Goodbye 2015

Another year just flew by. So much has happened and there's so much to be grateful for. So many trips, good food, hanging out, spending quality time with the family, I can't complain. Let's hope 2016 has something special for all of us and may it be the best year so far.

I wanted to make a small review of my year. I feel extremely lucky for all the blessings. I got to visit Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Milan, Budapest, Koper, Istanbul and many more. I got to experience the diversity of cultures, get a taste of local cuisine, buy the things I always wanted to have, learn how to love, expand my knowledge and so much more. I think it's safe to say 2015 was my year. 

Can't travel without stopping by at Starbucks 

Shopping at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan

View from the top of Milano cathedral 

Souvenir from Thailand

The tree of life spectacle at Expo 2015 in Milan

This was briefly my 2015. I enjoyed it to the max. I want to wish you all happy holidays and a very very happy and prosperous New year! Kisses from your Chanel addict 💞

Birthday trip

A real sagittarius loves to travel and takes every chance to do so. So I booked a weekend trip to Budapest, Hungary as a birthday gift to myself. This was my 2nd visit to Budapest and God knows which time in Hungary (used to visit Balaton lake a lot as a child). 

The weather in Budapest wasn't in our favor :( / view from Citadella

We arrived before noon, took a stroll around Citadella, went into the center, had lunch in a cozy Italian place (don't remember the name), checked in to our hotel (unfortunately, it was such a disappointing place and it's not worth mentioning) and later took a boat ride. 

Danube river/parliament 

Finally got the opportunity to take a decent picture of the parliament building, but it got ruined by the lights on the boat. 

It was quite warm that night, so we hung out on the deck and snapped some more photos.

Enjoyed a glass of champagne during the boat ride 

The next day we checked out and continued our city exploring. We ended up having a slice of cake and a glass of hot wine to warm us up. It was so freezing cold and windy and I spent the last forints I had exchanged on warmer clothes. 

Being a food lover, I tried to get a taste of local cuisine, but I must confess Christmas market food definitely isn't my cup of tea. I had to satisfy my tastebuds elsewhere. My travel buddies, au contraire, stayed around and spent quite a lot of money in my opinion on food that was offered on those stands. They weren't satisfied with the quality of it either. 

All in all, this trip was just ok, I wish it had been better. There were way too many tourists and moving around was such a pain in the butt. Sadly, the weather made everything worse and high, unreasonable prices didn't help either. But at least I got to spend some quality time with my loved ones and although this trip has been exhausting and a bit disappointing, it's going to be a nice memory. Someday. 

Almost forgot! I also treated myself to a little something from Women's secret. I've been needing a new cosmetic pouch for such a long time now and I just couldn't resist this little cutie! I got it for 50% off (for around 8€)!

Perfumes

Hello guys, today's post will be about my favorite and most used perfumes. Let's get started:


 
my absolute favorite is Light Blue by Dolce&Gabbana

TOP
Invigorating Sicilian cedar melds with the crisp vibrancy of apple and the guileless charm of the bluebell, to evoke the essence of a South Italian summer.

HEART
The freshness of bamboo nestles amid a glorious feminine bouquet of decadent jasmine and delicate white rose.

BASE
Redolent citron wood is entwined with voluptuous amber and a suggestive caress of musk.

This fragrance is perfect for summer as it smells so fresh and seductive, even the edt version stays on your skin all day which makes it even more special. It suits almost everyone and blends well with most of natural body scents.




another favorite from D&G is Dolce

Top
The fragrance opens with a brightly-coloured, sweet-smelling explosion of Neroli leaves and Papaya flower, dissipating into a floral bouquet as the core of the fragrance emerges.

Heart
A unique and opulent combination of White Water Lily and bold White Daffodil blend perfectly with the full-bodied White Amaryllis, a South African flower used for the first time ever in scent.

Base
This floral signature is counterbalanced by the background of warm Musky notes, along with the complex accents of Cashmeran; leaving a sensual trail of light woods, earthy tones and piquant spices.

This is an everyday fragrance, regardless of whether it's summer or winter. I'd say it's a perfect perfume for a business lady, it's gentle, yet bold. It might seem like a fragrance for mature women, but just anyone could pull it off well.


YSL Black Opium

This is the coffee lover's favorite perfume. Main notes are, of course, coffee and vanilla. It's a quite heavy fragrance and I never thought I would buy this type of perfume, but once I tried it out, I had to have it. I instantly got obsessed and the name ''opium'' fits this fellow like a glove. An absolute must have for winter.


Versace Bright Crystal

Another perfume I thought I'd never buy, but it grew on me pretty quick. It's not too heavy, so you can use it either every day or for special ocasions. It features magnolia, iced accord, yuzu, musk, pomegranate, acajou, peony, plant amber and lotus flowers scents.

 
Mexx Berlin 

Not sure if this perfume is still being produced, but it's definitely one of the best perfumes I ever had. It awfully reminds me of Light Blue by D&G. It's an inexpensive, fresh citrus fragrance.

 
I'm going by Puma

Another inexpensive perfume, again not sure if it's still being produced. A bit heavy, floral fragrance that lasts for hours and it's suitable for almost every ocasion, although it doesn't suit everyone.

 
Pour Homme by D&G

Another D&G perfume (I know, I'm obsessed), but this one, as the name says, is for men. I started using it when my father decided to get rid of colognes he isn't using anymore and I just fell in love with this one. I use it whenever I feel especially bold and need an energy boost. 

This is what D&G said about it:

Top

The top notes of neroli open up with gutsy masculinity, giving way to citrus hints of mandarin and bergamot.

Heart

Lavender provides the perfume’s soul of pure freshness, like a Mediterranean breeze, studded with spicy hints of sage and pepper: evocative recollections of a mother’s fresh laundry and the classic essence of a father.

Base

 A powerful base of tobacco provides structure for the last dry notes of cedar wood, dotted with sweet hints of tonka bean.

 
These were my favorites, I hope you liked the post :)

Winter favorites ❄️

The real winter has finally come and that means dry skin, catching a cold and everything that comes with it. But not necessarily! Here are my top products for this winter that are real lifesavers:

1) Neutrogena concentrated hand cream and deep moisture body lotion are a must have each winter, although not exactly the cheapest products, they are absolutely worth every penny as the damaged and dry skin recovers almost immediately. These products are loved not just by me, but my whole family and friends. 

2) Nivea/labello lip butter is the perfect choice for chapped lips. You can choose between 4 (I think!) different kinds. They are long-lasting even if you're eating and drinking or smooching 😉

3) Another Nivea product also adored by my family and friends is pocket-size creme, probably the most famous in the whole wide world and it just never lets you down. Another must have in everyone's cosmetic pouch.

4) I wouldn't call it a must have for winter, but this perfume completely enchanted me. I'm not a fan of this type of fragrances, but I had to have this one in my collection. It's supposed to be a combination of coffee and vanilla and it's just addictive. YSL Black Opium is THE perfume for this winter.

That was it for cosmetics, but there's another favorite for this winter:

The warmest, most comfy shoes ever, UGGs 

I never thought I'd ever buy these shoes, but ending up in the polar circle made me change my mind and up to this day I didn't regret buying them! I'm sure these won't be my last pair and I can't wait to get my hands on some other shoes from their collection. 

I'm sorry for bad pic quality, but all my pics are taken on the go and now I realize I have forgotten to add a nice scarf or a cute hat to go with these boots! Big kisses for all of you from my warm and cozy home, I'm off to put up some Christmas decorations! xoxo

Christmas gifts

Now that my wifi is finally working again, I can write a new post and shock! It's about Christmas gifts. I'd like to share with you some of my ideas for the upcoming holiday that's all about presents.
Here are some:

Perfumes
Everyone loves a good scent, so you can never really go wrong with a perfume, as long as you know that the person will like the scent and has already used the perfume you're about to give them. It would be such a shame and waste to spend money on something that's just going to collect dust on a shelf; for that purpose you can get them a figurine or something similar. Here are some of trendy perfumes at the moment, taken from Sephora's website:

Decadence by Marc Jacobs

Gucci Bamboo

My Burberry

Gadgets
If you're looking for a gift for that special someone and you're able to spend a bit more money, a phone, tablet or any other gadget can make your geek really happy this year. You can even personalize some of them, such as the Apple iPod Touch  which you can have engraved with a personalized message. Another great idea is the Apple watch, also available in collaboration with Hermes, although a lot more expensive.

Gift cards
This is a great idea if you're in a need of a gift for a colleague or someone you don't know very well, but know where they might be spending their money. There are all sorts of gift cards with all kinds of spending amounts, such as Starbucks, Olive Garden, H&M, Spotify gift cards, you name it.

Personalized gifts
This is a great gift for someone special in your life, your spouse, mother, sister, it's your choice. Usually, this type of gift belongs to the luxury category and can be quite expensive. I already mentioned the engraved iPod and there are so many other different products that can also be engraved. Speaking of luxury items, companies such as Burberry and Louis Vuitton have a great offer when it comes to personalized stuff. Burberry, for example, has a ''scarf bar''  where you can have initials embedded in a scarf and Louis Vuitton offers a free of charge service of hot stamping initials or even whole words/names on their products. Louis Vuitton also offers the ''Mon Monogram'' service, but the waiting time for these products to be made and delivered to you can take up to 8 weeks.

Gift baskets
Many supermarkets and specialized stores offer this type of gifts for the upcoming holidays. They usually contain a bottle of wine or spirit, some candy, artisan products such as jams, cheese, sausages, pasta, etc. They're a great gift for families and those who can appreciate good food and wine, but this gift comes with a ''nice'' price tag.

DIY gifts
If you're talented and creative, why not making a gift for the person you know will appreciate it? It's a great, personal gift that's usually inexpensive and it comes right from your heart. 

So I bought Balmain... I mean, H&M

Everyone knows about Balmain and H&M collaboration and of course, so many people wanted to get their hands on pieces from that collection. Being in love with their type of dresses for a long time now (long before this collection was even planned), I couldn't resist getting one. This is what I ordered online:

I ordered it online (had to wait in a virtual line for 45 minutes) because there was no way in hell I would stand in line in front of the store and fight for a piece of clothing. I'm not really happy with the way they packed it;  they just tossed it in a plastic bag, showed in a box and shipped it. It didn't come with a protective case, a hanger, nor a shopping bag. Kinda disappointing, but I guess I was supposed to stand in that line for those extras :P

Speaking of materials, not so happy, but what can you really expect from H&M and a price of 129€? Here are some details so you can suit yourself:

All in all, it's a pretty piece, but knowing that thousands of girls have the very same dress or whatever you bought and that they will wear it everywhere just to show the Balmain tag is not so nice. It makes me think I won't enjoy my piece as much just because everyone has the same thing.

This was actually the first H&M collaboration that I liked. Call me crazy, but Alexander Wang, Lanvin and Versace just weren't my cup of tea.

Louis Vuitton Cles wear & tear

Hi guys, 

Today I'll share some things I've noticed while using my key pouch purchased in August this year.

I think it's safe to say this is my most used item ever. It's so versatile and somehow it always comes in handy.

I've been using it every single day since the day I got it and there are still no signs of wear and tear. I'm usually stuffing it with coins in the main compartment and my ID in the back compartment. I must say it looks better stuffed, it gets a cute shape 😊

As you can see, my cute SLG is MIF 🇫🇷

It's an excellent piece for going extremely compact as you can fit coins, bills, earphones, credit cards, ID and what not in this small leather good. It goes well with my Alma BB in DE print when I'm trying to only take the essentials with me.

The only bad thing about it (so far, at least) are the fingerprints. Can't avoid them unless you're wearing gloves. I must say that Vernis leather is quite durable, actually. I own two pieces and although not always being supercareful with them, I don't see any scratches.

Unfortunately, my Amarante Cles transfered some color to the interior of my Neverfull in Azur print, which I can't remove. 

Fingerprints showing on the stuffed key pouch 

I highly suggest getting this item in case you have any doubts. Vernis might not be the right choice for you, but there are so many other prints and colors to choose from, it's impossible not to like any of them.

September favourites

Hi guys, today I'll be talking about my favourite products during the month of September. 

Garnier Fructis hair mask for curly hair

Garnier PureActive 3 in 1 wash/scrub/mask 

Schwarzkopf Gliss shampoo

Byphasse body milk

Byphasse facial cream

Starting from the first product, the hair mask: I'm so glad I snatched it for just over 2€ at the local supermarket because this product is life saving! Having in mind that my hair is quite dry and I could even say damaged (from bleaching), this product does a great job hydrating. Curls have a great shape and stay that way until you wash your hair the next time without adding weight to your hair and making it greasy. If I'd have to rate this product, I'd give it a 10/10.

P.S. It's silicon-free.

Second product, the facial mask from Garnier is a very important product in my everyday skin care routine. It's gently exfoliating and preventing breakouts and it can be used in 3 different ways, as mentioned above. It has an unusual, but a very pleasant scent. I've tried almost every possible product of that kind, but I always keep going back to this one. You can say I'm faithful to Garnier (not sponsored), because my cosmetic pouch always contains their facial mask/scrub, BB cream, deodorant, hair mask and hair shampoo. I simply love their products and always try out all the new stuff they launch.

Moving on to the product in the middle. You can say I can't live without it because after trying out every single shampoo that came out, I've been faithful to this one for the last 2 years, I believe. It washes out literally everything, even the stickiest hair products that just won't come out. Hair feels so clean and it's so soft and fluffy (voluminous). I'm pretty sure it doesn't contain silicon.

The last two products are from the Spanish company Byphasse. I've only noticed it last month at Drogerie Markt (DM) and gave it a shot. I took the body milk with tightening effect and vitamine E and a facial cream with SPF 8 and vitamine C. So far they seem really good and they soak in very well/fast, so you can slip in your clothes right away or do whatever you intended to without having to worry about leaving a greasy stain somewhere. The body milk has a beautiful scent that just reminds of summer. It's suitable for all skin types.

Please have in mind that this post is not sponsored by any of the mentioned brands.

Have a nice day!

Short review

Today I'll be doing a short review on L'Oreal Nude Magique BB powder. It comes in a plastic box; the upper compartment contains the powder, while the bottom one contains a mirror and a small makeup sponge/applicator. 

It's supposed to have a velvet-like texture, but I'm not exactly flabbergasted by this product, especially if you consider the price. I purchased it from H&M for around 20€ and I don't think it's as good as some cheaper products of the same type. It's very starchy and your skin needs to be moisturised, otherwise it can look as if you put your face in a bag of flour. Definitely not the effect you want to achieve. 

The other thing that bothered me is that it's quite hard to blend it on your face without almost removing everything. Also, I'm always looking for the brightest shade, but even this one was too bright for me.

All in all, it's an OK product, but nothing special. I'd rate it (maybe) as 3/5. I'm sure you can find a better product for a lot less money and I'm also quite sure I won't purchase this product again. It just didn't work for me as I expected, but it doesn't mean it's not working for anyone. You can always give it a try.

Neverfull GM review

Today I'll be reviewing the Neverfull GM bag in Damier Azur print. The picture above shows the box it came in - in my opinion, a horrible type of box for this kind of bag, so I took it out as soon as I left the store to avoid creasing.

This is the bag after almost 6 months. 

It shows very little patina, since I've mostly been using it just for my trips as hand luggage. I chose GM for that purpose - it really is "never full" and you can pack so much into this beautiful tote.

As you probably know, the new version of this bag comes with a matching pouch. You can use it as a cosmetic pouch in your bag or as a clutch. It really comes in handy sometimes; I for example use it for lady products so I can easily reach them.

The new version also comes with a different interior.

The bag currently retails for 995€ here in Europe, tax included. I purchased it in March for 945€.

I personally find this bag very useful. It has been my go to bag lately, especially during sunny days (and believe me, we had many of those this year!). I'm still not sure if it's the right size for me (I'm quite short), but its size saved me many times, I could fit so much in it. 

The handles are so durable, you don't ever have to worry about them snapping.

I'm very careful with the leather trimmings, avoiding rain and beauty products so they don't leave a stain. So far the patina is light and even.

It's a great bag for travellers, moms, students and anyone who needs a large bag. It's so versatile actually. I could easily call it my favorite bag.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask :)

New in

I'm so happy to present the most recent addition to my LV collection! As you can see, it's a small, but not less important item. It's something I had my eye on for a  very long time - and now I finally got my hands on this beautiful SLG!

I'm sorry for bad pic quality, but I was so excited and had to share this with you ASAP 🙌🏻!

And yes, it's a key pouch in Monogram Vernis!

I'm so in love with this item, although it was not the colour I originally wanted. The one on my wishlist was in colour rose indien, but it wasn't available at the  Louis Vuitton store I visited. When the SA brought the one in colour amarante, I knew I wouldn't go wrong with that one.

Here's a photo from instagram posted a few days ago. I hope you can see the colour clearly - it looks like chocolate!

So far I think this little fellow is so versatile, but has a major issue. There are fingerprints everywhere! Usually you would get a special cloth at LV for vernis items, but unfortunately, my SA forgot to put it in the box. However, I got an advice from another SA, to buy silky gloves that work even better. 

All in all, it's a great piece, quite spacious (inside pocket + external card sloth) and you can attach it to a D ring or anywhere else. I use it for credit cards, earphones, cash and receipts, as well as some other small items. You can't go wrong with this one.

I also looked at these two, but they just didn't work for me. I almost forgot, the price of the vernis pouch was 2200 NOK, so it was a little bit cheaper than the rest of Europe (265€).

Latest obsession

As you can see in the picture, my latest obsession is the Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandouliere.  I've never really been a fan of crossbody bags, but lately I realised it can be a great bag! 

It comes in Monogram, Damier Ebene, Damier Azur and Empreiente canvas/leather. In Monogram print it comes in 4 different sizes: 25, 30, 35 and 40. Although I chose pictures showing the Monogram print, I'm not 100% sure that's the one I would get. What worries me is the vachetta leather. I own a Saumur and a Noe bag in Monogram and they both have an almost honey-like patina, but since I was super careful, the patina is equal and without stains. If I would get a Speedy B, it would be my most used bag for sure, so I don't know how careful you can be in that case! 

On the other hand, you don't have to worry about it with the Damier Ebene print, but there is a catch. Most of the DE bags have details in treated leather. The problem with it is the creasing. No matter how careful you are, creasing will occur sooner or later. That's what unfortunately happened with my Trevi GM.

Having all this said, I have no idea which one to get! I want to get it ASAP, before another price increase happens. I'd like to hear your opinion and I'd love to get some advice, so don't be afraid to leave a comment!

(all pictures are taken from google images and the official Louis Vuitton website)

First review

The very first product I'll be reviewing is a YSL lipstick. To be more specific, it's the Rouge Volupté N°15 Corail Extrême. I purchased it in a hurry on my recent trip, so I may have chosen a wrong colour for myself. 

What I really liked about this lipstick is its scent. It's absolutely amazing - the fruity "flavour" is perfect for summer. The packaging also caught my eye, it's very elegant. But in my opinion, this product is not something you apply when in hurry. It has a bit of a weird texture and it is really important that you exfoliate your lips before using it. 

Another thing that bothered me is how it looks on my lips. I was aming for a completely different colour than my lips, but ended up disappointed. Just to be clear, I don't use a lip pencil or anything similar, so I can't really say anything about how long it will stay on your lips either, though they promise 4 hours of perfect lips, without pencils or any other products that help with keeping the lipstick on for as long as possible.

To me, this product is more like a lip gloss, rather than a lipstick, and I think you can pull it off for any occasion, as well as for every day use.

Despite disliking many things about it, I'm not giving up YSL lipsticks. I'm looking forward to trying more colours and types, hopefully on my next trip in 2 weeks.

(I apologise for the photo quality, my photos are always taken in a hurry, with my phone!)

First post on the new blog

Hello everyone,
I decided to start a new blog (the original blog was started on tumblr) because I wanted to make different posts. I wanted to go a bit more personal with this one so you will see plenty of reviews on products and clothing that I'm using, as well as my wishlists, opinions, travel diaries, etc.
I hope you'll enjoy it and I'm looking forward to this new journey!

Love, VC