The wonderful Rachel Bilson

Today's post is dedicated to the lovely Rachel Bilson. To me she is one of the best dressed stars around. She always looks great, no matter if she is in heels, flats, jeans, dresses or on the red carpet. It is obvious that she is comfortable in her own clothes and likes to experiment with combinations and different fabrics. She widely known as the "Denim Queen" and most of her combinations do contain denim of some sort, whether simple jeans, or shorts or a jacket, it is always perfectly combined with the rest of the outfit.

Here is a selection for everyone to get inspired:

Images via various sources

Poetry that touched my soul

I used to care a lot for poetry and classical music back in time, but as I moved on this passion sort of just dissolved. Nowadays I only listen to Mozart (if at all) and don't even remember the last time I read a poem. However, there is one poem that I learnt my heart and will never forget. I find it so beautiful and touching that I decided to share it with you. It was written in Russian by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin and it's called Я вас любил.../I loved you once....

Я вас любил: любовь еще, быть может В душе моей угасла не совсем; Но пусть она вас больше не тревожит; Я не хочу печалить вас ничем. Я вас любил безмолвно, безнадежно, То робостью, то ревностью томим; Я вас любил так искренно, так нежно, Как дай вам бог любимой быть другим.

I loved you once: perhaps that love has yet To die down thoroughly within my soul; But let it not dismay you any longer; I have no wish to cause you any sorrow. I loved you wordlessly, without a hope, By shyness tortured, or by jealousy. I loved you with such tenderness and candor And pray God grants you to be loved that way again.

So to me this is the most beautiful poem ever written on this planet. I hope you like it just as much as I do.

The nail issue

Many of you might have seen nail varnished by Barry M. on other blogs and I, for my part, also cannot avoid it. I bought these 2 things today and I have to say I really love it.

So the first varnish is in the shade Mushroom and it has been widely successful. It looks a little bit like OPI's You don't know Jacques and there is also a similar ESSIE version available, but I thought I give this one a chance since it's only £2.99.

It is obviously the glossy version so to achieve the matte effect I used Rimmel's Matte Finish top coat and I think it looks awesome.

I admit it takes a little of getting used to since it's my first excursion into matte territory, but I will definitely be using is, especially because with that you can transform all your favourite varnishes into fashionable matte versions!

I am actually so impressed with Barry M.'s colour range that I would just buy the whole collection if I could. Check them out here.

Next knitting project(s)

So, I literally cannot wait to get home and one of the reasons is my desire to start knitting again. A week ago I was flipping through Glamour magazine and saw such beautiful knitwear that it totally inspired me! Unfortunately I cannot start just yet, because all my utensils are in Germany so I am more or less impatiently waiting until next Wednesday.

Here are my objects of desire:

I apologise because the quality of these pics is totally awful but they were taken with Photo Booth so no complaints. As you may have guessed already I decided to replicate this lovely skirt. I believe it's from Next and isn't expensive, about £35 or so, but of course it's way more fun to do it yourself and I actually believe I will manage, with my mom's and other friends' help. However, I do think that this shade is too light for me so I will be choosing something darker so that my legs won't appear as white.

The second project will be a sweater. Here the story is a little bit different, since it costs around £1.500 so I am eternally grateful that I do know how to knit.

Isn't this the most beautiful jumper you have ever seen? The melange yarn gives it this amazing metallic effect and I will definitely buy something similar but probably in a more bronzy colour.

Homage to Primark

In the last 2 days I have been paying Primark a few visits, since I will be moving away from the UK next week, and although there are also Primarks in Germany now I actually trust the English ones more.

Anyways, I bought these boots. I was looking for this type of boots for a while, although the actual target are proper Doc Martens, but I decided not to spend money on it just now, so this model has to do. And actually I am quite pleased. I have been walking around in them for 2 days now and they are really comfy and actually relatively warm. I am still debating styling options since they normally wouldn't necessarily be my style and I normally prefer classic chic with a twist, but I am sure I will figure out something I'll be happy with. But so far, I'd wear them with pleated skirts and delicate tops in order to break the style a bit and to get away from this biker-ish feel.

Of course the next purchase is a lace body and who can do without one this season. I have been looking for a while for the perfect one for me, and after checking out Topshop and all the other usual suspects, I ended up in Primark's lingerie/underwear department because my mom asked me for something and there I've seen it. Sheer perfection on a hanger! I tried it on and instantly fell in love. I will be wearing it for one of my birthday dinners and I really cannot wait. There are different ways to pull off this look, probably starting with high waste shorts or skirts (possibly leather) and preferably flats to skinny jeans, heels and oversized blazer, which is exactly what I'll be wearing. Photos will follow.

Update:

Tonight I was actually dreaming about Primark and the clothes that I didn't buy and what I could combine them with! Sooooo, in the next days I definitely have to go to Primark again and actually buy this beautiful jumper and another top. I mean if it appears in my dreams it definitely has to mean something, right? I'll post the pics of the clothes and of the complete outfits afterwards.

My evening cleansing routine

It did take me a long time to find the products that I like. In fact many many years because I probably tried every single product from the drug store before moving on to more expensive stuff. I remember using Neutrogena, Nivea, L'oreal and Garnier products for a while but never actually finished anything and everything that my mom didn't want to keep ended up in the trash mercilessly. Later on I tired the Roch Posay - Effaclar line and kind of did like it but I still wasn't too happy with it before moving on to Vichy and their Normaderm and later the Oligo 25 line.

And then one fine while I was in a shopping centre with my friend I saw a small set of Clinique's anti-blemish solutions line in our favourite perfumery. It contained a facial soap bar, toner and moisturiser. I think I paid about 10€ for it and started using it on the very same evening. It has been about 1,5 years ago and I have to say that I really am quite happy with it.

So the first product I use is the soap bar. I really do love it because it is huge and lasts literally forever. After using it the face feels really clean and smooth. It removes make-up and eye make-up very well. After I finish my current bar, I will try the cleansing foam, so if anyone is unsure about whether or not they like the bar, there is a solution to it.

Next in line is the 7 day scrub, which isn't part of the line and I only included it into my routine about 2 months ago, but since I got a smaller tube as a gift from Clinique I have been using it every day and I have to say I find it amazing. After using it the face feels soft and absolutely smooth and I really did try quite a few scrubs bit this one is definitely best for me.

After the scrub I use this toner because it is quite gentle. I also have the matching Clinique toner, but I do find it a bit too strong for me and this one is alcohol free and also contains vitamins that our skin needs.

I normally finish everything with the moisturiser, which I absolutely LOVE. I believe it's oil free but it still moisturises and nourishes really well and moreover, is absorbed by the skin really quickly without any shine and can be used as foundation base in case you don't use a primer.

The last thing I want to talk about is this cleansing mask. I bought it in summer and use it about once a week. It is a clay-based, oil-control, clarifying mask and I do like it a lot. It works really well with the rest of the line, is easy to use and you only need 5 minutes until it's dry and you can wash it off.

I hope you might find this useful and I have to admit that I really love it to see what other people use.

Flawless Finish Bare Perfection Makeup

Admittedly I probably would not have bought this foundation for myself but since I actually got it as a present, I decided I will give it a try especially since my MAC one is almost empty and I was looking for a new one anyway. So here it is:

Since I have quite light skin the shade is actually perfect for me. It is called warm sunbeige and first I though that it sounds too dark, however it is exactly right for me. It is also supposed to be for dry skin, and my skin is kind of dry but then gets a little oily during the day on my forehead, so I was a little sceptical, but my skin actually stays matte the whole day. However, I have to add here that I actually do use finishing powder so this might have something to do with it. I do have to say though that it does give me a flawless finish, just as the name promises so I am actually quite pleased with the results. It is easy to apply, but I have been using my fingers so far, because my brush is in Germany so I will try it in a week's time and comment on that.

The perfect love affair

Yesterday I randomly walked into H&M and I have to admit a rather habitual behaviour which comes along with living within 5 minutes walking distance from Westfield, and was actually looking to buy a skirt in a different colour from the one I already have. Of course I ended up buying something completely different but I couldn't really help myself either. Since it is one of my favourite things to read fashion magazines and actually experiment with styling and newest trends I ended up picking up this beautiful top:

I guess it is the romantic version of the Big Girl's blouse. I particularly like the front There are so many ways to wear and style it that I'm already excited for warmer days to come! These blouses look great with any type of skinny jeans and fashionable ankle boots or in case you want to take it up a notch you can wear them with leather leggings or trousers.

My next purchase is a (faux) leather dress. I wasn't too sure about it but once I tried it on I absolutely HAD to have it. I am still working on the best styling for it, so suggestion here are appreciated. I am thinking though nothing too extravagant in order to not to distract from the actual dress, but definitely some colour like maybe a bright bag. (It isn't as wrinkly on a real person.)

In retrospect after thinking a little about how to style it and looking on the internet, a few good ideas can be found here or here (I find her idea absolutely stunning and it's actually the very same dress). I have to say that I was also thinking about that since I have these really fabulous high socks I really want to wear. I have to admit that I bough them the second after watching the first Sex and the City movie, while I was living in Madrid.

Wish list

My birthday and also New Year are coming up soon, so of course I put some thought into it and came up with a few things I really really want.

1. The Bare Escentuals Angled Face Brush

I really really do want this brush because I'm dying to start contouring my face. I have been looking at different brands and prices, and before finding this brush I was actually tending towards the MAC angled face brush, however this one is cheaper and also got great reviews. I watched a few videos online and actually learnt how to do it using bronzing powder but obviously I need the right brush for the application. Before that, although I did buy bronzer a long time ago, I was very reluctant to use it since it always kind of looked dirty on me and I had no idea where to actually apply it. However, now, that I know, I want the right brush for it! So this one costs £15.30, the delivery is free and you can get it here.

2. REVLON SUPER LUSTROUS LIPGLOSS

I saw this lipgloss in boots today, however didn't buy it just yet. The shade I am dying to have is "Peach Petal". It is sort of milky with a hint of pink, so exactly what I like. Normally most nude lipsticks or glosses have a beige undertone but since I prefer pink, it is really hard for me to find. I bought my very favourite lipgloss in milky-pink many years ago by Agnes B. but unfortunately it is not part of their permanent collection, thus it has been a chase for a long time.

3. Helena Rubinstein LASH QUEEN FELINE BLACKS

As I think mentioned in another post, this is the best mascara in the world, or at least it is for me. I naturally have very long lashes so most mascaras do work for me, but this one perfectly separates, curls and defines my lashes perfectly and actually gives me a false lash effect. And since mine is coming to an end, I definitely need to replace mine.

4. Artdeco Eye Shadow Matt

I think I was actually mentioning at some point that I don't particularly like sparkly or shimmery eye shadows, so for my planned smoky eyes look I found these two matte shades by Artdeco. They have a huge variety of different shadows and they all come separately. Artdeco also sells magnet boxes, that come in different sizes, depending on how many shadows you need it for.

5. Treasure yourself by Miranda Kerr

So Miranda Kerr has written a book, called Treasure yourself. It is basically about loving yourself and full of positive affirmations to improve everyone's self esteem.

Here is what Waterstones writes:

"Supermodel Miranda Kerr first book is an incredible collection of thoughts, memories and lessons that will put you on the path to self-improvement. Written for a new audience of young adults, this book has important lessons on self-confidence, inner beauty and acceptance that will resonate throughout their life journey. This title uses some of the classic wisdom that has inspired Miranda to achieve, including many thoughts from bestselling self-help authors including Louise L. Hay, Deepak Chopra and Wayne W. Dyer."

Eat Pray Love

So I watched this absolutely amazing movie and I completely fell in love with it. It is called "Eat Pray Love" staring Julia Roberts, which is the film adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's correspondent novel. It is about a woman who gets divorced and then decides to go on a trip in order to find herself. And to me it is just amazing to see someone find the courage to make all these decisions and just do it and definitely something I aspire for myself.

It is strange but somehow it seems that sometimes we choose to read books or watch the right movies at the exact right time in out lives when we need answers or advise, so that we can learn and prosper. So that we have guidance and are not afraid of change. I have to say that every time I seem to be lost I end up reading one of Paulo Coelho's books because it seems to answer all my questions and help me eliminate my doubts.

But to get back to the actual movie, I can just say that everyone should watch it and it definitely made me want to read the books to see what will happen next! And it definitely reminds me to pay attention to details because normally it feels like I walk around blind-sided, without caring for anything. Today however, I decided to take a closer look at the squirrels who live in a huge tree outside my bedroom window and saw how they are playing and chasing each other, jumping over fences and climbing up and down and there was so much beauty in this sight. And after I dispersed some walnuts outside I was watching how one of the squirrels chased away a hungry pigeon, which was hilarious and on a normal day I never would have noticed it to begin with!

New little wonder!

So I was flipping through Glamour magazine recently and checked out their "10 best beauty wonders" list and found this new little product by Lee Stafford. It is a hair mask that helps hair grow by strengthening and fertilising the roots, so that they can anchor better in the scalp and stop falling out.

I have been using it for a few times now and so far I am very happy with it. It has a rather intense smell but it's nice and since my shampoo and conditioner don't smell strongly, it is definitely working for me. You use it between the shampoo and the conditioner and leave it on for 5 minutes, so very simple and you can do other things while waiting.

I actually randomly bought one of his products a few years back, when I was regularly straightening my hair. It was a pink bottle from the Poker Straight Series which protects the hair from heat and weather. It has the same smell as the mask and it actually works. Since I have wavy hair and grew up in rainy Germany it made my straightened hair curl up and frizzy so that I had to fix it up every day. But after I used this spray I could actually get wet and my hair would still remain straight!

So overall the products are great, and almost everything exists in a miniature version so very practical for travelling. The only negative thing that I actually have to say is that I wish they had more diverse ranges to choose from.

Birthday Preparations

So, since my 25th birthday is coming veeeeery very soon and I do consider it an important date, I have started with the preparations, i.e. dress, make-up, hair and so on.

Here are my choices so far:

I already went ahead and bought this dress for myself, and I have to say that I find it absolutely spectacular. It is from H&M and I am totally in love with it. But I also have to say, that I really had troubles finding a dress there this year, that would fit me. Normally not an issue or rather dresses are too big on me but this year it's been tough. Apparently women who wear a size 6 are not supposed to have a bust, so my problem was that I just couldn't zip the dresses and it was frustrating since I really liked them. So I had to switch to a size 8 and still some of them wouldn't fit. This one is a little tight, since the top is made as a corsage but overall it's gorgeous.

Now let's talk make up. Of course I want a flawless look so I will be using the L'Oreal Primer, then my Mineralise Foundation by MAC, concealer by Mac, rouge by Mac highlighter by Artdeco and finally the Transparent Finishing Powder by Mac I wrote about earlier. Further I decided that for this kind of dress I will need a dramatic look, so smoky eyes are the only viable option here! :)

Since I want the eye make up to last the whole evening without smudging, because for me there is nothing worse than dark eye shadow that starts coming off, I bought myself this eye primer and after running a few tests I am sure that it will last all night long. It is a totally great product, which is easy to apply and once on the eyelid completely undetectable, so it doesn't alter the colour of the shadow.

I also already bought eye shadow for the look, but now I am not so sure that I'll be using it.

It has the right colours, but when I bought it I didn't quite expect it to be as sparkly as it is and I prefer matte looks. And as it turns out it is really a mission to find matte shadows because seemingly everything shines and sparkles, but I did discover a matte line by Artdeco, so I will check it out.

For a while now I have been using the same mascara, which is Feline Black by Helena Rubinstein, so I will definitely stick to this one and I can only recommend it to everyone because it definitely is the best mascara on the planet.

To make the look perfect I will need nude lips and I bought this great lip gloss:

Although I normally don't really use Maybeline products I really like this new pearl collection so the shade I bought is "Nude Pearl" and it really does look nice, especially with dark eyes.

To mark the start of a new period in my life I also decided to cut my hair and after looking for the perfect haircut, I think I found the right one for me.

Since my hair is wavy I thought Keira Knightley's hair from the latest Chanel ad will be perfect for me and it really isn't a very time intensive haircut, so really the right choice for me, since I have no idea how to style hair.

And last but not least, I also got a new perfume, since mine is ending and I wanted to try something new and to really sum it up in the words of Coco Chanel: "A women who doesn't wear perfume has no future". So after I spent a while in the store and kept wrinkling my nose and sneezing from the amount of smells that were surrounding me I finally found what I was looking for: Rose by Paul Smith.

It is the best perfume that I have smelled in a while and it will be my constant companion for the next couple of months!

Ok, I think that should wrap it up. The only thing missing is which shoes to wear, but I tend towards simple black, pointy heels to round up the whole look.

Another beauty buy

So my new obsession with make up is still on-going and I do like it. I found a great new thing, which I worked into my beauty routine and I'm extremely happy with it. It's the new Smoothing Resurfacing Primer by L'Oreal Paris.

It is a very small jar, so at first I wasn't sure how long it would last, but truth is you only need a little of it and it will really last for a while. It is a foundation primer and you can also just wear it on its own if you don't usually wear foundation. The product leaves the face feeling silky smooth and minimises the pores. The foundation lasts longer and overall the face looks more even, so I can only recommend it.

Transparent Mac Finishing Powder review

After a week of obsession I of course ended up buying it and I have to say it's absolutely brilliant! It is absolutely invisible, keeps everything in place and the skin feels really smooth and looks great. I applied it without foundation, since it's not a product I use on a daily basis, and it is still amazing. It makes the skin look matte and provides the perfect finish.

I will definitely be using it every day from now on.

Best and oldest Portuguese restaurant

Yesterday we went to this absolutely amazing and according to some Portuguese friends also the best Portuguese restaurant in London and I have to admit that the food was delicious. A lot of seafood and fish is included in the menu and everything is super fresh. The restaurant itself has a lovely atmosphere and plays Portuguese music. The walls are decorated with painted tiles and the waiters are very friendly and helpful.

So all in all I can only recommend this place if you are a local. It is in Knightsbridge just behind Harrods and is called O Fado.

Größere Kartenansicht

My newest make up obsession...

Lately I have a new obsession for make up and been stocking up my case for a few months now, buying and trying new things, using brushes, primers and so on. So my newest object of desire is a Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder by MAC.

I really do want to try it and since I mainly use MAC products for foundation purposes as it is, it was the logical place to go to. I have a loose powder in the same shade as my liquid foundation, which I sometimes added on top to finish up. but I always found that it was too much, since I like make up to be natural and usually don't use much. So imagine how pleased I was when I discovered this product on the temptalia blog. It is transparent, so it can be used on bare skin in case one doesn't want to wear foundation (normally me) and the skin still looks silky smooth. So this is definitely the next thing on my list and please share in case you have any reviews.