Summer Romance

Don´t you think that the romantic style tends to be a bit underrated these times? Sometimes I get the impression that the fashion has too gone rough and if you don´t own at least ten pairs of biker boots and a spiky choker, you´re completely out! Sure, I do exaggerate a little bit, but I must admit that I´ve never really understood and liked the so called "Kate Moss" style. I mean, what happened to the elegance and feminity?
Thank God there are still designers like Dolce & Gabbana,  Hannah McGibbon or Phoebe Philo!
I´ve always liked the romantic style. There´s something about the crisp white, soft nudes and a peek-a-boo lace that makes me feel so pretty.  If you don´t want to look too saccharine or tacky, think clean lines, architectural cuts and beware of too many ruffles ( this would definitely be a bad choice!) Of course, even I like to add a leather jacket, or some black strappy sandals to add a little bit of edge to my outfit, but I never want to forget that I´m a woman!
This is my selection of the most beautiful romantic pieces. What do you think? Which one would you choose? Do you like this style?

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How to: Master the sparkling mess

I´ve already mentioned several times that I am a real sucker for the costume jewelry. I love all the sparkle, style and presence it provides: throwing on a statement necklace or a big ornamented cuff is the easiest way to invigorate any outfit you´re not really sure about. 

A few weeks ago I had a lot of fun organizing my collection: first of all I sorted out all the old stuff (some of it going to my teenage cousin, some directly to the trash), and then I imagined the ways to display all that stayed in a neat and coordinated way. I´ve found the cutest hangers for my necklaces, as I showed you in this post. And since I´ve been quite obsessed with the bubble glass for some time now (as proven by my bathroom decoration), I am so happy that I´ve found these vintage-like bowls and plates, which are just the perfect containers for all my sparkly baubles. Now, at least, I can find my favorite earrings without spending 15 minutes rummaging through a mess. What do you think?

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Wonderful little things

Pink & Cherry mani-pedi

This Easter weekend was just amazing! After a few long weeks (too long, I should say!) I got to spend four days with my boyfriend, and it was the greatest four days in such a long time! It was filled with sweet treats, walks in the park, drinks on the sunny terraces and family reunions. I have already booked the tickets for my next great weekend in Paris, but until I get there (three weeks left!), here are a few little things currently making me smile:

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Happy Easter!

I wish you all a wonderful weekend! I´ll be back on Monday :)

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Thursday quote

I´m pretty much the same...what about you?

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One-shoulder beauty

                                                        

 Ever since I saw the photos of Eva Longoria and Kim Kardashian on InStyle.com, I´ve been positively smitten with the one-shoulder dresses. Eva chose soft pink Victoria Beckham dress, while Kim rocked a deep burgundy Alexander Wang creation. I find that the one-shoulder dresses are such a fun twist to the classic sheath dress, plus they look both elegant and sexy, which is always a winning combination in my book.

While looking for the perfect one for me, I´ve put together a selection of the most beautiful pieces, both in the steal and the splurge departments. Which are your favorites? 

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Chestnut cake

Until recently I thought that baking a cake (a real one, I mean) was something of a really big deal, something very complicated and best being left to the professionnals. But Emily, one of my favorite bloggers and an amazing author of Cupcakes and Cashmere, has proven me wrong. Her classic chocolate cake looked so inspiring and delicious, that I decided to try and face this challenge on my own! 

I´ve chosen a recipe that looked both simple and delicious. I was quite intrigued by the absence of flour, but it has proven to be a great thing: this cake is really far from being too heavy. On the contrary, it is just as light,  moist and full of flavor as a perfect cake should be. And the combination of chestnuts, berries and rum? Divine!!!

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Copper perfection

(Photos by Digitalnews)

Do you have the impression that Blake Lively looks simply perfect in just about every makeup she puts on her face? I´m always looking forward to seeing her in the magazines, since she always looks so flawless and is a great source of inspiration.
This look dates from january, but I still can´t get enough of those copper eyeshadows, peach blush and soft and pinky lips. I find this makeup really spring-appropriate, and I ´m sure to be wearing it very often.

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Wonderful little things

(Beautiful flowers that have been making me smile this whole weekend)

This week was more than rough, and I was so happy and relieved when the weekend finally arrived! On Saturday morning I enjoyed my first spring visit to the Farmers´ Market. There´s really nothing better than strolling between the stands, choosing my fruits and vegetables and buying a bunch of flowers to decorate my place! I finally got to finish my Easter decoration project (results seen here) and I was very creative in the kitchen as well (I´m already preparing the recipe posts for you). All and about, it was really a great and relaxed weekend that (hopefully) has made me ready for yet another stressful week (and I try not to think about the fact that tomorrow I´m having a wisdom tooth extracted!) I already can´t wait for the next weekend to arrive!!!

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Just hangin´ there...

My costume jewelry collection is growing bigger and bigger, that´s why I´m always on the lookout for some great new storage ideas. I´ve never liked jewelry boxes much: they are always too small; and I tend to forget what I actually own when it´s hidden. On the contrary, I really like the idea of displaying my jewelry so I can see it, and decide quickly what I want to wear.

I´ve stumbled upon these cute butterflies and dolls - hangers recently (I already mentioned them here), and the moment I saw them, I got this simple idea: I have attached them on my closet´s door (from the inside), and I´ve hung all my necklaces on them. It´s both pretty and functional, plus it makes accessorizing oh so simple, as I have my clothes and accessories all in one place. 

And what I did with all my rings, bangles and earrings? I´ll show you next week!

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Spring nudes

(La Redoute Skirt, Clockhouse top, Deichmann wedges, Galeries Lafayette tote, I am ring & necklace, Bijou Brigitte headband)

I´ve been known to be quite obsessed with black color: I find it infinitely sharp and elegant, and I´m pretty sure that nothing better than an LBD has been invented yet! But after this winter, I´m positively fed up with this shade. What´s more, the last time I looked into my closet, it was so....dark! It was just the right moment to go shopping for some happier colors, don´t you think? And while I couldn´t be happier with the current color blocking trend, I find myself constantly gravitating towards the pretty nudes. They are so neat and beautiful, and perfect for spring! I found this skirt at La Redoute, and I immediately fell in love with its color combination and ruffles. It´s wonderfully versatile and fun, plus it has made me pull out my tanning lotion again!

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Wonderful little things

My current sweet obsession: the combination of milk, cocoa  and hazelnuts fulfills pretty much all my snack standards.

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Kim´s secret

Seriously, would you believe this?

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Flawless

(Photos by Fanpop)

I think that you´ll agree with me when I say that the quest for a perfect complexion is a perpetual one. I´ve already tried on innumerable foundations / concealers / powders and primers and I always hope there´s a better one yet to come. Of course, that doesn´t mean that I´m not happy with my current favorite: Make Up For Ever´s HD Foundation. I was rather intrigued by their "no airbrush" commercials, and I wanted to try it on my own. And I definitely wasn´t disappointed. It provides a coverage which I really appreciate on the days when I´m not able to have my 8-hours beauty sleep (and that means almost everyday :) Plus, it´s lightweight and it gives you the impression that you´re not wearing any foundation at all. In one word: perfection (however, I´m still not able to leave the house without my blotting papers, but I can´t have everything, right?).

When I saw this picture of Ashley Greene, I´ve immediately wanted to recreate her perfect look: flawless complexion, slightly dramatic eyes framed with black pencil and a dark black mascara; and a rosewood lipstick. And I think that my HD foundation will be the perfect starting point. What else will I need? 

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Bathroom Decor

Battling the lack of space becomes a day-to-day routine for anyone who experienced living in a classic Parisian flat. You simply need to learn how to stack a maximum of stuff into a minimum of space. Sadly, my situation hasn´t change upon my return home, and sometimes I find it really difficult to decorate the rooms when I´m not even able to close my closet´s door :) My latest issue of a kind? Bathroom. In terms of beauty products I consider myself as a normal girl (meaning: I must test each and every product I hear or read about). And it´s really not surprising that I drown under various shampoos, body lotions, eyeshadow or lipsticks...but I assure you, I NEED them all!!!
I´ve never really been into an idea of displaying all my beauty stuff on the shelves (no need to remind my boyfriend of how much does it take to look my best), but the reality came back into my face quite quickly in the form of a teeny tiny bathroom, and I simply needed to cope. I find the usual plastic boxes particularly hideous. And since right now, I´m all into the bubble glass and pretty colors, I was beyond excited when I found this Yngaren collection at Ikea. It´s actually hand-made and I love the different shapes and complementing shades. It looks beautiful on my bathroom shelves, and at least a part of my makeup has a stylish container now.

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Crispy Cocoa Cake

Right now, between me and the sweet cottage cheese cakes, it´s a real love :) (as you can see here). While looking for some culinary inspiration, I stumbled across several great and tempting recipes, which I plan to realize all by myself in the near future (including one real cheescake).

This crispy cake caught my eye thanks to its genius simplicity: sometimes you really don´t need much to create a delicious dessert, don´t you think? You don´t even need to bother with the dough, since the cookies will make it for you. The combination of cocoa flavor and sweet cottage cheese is definitely one of my favorites. And what´s more, grated lemon peel gave the cake an unusual and fresh flavor, and it wonderfully perfumed our place for long hours.

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Lace & Blue

(H&M skirt, Orsay top, Deichmann pumps, Bijou Brigitte necklace)

Last week I got to neglect my blog a little bit, not entirely on my own accord. My temporary absence was due mainly to a very busy work schedule, some health complications and a general lack of energy and inspiration. Now I promise, I´ll try to make it up to you! 

This past weekend I was finally able to organize another photo shoot, and I chose this outfit to celebrate the occasion. I bought this skirt last year, when nobody (me included) was expecting that the lace will be so huge this season. I am enamorated with all its aspects, mainly with its beautiful fabric and perfect cut (I find that pencil skirts have always worked best for my shape). It´s easy to pull off, and I´m sure I´ll be wearing it a lot in the upcoming weeks.

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Wonderful little things

If you ignore all this chocolate, yaourt and cinnamon covering, this mix of nuts, almonds and raspberries is just the perfect heatlhy snack :)

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