Bond style party

Ok, so the day "X" is tomorrow. In the evening I will do my best to squeeze into this "nothing special" dress, make my hair look nice and not to drink much, so I would look pretty on the pictures afterwards ;)

I still need to buy a red colour garter to hold the Beretta (no idea where to get both though)... and probably the false lashes too (well, just to finally try those on)... and to figure out what jewelery am I wearing... and to fix the sandals... and to figure out whether I am wearing the lace gloves... and decide upon putting the stockings on... and to paint the nails... phew! :)
 

Packing the backpack

Whilst other girls are sweating in the gym, solarium and shops in order to look their best on the Christmas Party, my mind is fully occupied with getting fit and prepared for my Morocco-tour. I am browsing through the shelves of sports department and trying on those awful-looking hiking boots instead of elegant patent court shoes...

I am however very optimistic that the comfort provided by the waterproof jacket and windproof hat is worth the effort and money spent! ;)

And despite there has been no progress recently in this area, I still adhere to the idea of launching this blog once I come back. I mean, after I get some african tan to finally make some photoshootings ;)

Recommended: Gliss Kur conditioner

To put it straight: I am not the one who believes any of cosmetic products will work a miracle for my face, body or hair. I always have that sceptical smile on my face while reading the announcement on all those "magical" bottles and tubes, promising my lashes would become million times thicker (ha! you don't have to be an expert in maths to approximately calculate how many lashes would it make if it was true!)

However after seeing my hair-dresser last time, I did follow her advice and purchsed this Gliss Kur conditioner from Scwarzkopf; despite the fact it states "total repair for dry, damaged hair", which is actually not my case.

First of all, because the price was more than afforadable (currently 3,- Eur in Drogas), which is a unique case (usually all the recommendations I get from the hair-dressers start from 10,- Eur)! Secondly, it is a leave-in spray, which makes the life easier and allows to save water on washing the ordinary conditioner out ;) Third thing, it promised "extra easy combability" - the effect I desired.

To my biggest surprise, this stuff really does the trick: it makes my hair silky, thus easily combable and the hair feels very soft without becoming fluffy! In addition to that, its fragrance reminds me that of Marina de Bourbon's perfume "Ambre Vert", which was my favourite like 7 years ago and as discontinued shortly after ;)

 

Ta da!

Looking good is not only about dressing nicely; it is also about staying fit! That's why I left H&M store with a small plastic bag containing the pack of sports socks only! ;)

Keep calm and Gangnam style! ;)

Teal blue

Every time I come across something what I believe to be "really good" at the price which is "really good", I am feeling very excited... yet bewildered. Deep inside I am considering what's possibly wrong with this thing (or me), if noone else has purchsed it? Where's the catch?!

This is exactly what I've experienced with my new coulourblock dress by A|wear. It attracted my antention like half a year ago and as soon as the price slipped down from 83 to 27 Eur, I went for it!

This sleeveless pencil dress is crafted from thick glossy fabric in teal-blue-grey panels and trimmed with grosgrain black ribbon. Well, as you can see from the picture it doesn't fit properly on the back due to the zip I guess; however the way this dress emphasizes my blue eyes distracts all attention from my back, hehe! ;)

To put it short: looks expensive and feels soft! I am wearing it today and while receiving compliments from the colleagues, wondering why it is still "collecting dust" on the shelves of ASOS warehouse...

 

Here

Deo

Preventing your body from sweating and preserving your armpits from stains is a pain in the...well...you know. I have been struggling with this issue ever since it became essential to me... And even after more than 10 years I still don't have a reliable solution... Damn it!

For couple of years now the latvian girls have been obsessed with the domestic organic cosmetics brand Madara; so I placed a bet on their herbal deodorant. I even decided I could deal with the wet roll-on, although I dislike the feeling when applying it and usually go for a "stick".



It really is well absorbing, doesn't cause itch or anything, but the effect is not what I expected... Unfotunately - yes, I still do smell.
 

Pierre Cardin tights

 

 





I've been resisting this obvious fact for so long, now it is time to finally admit that Pierre Cardin hoisery sucks!

I used to be a fan of their tights and stockings because of "good quality" at affordable price, but I promise I won't purchase those no more! Although in general I like the look and the fit around my hips, these are just too easy to tear at the toes (even the thick ones; compared even to less expensive tights)...

It is time to search for a better brand!

Neon Necklace

Ever since I saw this fuorescent jewel necklace by Matthew Williamson for Topshop I've been looking for it everywhere:

However all what I could get myself was the neon pink colour version... And this is what I am wearing today with the peplum skirt of exactly same shade and the navy top!

 

P.S. I would never pay the full price of 35 pounds for it, but for 10 quids it is just fine! ;)





ASOS Pencil Dress in Colour Block

This bright ASOS labeled dress demonstrated by my favourite ASOS model was definetly a good catch! One of those "put on and go!" expensive-looking garments.  I was lucky to grab the last piece at half price, hehe (something around 33 Eur)!  

The first time I put it on, I immediately received a delighted feedback from my dad and brother! (Need to mention that things like that happen once in a blue Moon ;)
As my brother said, if he was steering, he would definetly pick me up!

I was worried a bit whether the horizontal colour blocks wouldn't add me more "volume", but in fact it turned out to be very flattering! The combination of colours is great for A/W season and definetly won't let you stay unnoticed!

The fabric of this dress is quite thick yet soft; it consists of 84% polyester, 10% viscose and 6% elastane. I like that this touch of viscose "neutralizes" the unpleasant polyester-feel.

image from asos.com 

White Lace

Ah, I wish I was heading towards some private villa in the Caribbean, so I would have a chance to wear this "innocent" lace playsuit by Asos Salon ;)

Black Metal

At the end of August I literally went crazy over the rocky "black leather - silver metal" accessories. These made a great match to my cropped leather jacket and were shining brightly in the last beams of sun... (Most surprising detail: my mum adored them too!)

 

Here is the composition of my daily "ammunition":

 

- Silver plate hair elastic by Lindex
- "JN" initials leather-look bracelet by Jovonna London (originally it had "jovonna" letters on and was sent to me as a gift for the order, but I though I could slightly modify it to look cool ;)
- Leather-metal studs bangle by Lindex
- Silver earrings with zircons and onyx (purchased several years ago and disliked by my mom at that time)
- 2 part leather-metal button cuff by Lindex

To make it crystal clear: I believe Lindex definetly is the best place to choose your must have shiny leather-look bracelet for this fall/winter! So keep on tracking their arrivals here.

Clutch DIY

During the summer sale I hesitated for a while in front of these Vero Moda 2-tone suede/leather clutches... The quality of the bag was frighting me off, whilst it's price of 9 Eur was quite appealing...

At the end I decided to purchase one in order to satisfy my creative mood; as suddenly  I got the idea of embellishing this bag (surely a result of browsing Vogue the night before)!

 So there it was:

 



Then I pulled out my huge box of beads, pearls & old bijous and started to design:





Et voilà! The creative outcome:





Turkish Delight

Among my 25th Birthday presents there was this vintage silver necklace, brought to me directly from Turkish bazaar ;)

 

It has a V-shaped pendant in some ethnical motives incrusted with zircons, ruby and emerald paste. I percept it as two mythical firebirds in a tresure cave guarding the giant emerald eye :)

 

 

 

Although not really my style of jewellery, I can't take my eyes of this marvelous emerald colour... neither can I resist the bling of zircons!

The only trouble is to find the suitable earrings... I would not like to go just for some matching ones, I'd rather mix&match it with something more contemporary.

 

Oasis oasis

(If I haven't told you yet...)
Oasis is definetly the brand I love (as pathetic as it may sound)! ;)

Reason for this adoration? This London brand offers smart cut feminine garments in good quality fabrics and trendy colouring at a more or less affordable price.

Few years ago first Oasis store in Latvia was opened in "Spice" shopping mall. And about a year ago I discovered their online shop www.oasis-stores.com

This link is definetly worth saving in "favorites"!

Below are some advantages of the online shopping with Oasis:

• whilst still at full price in store, some items are already offered at the reduced price online
• if subscribed to a newsletter, special offers are regularly sent to your mailbox 
• further reductions are impressive; e.g. 15 Eur for a skirt or 25 Eur for a dress - trust me, it is a bargain!
• pictures are quite realistic, short description and fabric composition is available
• there is a possibility to leave feedback for the item, which sometimes helps a lot to understand whether the garment looks similar to the picture or not, does it crinckle a lot etc.
• international shipping costs 10 Eur; the parcel is delivered by DHL carrier (however it took my last order 3 weeks to arrive)
• very nice bonus:  labled hangers are included ;)

The only tricky part is the stock availability. Sometimes after adding the item to the shopping bag and proceeding to checkout you get an "out of stock" or "available for UK delivery only" notification. However I haven't experienced this issue lately, so hopefully this failure will soon be fixed! ;)

Happy shopping!

P.S. So far I didn't have a need to return anything back - so can't advice you on that process! ;)

Prophecy

I don't possess a single Prophecy branded piece, so when I saw this light cotton top with vibrant embellishment reduced from 90 Eur to 15 Eur, I thought I have to "get acquainted" with it ;)

Unfortunately this turned out to be a "high price does not guarantee..." experience. Though the quality of the item was good, somehow it's design appeared to be "too sophisticated" to make you good look in it.

 

Lime-black

Lime-black trend is still on top and definetely among my favourite colour combinations.
At the moment I have an eye on this luminescent Monton cardigan:

Here

 

Pom pom

OMG, these are just sooo outstandingly cute! :)

I have always adored pom poms as something appealing, but I'd never imagined these can be attached to the sandals... Now there is this strange feeling I kinda want them... madly! :)

Here

Tassel heel

Was browsing through Jovonnista AW 12 lookbook and this picture caught my eye...
Ok, the skirt is pretty, and the bag is nice, but the shoes!... Like how cool is that?!

 

 

 

Googled "tassel heel" and found out these were designed by Camilla Skovgaard for her Fall 10 collection.

 

 



Spotlight

Given a chance to grab the last pair of these very statement earrings I didn't hesitate to order those... ah yeah, and those lilac ones too :)

From the very first second I saw these earrings I doubted the fact I could ever wear those, as naturally I expected all that razzle-dazzle to weight  like... well, a lot...
And the parcel I received from ASOS the other day proved I was 100% right!

In fact, both pairs were so heavy I couldn't last longer than 60 seconds I guess. My earlobes stetched twice and it was even hard to turn my head.

Just wondering could these be ever put on for any other occasion except a quick photoshoot?!...

Otherwise very eye-catching spotlight earrings!
If you believe you can handle it, I mean... I will be soon returning these back ;)

images from asos.com

Frill waterfall

Just the other day I occasionally fell in love with this dramatic waterfall dress by Lipsy...

And I bet noone can judge me for being attracted by the bright colour, feminine frills and lightweight chiffon! ;)

If only I manage to get it in my size (which is naturally "out of stock") - this is something I will be wearing for Xmas!

ASOS and the dinosaurs

- What is the probability of meeting a dinousaur on the street?
- It is 50/50. You either meet one or not.

Have you ever heard this joke?
Well, it is about the same with the quality of ASOS labled wear: it is either good or bad ;)
 

Holidays are coming...

Although it is still the end of October, there is not so much time left until the moment my friend starts singing all those "Holidays are coming..." Christmas songs. And I have already spotted numerous "perfect for Xmas party" dresses on eBay...

Well, in case you don't have to search for a bargain on eBay and can spend around 600 Eur for "that special holiday season dress" instead, why don't you try on this funniest frock from Manoush:

This embellished wool/viscose blend fit and flare dress is currently available at ASOS at a 50% discount! ;)

Check it out here

 

Pink peplum

When I saw an extra 20% off sale @ Oasis online store, I just couldn't resist ordering this bright pink peplum skirt I'd been looking at for a month. At the price of 12 Eur it had to be given a chance! ;)

As obviously it would be quite stupid to pay 10 Eur shipping fee when ordering a 12 Eur worth item, I also decided to try on that structured cut out dress (both in classical black and classical red, as I wasn't able to choose one) along with those funky suede peep toe heels! ;)

 

images from oasis-stores.com

 

The Royal Choice

Among other items I ordered from ASOS (sure!) last summer there was this sweeet poppy dress by Warehouse. At the moment I can't remember the  exact reason for sending it back: either the bodice didn't suit me, or the length was too mini, or I decided I have enough silk summer dresses besides this one (what a strange flash of rationality, a?)...

The fact is I returned it back and forgot about it... till the moment I accidently saw this article, which claims this dress was among the "lucky ones" packed by Kate Middleton in her honeymoon-suitcase.

image from polyvore.com
 

Как-то прошлым летом я "выписала по почте" ето милое маковое платье от Warehouse.
Уже не припомню, почему именно я отправила его назад: то ли фасон лифа мне не подошел, то ли длинна коротка была, то ли я посчитала, что у меня и так хватает шелковых летних платьев...

 

Вспомнила я про него случайно наткнувшись на эту статью, где утвержадается, что платье это (в числе прочих) упаковала в свой honeymoon-чемодан сама Кейт Миддлтон.

Penguins

How do you like this cutiest penguin bag? :)
I think it's just sweet!

Bag here and the matching purse here

 

image from next.co.uk

 

Как вам такая "мимишная" сумка с пингвинчиками?! :)
По-моему, клёвая! http://www.next.co.uk/g486242s1 

Есть также кошелек: http://www.next.co.uk/g652348s