the dinner M and I made over the weekend. Best. Food. Ever. Introducing spinach spaghetti with Parmesan cheese and cheery tomatoes and home made pesto. Oh my goodness, it was this good! I could honestly eat this all the time.

I'm off to try to ~~study~~ ~~write an essay~~ okay okay watch project runway all stars. I'm quite excited as I have been rooting for Elena for ages and she's in the finale!! See you tomorrow with some more shoes, bye!

Brightening My Winter

2014-01-07T12:58:00.000+01:00

I thought I'd post this on Monday but I didn't manage it. Over the weekend M and I went to the movies to see the Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. I quite liked the movie though I have some minor issues with it: a) it was too long and there were a bunch of scenes that could have been left out b) all of the Hobbits films could really have been one film instead of three - or at least just two (skipping the first one) c) there really was no need for the cinema to schedule a break in between the movie, it's long but it's not that long d) I kinda sympathized with the dragon. Otherwise it was an enjoyable night and I was glad to get to save some shoes!

Shoes saved: H&M black wedges (I've had these for ages)

Wearing: Asos green coat, Zara Woman bright yellow miniskirt (a favorite), Zara TRF skull sweat shirt, Promod lace top, F&F super warm tights, H&M studded bag, Promod earrings, Asos watch

Before I get to the shoes or the outfit, I had to share these two sort of unrelated photos. Above, this completely ridiculous photo of M and I. I was taking a selfie (and you know how bad I am at that) and he photobombed me while driving. His facial expression kills me. Below, a wine I saw and am dying to try out. I mean, common, it's called FAT bastard. And it has a hippo on the cover, must be good, right? Anyone ever try it?

Back to the exciting stuff. Yeah... This was one of my favorite outfits that I worn over the past few weeks. I love the miniskirt, it has the most lovely color ever. And I love a green coat. I kept the rest of it more neutral with blacks and greys and I think the outfit really worked. I love the idea of wearing happy colors in the winter but usually I just wear black, so I was super happy with myself here.

Happy New Year!

2014-01-03T14:16:00.002+01:00

I'll start this with a belated Happy New Year! I mentioned that horror of fireworks in my last post so I won't go into it again but I will say this - I was happy when it was Wednesday and things settled down.

Wednesday was perfect - M and I had lunch with family and then headed to our favorite walking route to see our little friends. We think they're muskrats. They are the cutest ever. We fed them some apples and a carrot and some bread. They're very used to people so they weren't afraid of us at all.

On Thursday I had to go to work and so I wore my winter uniform and some warm shoes. And oh I have a new phone! So I finally have an iphone now. I got it from M for Christmas. It's pink so I love it but I'm still getting used to it. I was pretty tight with my Samsung so it's quite a change. But the camera works wonders better so I'm very happy about that!

Shoes saved in the challenge: Asos Aspen lace-up duck boots

Wearing: Zara Woman winter coat, United colors of Benetton scarf, H&M studded bag, Mango skinny jeans (need to buy a new pair - that's my mission for the winter sales, to score a new pair of jeans as my black pair is already totally ruined and this one is holding on by a thread), Reserved sweater

I like these shoes alright but I must say I was a bit (well, very) disappointed when I got them because the color was different from the product picture. As you can see in the image above, the shoe is a dark blue - basically the same color as my jeans, but in the product picture, the shoe looks black. I would have preferred if the shoe was black as it would be more versatile. However, I like them okay with these jeans so it isn't a complete tragedy. I have two more shoe saves from this week but I'll save them for next week. So that I don't overwhelm you! See you next time, bya.

Backlog

2014-01-03T13:51:00.003+01:00

Hey everyone, how was your New Years? M and I stayed home and comforted the pig, who was all crazy from the stupid fireworks. I hope one day they ban the fireworks people can buy because it honestly just makes a mess in the city and all the animals are so scared. Some of the idiots who live in my apartment complex launched their fireworks from their windows or from the parking lot and it went into other people's windows, there are no words. Anyways, besides this, I had a nice relaxing evening drinking rose champagne and watching movies. I'm sorry for not blogging, I was just too lazy. But I have managed to fit in a few shoe saves so there's at least that. I'll be posting them today so stay tuned!

Shoes saved: H&M ankle boots with shearling detail

Worn on: Monday Dec 30th

Wearing: Zara Woman coat, United colors of Benetton scarf, Zara Woman mini skirt, Reserved sweater, H&M studded bag, Promod earrings

These shoes are very comfortable because they have a super thick sole. They are the closest thing I have to hiking boots (except for my hiking boots haha). Anyways, I wore them out to do a spot of shopping and I only managed to get the following: a bottle of wine (hey, there was a pig on the bottle! A pig wearing a red jumper no less.. ), a pair of cutesy hair pins that were on super sale and my dinner (that's what's in the paper bag) - Mexican tortilla, some nachos with a spicy dip and grapefruit flavored Jarritos - the best soft drink ever!!

I haven't really gotten into the post-holidays shopping mood and that's so strange for me because every year I score some amazing things but this year I'm more bothered than ever by the crowds and I guess I'm still waiting for further sales (I'm talking to you, Zara.) I mean I still love shopping but I don't need all the stress of people frantically trying to score the best deal. Plus I kinda hate trying on clothes in the winter - you have on all those layers and that bulky winter coat and then it's hot inside the store, so you take half the stuff off only to have to put it on again = hell. That said, I think I might you look inside Zara today once again because there's this midi length skirt I've had my eye on...

Ladies Who Lunch

2013-12-30T19:41:00.000+01:00

Over the weekend I saved a very difficult pair of heels. Remember these killer heels? I had the perfect opportunity to save them as I had a lunch date, to which I was driven to and then home. But gosh, I have either really gotten unused to high heels or these shoes are really killer, because a) I could hardly walk in them to the restaurant and back to the parking space and b) my feet were killing me. But I guess I'm glad I saved them in the challenge? I mean, okay, so there really isn't a point in having shoes that are quite literally unwalkable BUT they are quite pretty and maybe once I get used to heels again... (the last time I wore really high heels was two weeks ago and those were wedges) and if the cobble stones disappear from the streets in Prague, they will be the perfect shoes haha.

Shoes saved: Gamloong lace-up ankle boots (dark green suede)

Wearing: Zara Woman coat, United colors of beneton scarf, H&M studded bag, I was also wearing my favorite sweater from Reserved and a miniskirt from H&M

As you can see in the post that I linked above, the last time (actually the only time) I wore these shoes was over a year ago. Well at least this time I didn't fall in them! That last picture I'm just really happy to be almost home.

Holiday Happiness

2013-12-28T17:10:00.001+01:00

Hey everyone, I hope you are all enjoying the holidays. My week was a bit hectic and then totally relaxing so it's all good. I haven't really been saving shoes much but I did save a pair today (which I'll post later) and I have these photos from a past save to show you today.

Shoes saved: Zara leather boots

Wearing: Zara Woman winter coat, H&M scarf, Zara miniskirt, Stradivarius long sleeved top, pig walking bag

Even Dracul likes these boots...

These are one of my all-time favorite boots but sadly they peep in some stores (?!), which is insanely irritating. I went to the Zara store to get them unblocked or whatever but they don't peep in the Zara store and they ran the boots through their magnetic thingy and they still peep in some other stores. So I only wear them when I know I won't be shopping. Like for a walk with Mr. Pig. But all-in-all I knew these boots wouldn't be hard to save in the challenge because they are ridiculously comfortable and I think they are pretty as well. Which is really what all shoes should be. (That's kinda funny since the shoes I wore out to lunch today - you can see them on my instagram - are the exact opposite = completely unwearable. I'll be posting that save on Monday.) So anyways I hope your weekend is great and I'll see you all on Monday.