Stripes and Bubbles

Photography : Bill Bar

SHOP THE LOOK

top : H&M

kimono : Bershka

shoes : H&M

You can't say that I didn't warn you, in this post, when I said that you'll be seeing more of my beloved kimono soon!! So I stayed true to my words and after grabbing my favourite flavour of Bubble Tea, I went for a walk from Thiseio to Gazi - taking pictures was completely coincidental, I promise!!!

Initially I thought to put the top in a different look, where it would be the main item. After wearing it with the kimono though, I really liked the way the straps are peeking through the material - accidentally or not! Both the top and the kimono are airy and loose, and are really perfect to bring with you in your vacation for that "night out in the island" aetherial kind of look!!

As far as the shoes are concerned.. I know you've seen them before and I know I said they weren't the most comfortable footwear item in the world, but I'm a weak person and a sucker for these shoes! I really like the way they look and the way they hug my feet. Also for tall girls like me, it's not everyday when you find such a flatform!!

Easy Sea Salt Spray - DIY

So this post isn't something new or groundbreaking, but I decided to make it anyway! This is just the way I make salt water for my hair and it's a recipe that I find works. If your hair is like mine - straight and thick - then give it a go!!

First let's start by saying that the basic salt water spray could be just water and coarse salt, but there are little somethings you could add to have a better finish.
For me it's some coconut oil, a little bit of a thickening paste and if your hair is super dry then you could add some leave-in conditioner too.
The coconut oil takes some of the harshness of the salt and nourishes your hair, and the thickening paste really plumps up the whole do!!

"RECIPE"

1 cup hot water

2 tbsp coarse salt

1 tsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp thickening paste

+optional

1 tsp to 1 tbsp leave-in conditioner

(depending on your hair type)

Mix all the ingredients together and wait for it to cool down a little - then spritz away on damp or dry hair and enjoy your newly found textured look!!

Eat - Shop - Repeat

Another Sunday is here and the shopping and cooking spirits have overcome me once again!!

EAT : Fact about me : I love eggs! Poached, scrambled, omelette, sunny-side up or straight up boiled, I don't care, I love them anyway!! In a recent visit to Hip Cafe, I tried poached eggs with salmon and then I tried to recreate it at home with scrambled eggs instead!! And it worked!! I used a technique for Quick Cured Salmon (link) by Chef John - check him out, if you don't know him already - and the result was truly yummy!!

SHOP : So the Kimono trend is no news for many of you. It's been going on for some months now and though I've seen many shapes and sizes in the stores, I was still looking for that perfect one!! In my mind it was short sleeved and with a length reaching to the hip area and not so much a maxi one. After a meticulous search, I found the perfect one at Bershka (link to the kimono) and I can tell that you'll be seeing more from it soon!!!

Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara Review

Here we are again with another review and another beloved product. I bought this mascara two weeks ago, when I was in desperate need of a waterproof formula!! I put my faith in this new one from Bourjois and I wasn't disappointed - it's been a while since a product had completely let me down fortunately.

I've included a close up photo of the wand, since it's the thing that's so unique about this mascara. It's plastic and spiky but has little plastic spheres going on through it, that supposedly hug the lashes and give mega volume. Which I can say is pretty true!
This mascara gives volume and separation enough for a morning look if you apply one coat and then it's buildable enough to provide really black and voluminous lashes. but separation is the key here and you'll never get a grungy clumpy look out of this one!

Now about the formula, it's waterproof of course and it does the job perfectly without smudging or smearing or any other stuff that come with regular mascaras. And I live in a country where summer is relentless and without mercy, so trust me when I say that this works!!
One thing that comes hand in hand with the word waterproof is the fact that this mascara is a little bit on the dry side. It doesn't glide on the lashes but I find that this dryer formula gives more separation and this is all that counts for me!

New Haircut : From Deciding To Choping

There comes a time in a girl's life, when she's in need of a haircut. And I'm not talking about the regular trimming here.. This is the proper haircut, the one people notice!!
Having been in that place in my life recently, I think that it is a tad difficult to set your mind on the style you want - except, if you are super decisive and oh my God where have you come from??
In case you are just like me and not some kind of a super human cyborg, here's a little guideline I find really helpful everytime a new haircut is to take place!

Decision Process

• Do a little self assessment and decide whether you feel adventurous or you want to go for something safe.
• Decide the length you are going for first, before looking for different styles.
• Pinterest is your friend. Search depending on the length you want and you'l find a million different cuts.
• Don't repeat the failures of the past. If bangs weren't the right thing for you before, they won't be now.

In the Salon

• If you have a salon or a hairdresser you prefer and you know suits you, then stick with it. If not, find the friend with the best haircut and ask her.
• Bring photos with you, so you can show the hairdresser exactly what you want.
• Explain in detail how you want your haircut to be.
• Don't feel bad to tell her if something seems out of place.

So this is it.. It's not some kind of profound wisdom but it helps me get my mind in order and decide on that perfect looking, smoking hot new haircut that will change my life for good!!

Eat - Shop - Repeat

If there is one place that combines Eat and Shop perfectly, that is IKEA!! Being a foodie and a shopaholic this is the place to be, so this week I'll tell the tale of my IKEA adventures.

EAT : What IKEA is best known for, is of course the swedish meatballs! Everybody is going crazy about them and the raving is non-stop. So call me stubborn but I went for the Chicken Schnitzel with fries - although I stole a meatball or two from a friend. And the verdict? The meatballs are great and all, but the schnitzel is even greater!! Juicy, tender and a big enough portion to feed two - or me!

SHOP : Now this was the challenging part. Everytime I step foot to IKEA, I feel an unbeatable urge to redecorate my whole house, buy new kitchenware and even get some garden furniture - for the garden that I don't even have! In the spirit of sensibility though, I decided to buy only what was needed - plus a completely unnecessary scented candle! With that in mind, the checkout found me with a new Matilda curtain for my bedroom ,a Sinnlig candle that smells of tangerines and a mind full of ideas for an extreme makeover: House edition!!

That 90's Feeling

Photography : Bill Bar

SHOP THE LOOK

top : Pink Woman

shoes : Pull&Bear (similar)

overalls : vintage from Holy Mustache Vintage Culture

Being born in 1990, I've lived the 90's in their entirety and as a kid I've worn every fashion statement - disaster, that was cool back then. Except one.. Overalls!!! So when I stumbled upon this vintage pair of overalls, I thought it would be nice just to try them on, feel the 90's vibe. And surprisingly, they fitted perfectly!!

There is something about this piece that is timeless and there couldn't be a most perfect time to bring it back and make it up-to-date!

My Pink Woman crop top worked magic in this outfit and brought some freshness to it! Extra points for that little bit of skin that shows between the top and the overalls. 

Finishing off with some nude flats, to bring all the attention to the clothes and you're ready to go and listen to some Backstreet Boys!!

+did someone say Backstreet Boys??

H&M Liquid Eyeliner in Bronze

I know this post in looong overdue, as it was supposed to be up last week, but it's better late than never, so let's get to it!!

Although the name of the shade is, as you can see, Bronze, my opinion is that it's far from accurate. It's most likely a khaki or olive green colour, but I'll let this one pass and attribute the name to the colour of the metallic glitter of this eyeliner, that is infact bronze! I made a little introduction two weeks ago in this post and told you about the almost aluminum foil effect this liner has, which I find really unique and impressive.

The consistency is really liquidy and the applicator is a typical thin brush, so if you are accustomed to the regular liquid eyeliners then this will be a piece of cake! Now, you may think that being an H&M product, it's immediately a lower quality one too. So let me tell you, no! This is the most waterproof liner I've ever come across in my life and I'm really bummed this doesn't come in black! It dries really quick and then stays forever.

If you want a little something extra from your liner and not the typical black line, then this is perfect for you. Also great for brown eyes, as it really brightens as well as defines them!

Eat - Shop - Repeat

In this week's Eat - Shop - Repeat, the baking success continues with some of the most addictive cookies ever eaten by mankind and two new purchases, a necessary and a totally unnecessary one!

EAT : Starting with the yummy stuff, hurray to me for managing to bake something lemony, without it resulting to total disaster - thinking back to this moment!! Today we're talking about Lemon Crinkle Cookies and I'm setting the bar really high by saying that this is my all time favourite cookie!!

RECIPE

1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp vanilla

powdered sugar for rolling

I always start with the butter and the sugar and when they are combined I continue with the egg. After that I just throw everything in the bowl with no particular order and mix until everything is well combined. I know it doesn't sound very fancy, but it works every time!! The mixture is quite runny and cannot be rolled into a ball by its own, but if you place a teaspoon in the powdered sugar then you can shape it into a little ball. Place the cookies on a baking tray and bake for 10' in a preheated oven on 180° Celsius!

SHOP : And on to my purchases!!! Breaking the habit of getting the same mascara over and over again, I decided to try something new!! Bourjois launched a new mascara called Volume 1 Seconde Mascara and in a spur of the moment, I just went and got it. It has a plastic spiky wand and claims to give 360° clump-free volume. Taking into consideration that my beloved Avon mascara is almost finished, this was the necessary purchase!!

The unnecessary one : another simple, black top! Maybe it's the strappy neck, or the flowy material, but when I saw this top at H&M, I thought it was meant to be!! It comes in many colours and now that I think about it it could be possible that I need another one..

Too Faced Full Bloom Lip & Cheek Creme Color Review

I'm here with another review and this time it's a product that turned out to be a spring/summer essential!!

Spring and summer are undoubtedly the seasons of coral! Coral nails, cheeks, lips, coral everything - and with good reason! It just puts you to the perfect summer mood and brings a little bit of warmth to your complexion. Which brings us to the product at hand.. Prim & Poppy (link) - oh yes that's the shade's name!! - is and ever will be the perfect coral!!

The consistency of it, is very smooth and creamy, without it being sticky at all. Although it looks shiny in the pot, it leaves a satin/matte finish and then it's up to each person's complexion on whether it will produce some shine throughout the day. I myself have combination to oily skin and it works perfectly every time, even if applied after I've powdered - with patience and good blending, everything can happen!
As to the pigmentation, depending to the application this can go from a sheer flush of colour - as I'm wearing it above - to an in-your-face coral - as it is in the swatch!

Now as you can expect from Too Faced, this isn't the most affordable cream blush you can find out there, but if you can afford it then you will be rewarded from the good quality of this product. Also, even if you wear it every day for all the spring and summer months, in the end it will still seem barely used. Or to put it plainly, it will last for ever!!

The Elephant and The Hat

photography : Bill Bar

SHOP THE LOOK

dress : H&M

hat : Vans (similar)

lipstick : Golden Rose no.6

It was one of those days, that no piece of clothing can seem to fit right or properly. All I wanted was some comfort, something that was airy and simple. Being though a girly girl deep down inside, I couldn't just go for sweatpants. So here is my solution for a look that combines casual and cool, sporty and chic!!

The star of the show is of course the hat - mostly because I'm totally in love with it! I bought it in a recent Asos sale and it was something I wanted for a long time, without having something similar with it in my closet, like, ever!! In other words, I never had a baseball kind of hat and I really wanted one! 

It must have been a week ago when I saw this dress at H&M, and though it doesn't seem like something to wear with a hat so sporty, it kind of clicked in my mind and I decided to go with it! It's just a simple maxi black dress and its simplicity is what makes it so great. It appears to be the perfect blank - and black! - canvas for any look. A pair of high heels and a clutch and it's ready for a night out, or some simple flat sandals and an orange hat and you're perfect to stand in front of an elephant on a windy day!!

+ here's a gif of me getting all "Gone with the Wind"

Eat - Shop - Repeat

Eat - Shop - Repeat is back and this time there are no baking failures.. this time it worked!! On the Shop part of the post, I tried out H&M's makeup line and it also worked! It's a win-win for today's post, so let's get to it..

EAT : Since I first saw people eating pancakes in all those lovely American movies, where the Sunday breakfast table is full with stacks of them, I made it my life's goal to make them myself! Through trial and error I found the perfect recipe - simple, quick, efficient and above all yummy!! I know it's no news for most of you, but if anyone hasn't tried them.. please, give them a go!

RECIPE

3/4 cup milk

2 tbs. melted butter

1 egg

1 cup self-rising flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tbs. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

And that's it.. just put them in a bowl, combine well and then pour 2 tablespoons of the mixture for each pancake in a small pan over medium heat, after covering the pan with the thinnest film of seed or sunflower oil you can manage - even better if you wipe the pan with a paper towel after you pour the oil. When you see little bubbles on the pancake, it's time to flip!!

SHOP : All those times I've been to H&M and I haven't tried their makeup line... Shame!! I bought this liquid eyeliner mainly because of the colour. It has an olive green base but has a strong metallic - almost aluminum foil - gold effect. It's just gorgeous and as you can imagine, there's a full review coming up!!