Wishful dreaming

March 30, 2015

Gathering inspiration is one of my favourite things to do, but I've probably mentioned that a million times before. In times of a blogger's block, I find that making collages always helps to get my creativity back. Being a blogger isn't easy. You constantly have to think about your blog, what you want to write, what you have to photograph, which outfit you want to wear etc. It keeps coming and sometimes the waterfall of ideas just stops flowing. That's when I go back to the beginning, to the things that inspired me to start blogging.

The rainy, miserable weather is not something you would wish for during spring times. Where are those blossoming trees and the sunshine? Maybe these stunning pictures will cheer up any cloudy day. 

http://weheartit.com/Cottoncake

Dark lips, pale face

March 27, 2015


Writing about my everyday make-up routine is one of my favourite things to do, but I'm planning on actually filming one because I think that will be more interesting. I finished the editing & filming for a video, but then my computer decided to crash and I lost everything so I'll have to film that again. Anyway, I'll just list the items I use below and a video will (hopefully) follow soon! :) (If you want to see what the make-up looks like, click here)

Products used: 
Concealer: Catrice (01 ivory)
Foundation: Essence (04 matt ivory)
Bronzer: MUA (Shade 3)
Blusher: Catrice (Blush pearls)
Highlighter: Essence (Limited Edition)
Eyeshadow: Essence 'How to make nude eyes'
Lipstick: Hema (14)


The beginner's make-up guide

March 25, 2015



I wanted to write something about a make-up starter kit, because I know how hard it was for me to find the beauty items I really needed. Building a make-up collection is quite hard when you don’t know where to start. I didn’t know what a foundation, bronzer, highlighter etc. was until I watched a couple youtube videos and even then I didn’t know whether I actually needed it. It was a strange world, but it had always intrigued me. So, I started buying the first beauty items and slowly but surely my collection grew. I still am not a make-up professional, but I thought it might be interesting for you to read what I think is necessary in a make-up stash.

A high-coverage concealer
I can’t live without a good concealer on spotty and dark days. Concealing imperfections is always a good start of the day. I absolutely love my cheap Catrice concealer, because the coverage is amazing and it even hides the most annoying, red spots. 

A long lasting foundation
I don’t know about you, but I want my foundation to stay on all day long. I hate it when foundations get shiny and start fading during the day. The one I’ve always loved using is a Essence foundation, it’s super smooth and so easy to apply.

Bronzer, blusher and highlighter
These are the three things I love to cheer up my face and create a healthy-looking make-up look. A foundation can leave your skin very pale-looking and unnatural. 

The eye basics
A good mascara makes your eyes bigger and brighter so you instantly look better. I don’t like spending too much money on mascara because my lashes are naturally long and dark. I personally prefer a light nude-colored eye shadow look, because it’s more natural and enhances the beauty of your eyes.

Lipstick
This is something I love to wear, but if you’re not much of a lipstick-lover, you can skip this step. The basic lip colors in my stash are: a really dark color, a Parisian red, a nude lipstick and a peach lip color. 

I hope this was a bit helpful to you and don’t hesitate to let me know what your make-up stash basics are!

All the things she said

March 21, 2015


Finally another outfit for you! I wore my old, comfy dungarees again just to feel a bit of summer during the cloudy days. These dungarees are my favourite thing to wear although they are a little bit on the short side. I also just noticed how serious my face looks in the photos. I'm not half as serious as I look in these photos. 

I really need to shoot my photos in a different location. Even I'm getting bored of the background in my photos so I'm going to try to shoot more photos in the city where I study aka Antwerp. If only I could find a photographer. The struggles of being a blogger, haha.  
(the title of this post is actually the title of a Simple Minds song I was listening to while writing this.)

(dungarees: Forever 21; shirt: // ; shoes: Romwe)

The wardrobe basics

March 20, 2015

Every girl has her wardrobe basics, it might differ from girl to girl (or boy to boy), but I think we can all agree to the fact that a wardrobe is not complete without those items. In my case, all the items are black or black and white themed. Is it an ocd to only buy black colored items, or is it just the clothing I feel oh so comfortable in? I don't know. These are my wardrobe basics:

The lbd (little black dress):
This dress literally suits everything. Whether it's a pair of high killer heels, sneakers or combat boots. You can't go wrong with this piece. Add some jewelry to spice it up or keep it simple. Everytime I have no idea what to wear and my inspiration has been used up, I go back to the basics and put the little-black-magical-dress on. It always looks good. 

The faux leather shirt:
If you want to look sophisticated without even trying, just wear a (faux!) leather shirt and you're guaranteed to look stylish. I've got a few of these shirts and they suit almost everything. A simple pair of jeans and a pair of sneakers is all you need to finish the look. It seems as if you've thought about your outfit for a long time when you actually didn't.

The comfy trousers:
It's totally up to you to decided what kind of trousers you find most comfortable. I love a comfy high-waist pair of trousers or just any kind of trouser that's not too low (seriously, no one wants to see those jeans hanging too low and not covering your butt). Topshop has some stunning high-waist trousers in their collection.

The bomber jacket:
This is probably one of the jackets I've worn the most without even noticing. It's just an automatic thing to do when I get dressed. I'm pretty sure people are getting bored of the jacket, but I haven't found one that can replace my comfy bomber.

The chic blazer:
I have a thing for blazers, I don't even know how to explain the amount of black blazers in my closet. Every time someone (aka my best friend) visits me, she grabs a blazer and wishes it was her own. It's such a simple way to look effortlessly chic.

What are your wardrobe basics?

Tasty chocolate cookies

March 19, 2015


Chocolate chip cookies have always been my favourite to bake, but I recently discovered Zoella's recipe and her take on the chocolate cookies is definitely the bestest. I love baking these giant cookies, but eating them is always more fun (I'll just do an extra workout tonight...or maybe not). So enjoy baking this deliciousness and... bon appetit!

What you'll be needing:
* 200g butter
*1 large egg
* a large chocolate bar (depends on how much chocolate you want in your cookies)
*75g cocoa powder
* 250g self-raising flower
* 150g sugar

* Preheat your oven at 200°C
* Mix the butter and the sugar, preferably with a wooden spoon.
* Add the cocao powder and mix the dough. Then add the egg and blend again.
* Continue by adding the self-raising flower and add the pieces of chocolate to the dough.
* Make balls of dough (about the size of your handpalm) and put them on the baking tray.
* Put them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes and let them cool down for 30 minutes.





A peek inside my room

March 18, 2015

I am constantly redecorating my bedroom and adding little details to make my room cosier. My bedroom is almost completely white right now, except for my desk and my bed. I'm saving up some money to buy a new desk so I can finally finish my room, although I think I'll never be completely happy with the way it looks right now because it's human nature. 

Some people really dislike a completely white room, but I've been dreaming of it since I started blogging. That's no lie, you should check out my interior inspiration. It's just so relaxing and peaceful and after a hectic day, there's nothing better than coming home to a clean house. I would love to know what you think of my room. :)


 

 

Spring, I love you

March 17, 2015


It feels like summer outside. The sun is brightly shining and warming up the little country called Belgium and the sky is clear blue. So stunning. These days make me realise how much I missed summer. Everybody is happier and even I am not as grumpy in the morning as I am during the tough winter times. Oh yes, I love you, Spring. Now it's only a matter of time before the bald trees in my garden start blossoming. 

On this sunny afternoon, I'm wearing an olive green skirt and a plain white shirt tucked in it. I put on my stunning sandals because the sun was shining and whenever there is a moment to wear them, I do so. My Doc Martens have been my best friend during the colder weather, but it's time to let them go for now and switch to sunny sandals. My jewellery is just a set of rose gold rings that I have been wearing a lot recently. 

That sums up my outfit and for the make-up... I'm wearing none. I honestly hate wearing make-up when it's sunnier because you get sweaty and we all know what happens when foundation starts to 'melt'. It's just not very pretty... Anyway, have an amazing day! XX




How to survive a blogger's block

March 16, 2015

Every blogger struggles with a blogger's block at least once in their career, unless you're one of the lucky bloggers that has tons of inspiration all the time. I don't. I sometimes get frustrated because the white screen in front of me just blocks my mind and it stays white. That's why I listed my five most helpful tips when I struggle with a blogger's block and I hope they'll help you too.

Tip 1: get inspired
Look through magazines and cut out photos of outfits that you like, this might inspire you to rearrange your wardrobe and create new outfits. Think out of the box. So cliché, but it’s true. Get out of your comfort zone and discover new things. Visiting other blogs can be a source of inspiration as well. What do they write about? Let them inspire you, but don’t copy them. If you like something they do and you want to write about it as well. Then do it, but do it differently, because surviving in the blogging industry can only be done by being unique. Whether it’s your photography, writing, appearance, style,… Just be you and stand out from the crowd. If they wear black, dare to wear white.

Tip 2: write it down
Once you get inspired, take a piece of paper and start writing down the ideas. Use keywords and the ideas will just start flowing on your paper. You can even chose to draw something. Get creative and draw e.g. a pen. What can you do with that pen? Use washi tape to decorate it, draw a new blog design, maybe you can even use it to draw something on a shirt to make it your own. Use an old shirt and make a tank top/cropped top out of it? It’s your blog, you control it and your readers are following your blog because they like you.

Tip 3: Window shopping
If you really run out of ideas, just take the train (or bike, bus, car...) and go window shopping. It might give you new ideas for outfits and beauty shops can inspire you to do make-up tutorials. Get inspired by what people wear. How do they combine high-street pieces with cheaper clothing and how can I do that? If you look around you, observe everything, then finding inspiration will be the easiest thing.

Tip 4: start improving
If you happen to have some free time, just take your camera and notebook. Get to know your camera and learn new things. Maybe you can even learn how to make your own blog design? Youtube can teach you a lot of things, so do some research and improve your blogging skills.

Tip 5: be yourself
Why did you start blogging? Take it back to the beginning and think of what you wanted to become. If you wanted to become a lifestyle blogger, write about things in life that happened to you and made you to who you are nowadays. Fashion bloggers can write about the newest trends. What’s a hype on Tumblr and what’s hot on the catwalks? If you’re a beauty blogger then try out the products in your stash you normally wouldn’t use and try something new with them. Use eyeshadow to contour or highlight. Try the weirdest things, because they always lead to new ideas. 

I hope these tips were somehow helpful and if you have any other tips, please share them in the comments! :) XX photo credit: weheartit

Building a terrarium

March 15, 2015

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Plant and their adorable children. (Just kidding) I have always been a lover of plants and cacti and I think that's becoming pretty obvious when you enter my bedroom. Every corner of my room has at least one flower or cactus, because they make my white room look a lot cosier and home-y. The two plants on the left are my newest friends (I sound so sad when I say that. 'I have a lot of friends, yeah, most of them are plants') and they still have to grow a lot. They were almost dead when I got them and because I couldn't bear the sight of the two sad plants, I adopted them. They are starting to look healthier so I'm hoping they'll look amazing soon...

The other two cacti have grown so fast, the one of the right wasn't very big when I got it and the owner had kind of given up on him (he was half the size of my pink haha), but he has grown amazingly well and he even looks as if he's raising his hands! *cringe* The cacti in the white pot is probably the prettiest of them all and he's my favourite. :) Okay so I just wrote a whole post about my growing terrarium, but I was just wondering if you have one as well? XX


Dressing down

March 12, 2015


While taking these photos I was close to falling asleep, yet the sun was shining so I had to go outside and take some photos of my outfit. This outfit isn't anything too special, to be honest I barely wear special outfits during school weeks. Waking up at 6am to get ready for school means I'd rather wear a pair of leggings and a warm sweater than anything else. I love this shirt though, it's classic and looks great on everything. The jeans are the most comfortable things ever, they keep me warm and are really stretchy. What do you like to wear on a regular school day? XX


Make me blush

March 10, 2015


Blushes are probably the most loved items in my make-up stash. Not only are they extremely pretty to photograph, they also bring life back to your face. Especially during the cold wintertimes when your skin tends to get pale and lifeless. That's what always happens to me. I actually never use blush during the warmer summer times, the only beauty products I use when it gets warmer are mascara and concealer. But that's for another article. I listed my four favourite blushes for you and I would love to know what your faves are!


Sunny sundays

March 9, 2015


It was such a sunny sunday today, and since my grandpa's house is so stunning, I decided to shoot some photos at his front door. Because we all do that, don't we? Haha. My brother was really sweet and didn't mind being my photographer. He's an amazing photographer, I'm always stunned by his photos.

I bought this pair of American Apparel jeans a few days ago and I'm already obsessed. They are so comfortable and really easy to style. The fabric is quite thick so I can wear them when it gets colder, but I think I'll be wearing them a lot during the sunny days that will hopefully follow soon. I paired them with a Topshop crop top and my favourite sandals.

(Jeans: American Apparel; Top & sandals: Topshop; sunglasses: New Look; Jewellery: H&M and Bijou Brigitte)




Summer on my face

March 8, 2015


A few weeks ago, I never understood the hype around bronzers and why every youtuber or blogger used it in every make-up tutorial until I got one myself. During the tough, cold, freezing winter time, there's only one way to bring summer to your face. Pray to your savior: the bronzer. I wanted to discover the world of bronzers and bought myself a cheap bronzer from Mua. I'm pretty sure this is only the beginning of my bronzer collection. 

This Mua bronzer is surprisingly well pigmented and the color is oh so pretty. I prefer my make-up products not to be overly pigmented, because I like to build the colors up. I apply this bronzer underneath my cheekbones (I don't know how to explain, but I know you know what I'm trying to say) and I lightly contour my face. It gives my face a healthy color and it isn't too brown and bronzed. I'm all about that bronzer life right now, but I promise, I won't overdo it. 

Products used:
Mua bronzer in shade 3

Clouds of fashion

March 7, 2015


I paid the stunning shop called 'Clouds of fashion' a visit today for a school project, but ended up buying a stunning pair of trousers. Clouds of fashion is a direct way to clothing heaven, hence the name. (Okay I just made that up, but it's so true though.) Imagine yourself the newest trends, stunning clothing, quality pieces (if something's broken, you get a fair refund) and a gorgeous design, all collected in one shop. May I present you, Clouds of fashion. This is no sponsored post, I just had to write something about the shop, blimey. If you find yourself to be in Antwerp, be sure to visit this wonderful shop to make your stay in the city of fashion even more unforgettable. Tell them I sent you there *wink* *wink*

Address:
Clouds of fashion
Nationalestraat 79 
2000 Antwerp


Keep your head up

March 6, 2015


I always feel like Christmas is on its way when I wear collared dresses. It's just a thing, I don't know. Since the weater was really shitty (excuse the word), I felt like cheering my day up by putting on a more festive dress. I actually never feel comfortable wearing this dress, because it literally shows everything, every single imperfection. But it's pretty and it has a collar, so I usually wear a blazer on top of it. 

(dress: New Look; blazer: c&a; shoes: New Look; bag: zalando)



Latest Instagrams

© Fashionatic. Design by FCD.