Casual in black with a shearling detail.

Brrr it's freezing! I'm glad I've found my very warm jacket at the bottom of my wardrobe! It's almost as surprising as finding a tenner in a jacket that you wore on a Saturday night out. How are you coping with the cold arctic wind that seems to be attacking the UK? I don't leave the house without my big wooly hat with a huge pom pom on the top. Nothing keeps me warmer! (Is it ok to walk around the streets with a hot water bottle under your jacket? No? I thought so...) I went for an all-black look with a grey t-shirt embellished with a glitter heart. Yes, my car and all my clothes are covered in glitter but i do not care. I love it!

Photos by PJ

jacket - Bershka

top, jeans - Topshop

hat - H&M

boots - Zara

Make up. My favourites.

Here it is. My first post on make up. As you could notice form the photos on this blog, I do not wear a lot of make up at all. I use is because it makes me feel better and, hopefully, transforms me into my prettier self. I am a bit addicted to it as well... But I do not like experimenting. Over the years of good and bad make up I've found the perfect products that suit me best and I've decided to share what I know with you. Even if I don't know much... I know that a lot of you struggle with finding the perfect foundation or blusher so my experience might turn out to be at least a little bit helpful. 

First of all, I recommend the better quality make up ranges. Unfortunately, they are more expensive but, surprisingly they last a lot longer. Both on your face and in your make up bag. An example? No problem! I'll compare the two lipsticks that I wear more or less for the same amount of days in a year. The pink Rimmel one that cost about £6.50 lasted me a year. It's nearly finished. The pink Estee Lauder one cost around £18.00 but for the last year I haven't used even a third of it. It stays where it's supposed to stay and smells better. Also, it has a better texture. I believe it's wiser to invest in the good stuff. It pays back in to time.  

Secondly, the face. Oh if only I could have perfect skin! Instead, I was 'blessed' with an atopic dry and greasy combination that does not want to cooperate with me very often. But there's a solution even for that. After years of trying out different foundations I've found my match. Dior Nude is the one. It doesn't cover your skin completely so no mask-like feeling there girls. It also stays put - no marks on my clothes, scarves or anything. But before applying foundation (with a brush) I recommend using a primer. It's simply genius! Evens out the surface of your skin and makes the whole make up stay on your face for longer. To give my skin a matt look I use a pressed powder and to cover imperfections a concealer. Remember the right order though: primer, concealer, foundation, pressed powder. Otherwise your complexion will not seem even. And the last thing about the face: yes, I am a blusher addict. I don't remember the last time I left the house without wearing any. Again, the better quality, the longer it stays on your cheeks. With this Chanel one there's no need for re-applying for the whole day. When I get back home from work it still looks fresh.

Dior Nude foundation in Light Beige (020 or 022), Smashbox primer in Blend, Chanel pressed powder in Naturel, Chanel blusher in Rose Petale, Lancome concealer in 2

Third, The lips. My favourite part! I am a fan of reds and pinks. Not so very much any other colours actually, but it's probably just a phase and I will find myself wearing a shade of plum soon enough. When buying a lipstick you have to ask yourself a very important question: what do I want my lipstick to do? Do i want it to stay there for long? Choose Estee Lauder Double Wear. Do I want it to give me a delicate shimmer and a natural look? Go for Lancome L'absolu. Do I want my lipstick to give a statement? Try Lancome Le Rouge Absolute. Do I want my lipstick to have a full on colour in matt finish? Grab the Rimmel Colour Show Off. These are the four lipsticks I wear everyday. The best one? Estee Lauder. After applying it in the car on the way to work I do not have to re-touch until post-lunch. And this re-touch only includes the middle part of the lips with a single stroke. Well, some might argue that re-applying your lipstick is so feminine and pleasant that why would you want to avoid it?

Estee Lauder Double Wear Lipstick in Stay Pinkberry 03, Lancome L'absolu Nu Lipstick in beige rose 202, Lancome Le Rouge Absolute in 150, Rimmel Colour Show Off lipstick in Shake-up Pink 020

Last, eyes and nails. I don't wear eyeshadow at all. Another phase. What I do wear is mascara and black contour made with either a pencil or an eyeliner. The best mascara I have found is the Chanel Imitable Intense. I would also recommend Lancome Dolls Eyes. They both separate the lashes, make them thick and long. All a girl needs. The best eyeliner is the Gurerlain one. Worth every penny (unfortunately quite a few of them as well). Perfect texture, colour and brush. Stays on all day, even till 8p.m. post spinning class look in the mirror. I know that a lot of you don't actually use eyeliner as you find it difficult to apply. I can share my trick with you. Do a line with a pencil first. Just a thin one. Than follow that with an eyeliner. This little trick makes it so much easier! Give it a try! Also, make sure that your eyebrows are taken care of. Well groomed, shaped, and the right colour. Since my hair is slightly darker nowadays, I make sure that my eyebrows are as well. Nothing worse that black hair and white eyebrows... Unless you're Bjork. I go for soft pencils from No7 but if you prefer the hard ones go for Chanel. Nails? Only in a statement colour. I tend to match my nails to the current season and wear the same colour for 2 or 3 months until the bottle becomes nearly empty. Otherwise it would be a waste of £18 for 13ml of stinky liquid...

Guerlain eyeliner in Noir Ebene, Chanel Imitable Intense mascara in Noir, Chanel Le Vernis nail colour in Suspicious 561, Lancome Le Crayon Knol pencil in Noir 01, No7 eyebrow pencil in Brown/Black 10,

Military and burgundy.

Here it is. Another approach on military. You already know that jacket (it has been popular on quite a few blogs) but this time I worn it as a top with a skinny tan belt. I'm not a great fan of waist belts (so Gok Wan...). This time though my outfit just felt 'not complete' without it. How do you like combining the two current trends? Military and burgundy work pretty well together, don't they? 

Photos by PJ

jacket - Zara

jeans - H&M

boots - Topshop

belt - Asos

watch - Michael Kors

New in. Leather fix.

Aaaaa it looks like a certain trend has taken over my wardrobe, again. As I mentioned before, I was in need of leather items so I did not hesitate to get a couple of leather handbags. I went for the two classics that every woman should have at a ready - black and tan. Those are really the two varieties that you need for the everyday occasions. My old ones can go on eBay now that I have these huge bags which will help me carry my life around. I also went for a black leather front top (on the left) to go with more black or my burgundy jeans. Also, I bought a camel dress (on the right) made of really tactile fabric with a leather finish on the bottom. I did not expect to see camel anywhere else than on coats this season. Nevertheless, it is a very warm dress for those chilly winter days in the office. I also got a grey t-shirt. I figured that grey is the new white. This season is all about the grey combined with black leather and burgundy boots. You might see that combination on my blog soon... To top things up I treated myself to a bit of fragrance. It has been on my wish list for quite a while now. A lot of new fragrances came out in September and it was difficult to make the decision but Givenchy's new Dahlia Noir won. It is delicate and fresh in kind of a sensual way. Mmm...

Embellished collar and peplum skirt.

Happy Sunday everyone! I'm off shopping but, before I go, I wanted to share some more photos of beautiful British autumn with you. It was a sunny afternoon with no rain (success!). My look today is a combination of peplum and an embellished collar shirt. A great office look, great for a lunch date as well. Sadly, parks are looking less and less colourful nowadays. All the beauty of yellow and red leaves will be gone until next year. Not to worry though. I'm sure they will look as pretty when covered in snow, which happens probably twice a year and lasts for a few hours on the British isles... Anyway, I hope you like the outfit. Enjoy the last few hours of the weekend!

make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif

Photos by PJ

shirt, boots, skirt - Zara

watch - Michael Kors

sunnies - Ray-Ban

All black & leopard.

How about some more leopard print? I've decided to go for it. Just to make it stand out all my other clothes are black. Simple. It was a sunny but pretty chilly afternoon so a hat was essential. Don't you just love hats? Not only do they make a statement but keep your warm and your hair dry if it rains. As a representative of an umbrella opposition I recommend hats. The bigger, the better. The more colourful, the bigger statement they make. Is it Friday already? Enjoy your weekend! Whatever plans you have even if it's just chilling out on a sofa.

Photos by PJ

coat, hat - H&M

jeans - Topshop

boots - Zara