What's in my bag?

A sneak peek inside my bag today. This is a large mint bowling bag that I got from Topshop, last Summer.

Starting of, the basics: keys, purse, train pass, phone and tablet — mostly to read on the train. Currently addicted to some Sherlock Holmes.
I usually have some random rings from ASOS to pop on, after moisturizing my hands. Speaking of, my hand cream is the Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream, which has a gorgeous scent. And I also carry around a mini Beauty Elixir.

Now, the make-up bag. It's mostly full of lip products, because I like to change during the day and I need options. To touch up the face, I have a Japonesque Blotting Paper Pouch, a Chanel Poudre Universelle Compact (in 30 Naturel), the ever so practical Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil in DOD and a Guerlain Terracota Touch highlighter in 02 Brunettes.
In the lippy category, I have a shameful amount of Clinique Chubby Sticks, 2 regular ones (in Two Ton Tomato and Mega Melon) and 2 Intense versions (in Heftiest Hibiscus and Roomiest Rose), and if you think that's a lot, let me tell you, I've carried more. To prime the lips, especially for some matte versions ahead, I use the Guerlain KissKiss Liplift. From Chanel, I usually pack a lip balm (Rouge Coco Baume), a nude option (Rouge Coco in 05 Mademoiselle) and a matte burgundy or a bright shade, depending on the season (currently opting for the Rouge Allure Velvet in 43 La Favorite). Some other favourites that usually hang around in my make-up bag are Burberry Lip Velvet in Pink Azalea No.308 and Dior Addict Lipstick in 437 Charmante, from the Cherie Bow Spring Look. *Breathes*
For the eyes, I always have this Yves Saint Laurent Long-Lasting Eye Pencil (in 01 Velvet Black) and my favourite mascara of the moment, Diorshow Iconic Overcurl mascara in 090 Over Black. In my black Travalo I have some Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne right now. Oh, and my precious Model Mirror, a lighted compact double-sided mirror, with eight battery-powered LEDs, that has a regular side and a magnifying one. That's about it!

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Top picks | Biker jackets

Today's post features the top picks, available now, in the biker jacket category — a.k.a. a peek into my own wishlist.
I absolutely adore biker jackets and feel like myself whenever I'm wearing them, if that makes sense. You know when you're wearing something, just because you followed someone's advice, go out and feel kind of awkward and uncomfortable? And, of course, that's when you bump into someone you haven't seen in years. Hah! I rarely do that now, I just wear what I want, because I dislike the feeling that I'm not transmitting my true image/personality through my outfit.
Last Christmas, I got a pair of lime green gloves with a pink trimming. And they were seriously soft and good quality. But I didn't have anything that would look good with them. Also, I'd probably hide my hands in my coat pockets. So I carried on wearing my bottle green leather-look gloves with cut-outs. Much better.
Or, the time I got a necklace from my work colleagues, and didn't want to hurt their feelings, so I wore it the next day. Not that it wasn't pretty, just wasn't my style. Basically, I felt weird for the whole day because I had it on.

ZARA Biker Leather Jacket With Buckles £169
ZARA Ethnic Jacquard Pattern Zip Jacket £59,99

Anyway, on with the jackets. The first two are from Zara — which isn't a surprise coming from me, is it? The one on the left has a nice quilted effect on the arms and quite a few zips, which I really like. The second one, has more of a spring feeling — softer material, paler shade and a fun print.

Topshop Contrast Lapel Leather Biker Jacket £180
Topshop Quilt Detail Biker Jacket £58

Next, a couple of options from Topshop. The first has a really unique lapel in a contrasting colour. It's ideal to combine with a black outfit, providing a little visual interest. The white jacket has a subtle quilted effect just on the top of the arms and buckles on the waist. Again, the leather-look and some extra zips make me happy.

ASOS HIDE Freja Biker Jacket in Cream £315
ASOS Muubaa Sharp Shouldered Biker Jacket with Zips £389

The final two can be found on ASOS, and these specific models are a bit more pricey than the previous ones. But, take a look on the website and you'll find different price ranges and designs. The first choice is a cream leather jacket with a pretty standard style, when it comes to real biker jackets — zips, pockets and a belt on the waistline. The lighter shade makes it more fresh and versatile to combine with various clothing items. The one on the right comes in a beautiful and rich berry shade, with a zip on the arm — nice detail there — and the perfect length.
Now the difficult part: which one should I go for?

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Current blusher love

Today's post will focus solely on blushers, more specifically, my all time favourites — up until now.

Between creams, powders, bright hues, contour shades, matte or glowing formulations, I'm pretty sure there's something to please everyone. 

I'll start with a product that was featured in previous posts: MAC Powder Blush in Harmony. This is one of those shades that doesn't seem very appealing at first sight, but it is a staple for sure. Sometimes, it's hard to find the perfect contour shade — it's too warm toned, too shimmery or too dark. But this is the perfect shade, really. A rose-beige brown that's cool toned without being ashy or dirty looking. And you can use it (more sparingly) on lighter skin tones. I really want to try out Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow — again, a strange colour that works really well for contour. 

The next blusher is a fun, girly and bright option, that provides a fresh looking complexion. Too Faced Full Bloom Cheek & Lip Colour (in Prim & Poppy) is a cream blusher that you can use on the cheeks or the lips, to give a healthy glow. This shade is a warm coral and the texture is really smooth, sheer and easy to blend. I like to apply it with the Real Techniques Contour Brush, for precision.

Unlike many other cheek and lip creams, this actually feels nice on the lips. And the packaging is really charming, with a black adorned lid and a mirror inside. I also want to try the other shades (Tea Rose and Sweet Pea).

I'm following with another bright hued cream blusher, the Topshop Blush in Prime Time. A vivid blue-ish pink that really brightens the whole complexion. I love using this during the winter months, when my skin is more dull, as I feel it provides a luminous and radiant look. It's really easy to blend, either with fingers or a brush, like the Real Techniques Buffing Brush — this really does it all, doesn't it?

The perfect blusher to use on top of it, or to wear on it's own, is the Burberry Light Glow in Peony Blush No. 04. This is one of those shades/formulations that allow you to apply it quickly and without a mirror. Seriously. And the rose scent just surprises me everytime. Love it! I won't even mention the gorgeous case, because you might start to get the idea that I fall for packaging, and honestly... I do. By the way, the brush it comes with is quite good and practical.

Last, but definitely not least, is the Benefit Sugarbomb Sugar Rush Flush Face Powder — could the name be any longer? This is one of those items that I forgot I had, because I was trying something new at the time. Then, I rediscovered it a few months ago and have been using it almost every day since. The box has four colours — peach, soft plum, shimmering pink and rose — that you can mix together or use separately. I like using it to connect the contour with the highlight, making it all seamless. The natural bristle brush is quite good to apply and blend on the go. Again, one of those products that you can apply without a mirror. Mine is nearly finished, as you can tell by the photo, but it's been like this for a couple of weeks now. It may be a while before it pops up on an "Empties" post. At least, I hope so.

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TV | Four reasons to love "The Carrie Diaries"

Today's post is a bit more random, but hear (read?) me out. Since The Carrie Diaries is a prequel to Sex and the City, of course it has to do with fashion — the show's costume designer is Eric Daman. Need I say more? So, here we go:

Generation
Being born in the late 1980s, means I haven't really experienced living in that decade, so I always wondered what it would be like — and if it is anything like the show, I want to transport myself through time, right now!
I know a lot of people aren't fans of the '80s and it's aesthetic, but I actually adore it all. So this is like candy to my eyes.

Styling
This point is obvious. The bold graphic prints, colourful mixes, the use of velvet... I mean, it's just fearless, really. You couldn't pull off Larissa's outfits now-a-days — at least not without a sideways glance, but who cares, really? The good thing is you see a lot of pieces that you can get in high street shops, like Topshop.
It seems like every item is special, with a nice detail or a cute print. Even the jewellery — it's all about statement pieces! And everything feels so authentic and not stereotypical at all.
The same bold colours and textures are used in their make-up looks, with strong eyes and strong lips. Blue shadow and pink lips never looked so good together. Not to mention, the graphic eyeliner, my personal fave.
Of course, with those brows, AnnaSophia Robb could pull off any look. They're just perfect.
Oh, and I need to state this: the Carrie bag is awesome.

Music
Remember that Gossip Girl episode, when Lily ran off to find her older sister, back in the '80s? That episode was awesome. And the MUSIC! I love 1980s music, so I get excited and can't stop myself from dancing everytime I watch a preview... This show has the absolute best OST ever.

Opportunities
Today it seems almost impossible to find an awesome job in a magazine — especially when you're still in high school. And especially when we're talking about Interview magazine. In Manhattan.
This is pretty much what I imagined my life would be like, when I was younger and full of hope. A cool job in the fashion industry (in Manhattan) and, later on, a closet full of Manolos. A girl can dream...
Not to mention that on the first day of school, the new Kydd (see what I did there?...) who is the cutest guy ever, in the history of high schools, likes you.
Of course, there are a lot of downsides to Carrie's life, but unfortunately, those are more realistic.

So go on and start watching the show, if you haven't already. It will replace the GG-shaped hole in your TV heart. Not convinced yet? It's about a blonde girl who's the center of the attention, with a cute brunette friend that looks like Blair. Only they switched heights. And the sense of responsibility.

THE CARRIE DIARIES  |  Pictured: AnnaSophia Robb as Carrie Bradshaw  |  Photo Credit: Nino Munoz/The CW  |  © 2012 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Wishlist #2 | Stripes

Today I'm posting another wishlist. This time, it's fashion related and focuses on a single trend – stripes.
As you can probably guess, I am a fan of stripes.

The first two, are a Striped Jacked and a Striped Skirt from Zara. You can get them in stores or online here and here, respectively.

Next, from ASOS, I have my eyes on this Vest in Stripe Print and these "Elgin" Skinny Jeans. You can get them online here and here.

Last, but not least, while browsing in Topshop, I found the "Raglan" navy and white Stripe Top by Wal G and the Geo Stripe Sweat Dress. Find them in stores or online here and here.

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