My Sales Haul | Winter 2014

Hi everyone !

First of all, my apologies for the lack of posts these days (or rather these weeks, huh). I've been so busy with university and work that I couldn't find the time to sit down and write a proper thing. But I'm back today with a haul !

I know it's a bit late but I've decided to do a sales haul. I don't post hauls every time I go shopping, but I'm so happy with what I got this year (in terms of clothing) that I cannot keep that to myself !

I've picked up a few nice pieces for very good prices, which always makes you happy, right ? I'll start with the clothes because that's the main thing I bought, then I'll show you the two tiny makeup items I bought also.

First from New Look, I got two cute dresses, which look like this :

As you can see, it is a black dress with pink and purple flowers all over. Isn't it cute ? I've taken a better picture for you to see the print :

 

The shape is also very flattering, and this is the main reason why I finally bought the dress. It really fits me and makes a pretty silhouette :)

It was 12.00€ reduced from 29.99€, so quite a bargain !

The second dress from New Look is this one :

And the detailing on the top part looks like this :

It is a simple black dress, with a floaty skirt (I love it !), and the only touch of colour is the detailing on the top, embroidered with light pink flowers (you can't really see the colours on the pics though). I thought it was very feminine, and it looks waaay prettier in real life ! I know it's going to become one of my favourite dresses.

Again, it was 12.00€ reduced from 29.99€ !

I bought another dress, from Pull and Bear this time. It is a light beige dress with lace on the sides and on the top part. It will be perfect for spring and summer !

 

I looove the detailing around the edges at the top, it is so pretty and makes it looks more "finished" and delicate. It was 25.99€ reduced from 39.99€, which is a good price compared to what I would have paid for it if I had bought it a few weeks earlier !

Next I went to H&M, where I bought two amazing shirts/blouses.

The first one is this beige blousy top with lace at the front :

 

It is very sheer so you have to wear something underneath it. The sleeves are in a different material than the rest, very flowy and nice. You can't really see it but the collar goes up on the neck, which gives the blouse a very vintage style. I looove it ! It was 15.00€ instead of 29.95€.

The second one is a pale pink shirt :

The colour doesn't really show in the pictureS but it is pink. The thing that got me to buy it was the collar, I think it is the cutest thing ever. It is a very simple shirt, but then it can be worn with anything so it's a staple to have in your wardrobe. This one was also 15.00€, instead of 24.95€.

I'm done with the clothes ! Here are the few beauty things that I got :

 I got two lip products from Sephora :

 - An ultra vinyl lip pencil, in this pretty pink shade, perfect for spring. The pencil reminds me of the Chubby sticks, although the quality is not as good obviously.

 - A long-lasting vinyl lip lacquer. I bought it because of the colour, which is dark, almost burgundy, but with fushia pink sparkles on it. When you put it on the lips, it is darker than what it is in the packaging. The texture is very sticky, which bugs me a little. It is quite difficult to apply also, you struggle to have an even colour everywhere on your lips and you have to take your time to apply it properly. I'm very disappointed in it, if I knew that I wouldn't have bought it even if it was really cheap !

They were both 2.00€, so I got them for 4.00€ instead of 16.80€.

Lastly, I went to a Make Up Forever shop, because I heard they were making sales on a selection of products (unfortunately it wasn't in the whole shop) and some were very interesting. And indeed, you have some little palettes which were reduced by 70%. Amazing ! There were also liners, and the other things I don't remember.

The only thing I bought was this small-sized HD Powder, which was also with 70% off. It contains 5g of powder, so I think it will last for a while ! And for 4.26€, it was totally worth it !

***

So that's it for my sales haul ! I thought I would get more beauty products than clothes, but I'm actually happy that I came across such bargains to add to my wardrobe !

Julia xx

What I got for Christmas + my Christmas cupcakes !

First of all, I want to wish you a happy new year ! May 2014 bring you joy, health and happiness :)

And I know it's a bit late, but I thought it would be nice to show you the things I got for Christmas. And at the end of this post, I'll feature some pictures of the Christmas cupcakes I made for my family gathering on Christmas Eve - everybody liked them and I'm quite proud so I wanted to share that too.

Let's start with the presents ! I really love them all, as I chose them myself - yep there was no surprise of any kind with those, but I was asked to choose and so I did. I'm so excited about all this, I always feel like a

child when I open my Christmas presents !

The first one I want to talk about is the one I coveted the most and for the longest time. My own Deathly Hallows necklace ! All Harry Potter fans will know what this is, and understand why I am so excited about it. This symbol represents the three objects that, when you possess them all, make you the Master of Death : the Cloak of Invisibility (the triangle), the Resurrection Stone (the circle), and the Elder Wand (the line in the middle).

I won't go in details about the whole story, but to me this symbol is one of the strongest signs we have in the Harry Potter fandom and universe, and I'm so so happy I now have this amazing necklace. 

I'm a little afraid to wear it honestly, I don't want to damage it - but I'll definitely do it anyway, it looks so cool !

Next is a perfume. I'm almost running out of the Flower by Kenzo I've been using for months (this is my signature scent I guess, one of my favourite perfumes ever), and my mother kindly suggested to buy me a new one for Christmas. I wanted to change and not buy the Kenzo again, and I went for the Dalhia Noir by Givenchy.

I remember smelling it when it first came on stores, and I immediately loved it. It is very different from the scents I go for usually. I couldn't describe it, but I feel like it is a more "mature" feminine scent, a bit stronger too than what I'm used to. So I decided to go for it ! It came in a little set with a nice box to keep it in.

To stay in the beauty theme, I got the Sugarlicious kit by Benefit. I've always wanted to try Benefit products, since everybody likes them and says the quality is really good. This kit is composed of the Sugarbomb blush, the High Beam highlighter, the Benetint for lips and cheeks and the Ultra Plush Sugarbomb gloss, all in sample size. I'm not going to talk too much about this since I want to do a complete review, but I can safely say that this kit is amazing and that I love every product in it !

That's all for the actual presents ! I mainly got money from my family, which is greatly appreciated because sales are starting tomorrow in France :P

And now, my Christmas cupcakes !

I really wanted to cook something for my family this year, because I always eat a lot but I don't really help to cook at all, which is a bit unfair to my nice aunties who spend their afternoon in the kitchen.

I found this wonderful cupcakes decoration kit in New Look, it is sooo cute ! 

It is composed of 24 little cases with cute Christmas patterns on it (I looove the reindeer !), and 24 toppers of four different styles : Santas, glittery stars, penguins and reindeer.

So I made vanilla-coconut cupcakes and used these items to make them look Christmassy. 

And here is what they looked like in the end :

And here is a close-up look :

I'm really glad with how they turned out, especially on the top. I wanted the topping to look like snow, and I just added the little gold sugar because it was nice haha. I don't think I need to write the recipe here, I basically just took one from the Internet and changed it a bit eventually. 

This part of my post doesn't have any relevance at all haha, but I just wanted to show this to you :)

And as this post is long enough already, I'm just gonna wish you a happy new year again, and I'll see you next time !

Lots of love,

Julia xx

The Christmas tag !

Hello everybody !

I really really wanted to make the Christmas tag, because I love this time of year so much I thought it would be fun to answer those questions.

So without further rambling, here it is !

1/ What is your favourite Christmas film ?

My favourite Christmas film has to be Love Actually ! not very original I know, but I absolutely love it. A bunch of great actors, funny characters, cool music... I always end up watching it ten times during this time of year, and I almost know the words by heart !

*I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes* - *feel it in my toeeees*...

2/ What is your favourite festive colour ?

I really love gold and silver shades at Christmas, especially when it features loads of glitter. It just gives everything a festive look, and this is exactly what we need at Christmas - a happy atmosphere, lights, glitter !

3/ Do you open your gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning ?

Well, I do both ! We have this tradition in the family, as we all spend Christmas Eve at my grandma's, we open some presents at midnight on the 24th - or 25th, depending on how you see it haha. Then after a good night of sleep when we're back home, we open the last bits in the morning !

4/ What is your favourite Christmas fragrance ?

I don't have a particular fragrance for winter - to speak the truth, I've been wearing Flower by Kenzo during all autumn-winter time, which is slightly inappropriate as this perfume basically smells like sweet spring flowers haha !

But this week and probably for the rest of winter, I'll be using the J'adore by Dior, it has a very nice scent and looks perfect for fancy end-of-year evenings to me !

5/ What is your favourite Christmas scent ?

I love spicy Christmas scents, like cinnamon and berries together - this is a quite popular scent for winter candles.

Also, I'm using a very nice candle at the moment, it's called "Frosted Snow" - it is quite fresh and smells of Christmas tree... Perfect !

6/ What is your favourite holiday drink ?

Well, as many people I guess, my favourite Christmas drink is... hot chocolate ! I could have some at any time : in the morning, in the afternoon while procrastinating on the Internet, in the evening while watching a Christmas film... To be honest, hot chocolate is the ultimate drink for me all year round haha !

7/ Candy canes or gingerbread men ?

I'm not fond of either... But I'll go with candy canes, because they are really pretty and practical at the same time : when you no longer need them for decoration, you can just eat them and lose no space in storing them somewhere !

But I must say gingerbread men are also really cute... tough question !

8/ What is your favourite Christmas song ?

It's so difficult to choose just one ! But I would say "all I want for Christmas is you", by Mariah Carey. The Love Actually version is also quite good though. And I love "baby it's cold outside", "White Christmas"... sooo many good Christmas songs !

But here is "all I want for Christmas is you", yay !

9/ Have you ever made a snowman ?

I have of course ! but I'm so bad at this, and I've only made small ones because I can't gather snow to make huge balls - I don't even know how people do that !

But a tiny snowman is a cute snowman anyway isn't it ?

10/ What is the most important thing to you about Christmas ?

The most important thing for me is to be happy. So not particularly being with your family - I know for most people Christmas means family time, and that's what it is for me, but not everybody feels the same -, but the main thing is to enjoy yourself, eat what you like (don't think about gaining weight, who cares !), laugh and have a great time, that's all !

And of course put lights everywhere : candles, garland lights, anything. To me Christmas is also a celebration of light - it's winter, it's dark, we want to light this up a bit and make it more festive and warm ! :)

***

I wish you all a merry Christmas - and if you don't celebrate Christmas, I wish you a good day anyway, cheers ! ;)

Julia xx

Christmas outfit inspiration #2

I'm back with a new outfit inspiration !

This time I went less cosy and more dressy. I decided to stick to a light colours and glitter theme, because all you need for Christmas is softness and sparkles. Isn't it ?

I first found this gorgeous Topshop dress, and then found some accessories to go with it. This outfit is very different from the first one, and would probably suit in a more dressed up Christmas party.

Or if you just want to be all fancy waiting for Santa, that's good too !

1. Rhinestone headwrap, Forever 21 (£5.65). Perfect to match the stones of the dress, and add a little bit of cuteness to your outfit ! You can click on this link to find more about it.

2. Clutch bag with front lock and bar, Asos (£18.00). The gold detailing is really pretty, and the size of this bag is the best to carry your stuff around. For the link to the website, click here !

3. Cross embellished skater dress, Topshop (£55.00). I know this dress is a bit expensive, but considering it was originally £85.00, it can be interesting nonetheless. And it was too beautiful for me not to mention it ! Here it the webpage of the dress.

4. Short cream blazer, H&M (£16.00). This blazer is so cheap and looks perfect with the dress ! You can find it right there !

5. Black embellished shoes, New Look (£29.99). These shoes complete the outfit very nicely, I particularly love the embellishments on the front, just like on the dress ! You can find them on the New Look website.

That's it for the second Christmas outfit !

It is really classic when you think about it, but pale pink and cream are so lovely at all times, even for Christmas - it changes from the usual red and gold shades we can find everywhere ! I hope you like this selection, and that it can maybe inspire you in choosing your outfit.

Julia xx

Christmas outfit inspiration #1

Hello there !

Oops, I'm only starting to get Christmassy on here, although I've been in the Christmas mood for a while already. But exams are messing up my entire schedule, and I have little time to hang on Blogger.

But anyway, I'm here today to share a bit of Christmas outfit inspiration with you. The D-day is in less than two weeks, so it's about time to think about what to wear !

I've decided to do a few different outfits, with different styles ; and I'm starting with a very cosy one today.

You'll find all the links above if there is one item that you fancy - it's still time for a bit of Christmas shopping !

1. Knitted black hat, H&M (9.95 €). The pompom is so cute ! However, I couldn't find the UK link on the H&M website.

2. Black reindeer Light Up Christmas Jumper, New Look (£29.99). It is so cool, the reindeer's nose lights up when you move or when you touch it ! My mother bought it for herself, and I'm probably going to steal it someday ! You can find it here.

3. Red and White Snowflake Leggings, New Look (£9.99). These leggings are so cheap, and totally suitable for the season ! They have loads of tiny white reindeer on them, and I think it matches the jumper perfectly. Here is the link to the website !

4. Black Lace Up Boots, New Look (£29.99). These ones are perfect to complete the look, and the detail of the knit is what makes it interesting I think. You can have a closer look at it by clicking right here !

So you see, this is a very comfy outfit, all knitted and casual, for a family Christmas spent in eating loads of chocolate and yummy food !

I'll see you soon for a different type of outfit !

Julia xx

Autumn/winter selection : outdoors clothing

Hello everybody !

Today I'm going to do a selection of clothes from different shops and online shopping website, to pick up my favourite outdoors clothing. It is that time of the year when we definitely have to think about getting a coat, a scarf and some gloves, before we freeze just by putting a toe outside ! I already got myself a coat from H&M (and for some reason it does not appear on the website), but maybe some of you haven't found yours yet ; so I hope this selection will help you find what you want !

First we'll start by the coats. It's the most important element obviously, and also (unfortunately) the most expensive. I've tried to select a few that seem really good and pretty, but not too expensive because I don't know about you, but I wouldn't pay hundreds for one single item, never.

The first coat (or rather jacket here) is by H&M. It is quite unusual and not everybody will like it, but I thought it was original and pretty - and I don't usually like fur so that is something for me !

It looks quite chic and I think would go with everything, with a skirt paired with a nice floaty shirt, or with leggings and a simple top, with a nice dress, etc. It looks so fluffy and warm !

You can find this jacket here, and it is £34.99.

The next one is also from H&M, but in a totally different style. It is a kaki green parka. These are very fashionable at the moment, they were so last year, and it can put you off to see everyone in the streets wearing them (that's the only reason why I didn't by one haha). But nevertheless they are really pretty and go with everything, so I chose to include one here.

Also, the faux fur collar is very nice and would kinda do the job of a scarf, don't you think ?

The link to the website is right here, and again this item is not very pricey : £39.99 !

I've got a different style of coat now, but still in a kaki tone (but with bits of black too). It is a kind of military style coat from Boohoo. It is very structured, with a belt and a lot of silver buttons. It love the details of the black collars and the black bottom part of it. It is somehow lady-like !

 

This one is a bit more expensive that the other two, but it looks like it's great quality so I guess it's still fine : £50.00, and you can find it here ! 

Now I've selected another coat, but definitely more expensive than the ones before. I've decided to include it because it's so pretty and I know a lot of people would like it even though it's price can be somehow exaggerated. It comes from Asos, and it is a skater coat !

How adorable is that ? For a skater skirts lover like me, this looks like heaven ! but unfortunately, I couldn't pay so much for a coat. It is available in navy, black and red and has buttons all the way up to the neck. 

It is £70.00 - which is a lot, but I couldn't ignore it ! - and you can find it here if you like !

Now, on to the fun part : the accessories ! And I've selected a lot from Asos actually, so there you go !

First I've chosen a snood, because everybody seems to love them and to think they are very practical and cosy etc. I've never had one so I can't really tell, but if you like snoods, this one seems quite good to me :

It is a big burgundy snood. It is kind of a chunk knit and should be really warm for the colder months. And of course its colour goes with pretty much everything, it is a staple item I guess.
It is £12.00, you can learn more about it on this page !

Now, I've got the cutest ensemble of accessories to show you. They are again from Asos, and maybe some people wouldn't like them, but I think they are amazing !

 

They are matching reindeer gloves and beanie ! 

Well not exactly matching because the colours are slightly different, but who cares when they are so adorable ?

They are sold separately, but would make a great pair to wear this winter. Combined with a red coat, this would make the cutest outdoors look ever. 

If you're interested, check this link for the beanie (£12.00) and this one for the gloves (which are £10.00).  

***

I'm afraid this selection won't be as long and complete as the other ones I've done, but I don't have time enough to make further research for now. And I'll soon come back with a (or several) Christmas selection, so there will be more of these winter accessories anyway !

Julia xx