K's Weekly Wishlist #4 US Edition!

Glitter Nail Polish | Glow-in-the-Dark Nail Polish | Brushes | Coat | Essie Nail Polish | BB Cream | Boots | Hair Dye | Perfume | Purple and Glitter Nail Polish | Make-Up Box | Confetti Nail Polish | Mascara | Pouch

The time has come. Tomorrow I will leave for New York City and it will be the start of the roadtrip from New York to Los Angeles with my father! I am so excited and also so afraid that I will forget anything, you know that feeling right? My suitcase is packed. It is not even half full but I am sure it will come back home totally crammed.
In my wishlist you can find items I have wished for for quite a long time actually and that I am sure I will find in the United States.
I have always been a fan of glitter nail polishes and obviously they had to be in the photo set. Lately I am into the confetti ranges and into those, in which the polish is another color than the glitter. I will also replace my old A List Essie nail polish with a new one; it is like the best shade of red I have ever found. Since special nail polishes have always been my taste, I will also try the glow in the dark type. So excited!
Cut-out boots are the latest trend I really don't want to miss it. I am looking for flat ones and I really hope to find some.
Beauty products should not be missing on the wishlist since there is a much wider and more different range in the United States than it is here in Austria. I will totally take advantage of that, and honestly: who wouldn't. I will go for Benefit and Smashbox Camera Ready products, as well as Daisy by Marc Jacobs.
I have talked about the Real Techniques Brushes set before and this time it will not only be on my wishlist, it will be in my make up bag! I have also mentioned dying my ombré-ed hair pink and Urban Outfitters has a really good product to do so, at least that's what the reviews say.
I have not talked about the make up pouch yet, it only stands for the infinite number of products I want to buy from Forever 21.
And last but definitely not least: the coat. Bianca has purchased it already but I fancied it for quite some time already and after trying it on in stores I want it really badly. Her and me will run around like twins in autumn/winter then, so what.

What has been on your wishlist lately?

K's Weekly Wishlist #3

Nail polish | Clutch | Towel | Coat | Loafers | Dry Shampoo | Bag

As you may have already noticed I am quite a big fan of the color black so it's no surprise half of the items on here are this color.

I have not always been a fan of see-through bags since to me they seem like an invitation for thieves: hey here's my iPhone, and wow look my wallet is so big! Although I still have mixed feelings about them, I grew into being a fan lately. The clutch shown above is a bit dimmed and one side isn't see-through at all so it would be the perfect bag to get used to the idea.

Confetti nail polishes have been on my mind forever since I am totally into glitter nail polishes. It is a different kind of glitter and I am certainly always excited about change!

As Bianca said, summer will be coming to an end soon... though is definitely still really hot here in Vienna and in September, I will be in the United States on a road trip from New York to Los Angeles (I will write an article about it soon), driving through deserts and other really hot places, so it won't be autumn for me until October. Despite all this upcoming heat, I have never been into summer, so I am already thinking about what to wear in autumn/winter. I was a fan of this kind of coat last year already and I will totally buy it this year. I love the contrast!

Studded loafers, booooring, I know, but I need them to match my wardrobe! Yes I have had some shoes on my wishlist already but as opposed to most women, I don't own an entire room full of shoes so my shoes barely ever match my outfits, unfortunately... This has to end soon!

Bianca has been a fan of Batiste dry shampoos for a while now and she totally recommended them to me. Unfortunately it's a bit late for me to order this for the festival I am going to next week, but I will definitely try it out anyway!

Now to the part of the list which might seem a bit boring to you: I have wanted white towels for ages now, I need them for my bathroom. My entire flat is really white and I do not even own white towels, shame on me!

Finally: the bag. Ah I wish I could give you a link to it but the bag above is from Mango and is sold out. I own a really similar one myself, from Zara, but sadly its death is near and I love it so much it's my absolute favorite bag! I am desperate to find a similar one, I really am, I really do hope I will find one in the US!

Do you know where I can purchase a bag like this? What have you been wishing for?

B's Summer Essentials

Hi everyone!
It's been really rainy these last two days here in the Netherlands (admittedly a welcome little change after the weeks of humid and unbearable heat!) so I've had a little time to take a few pictures! I thought I would show you guys which products I have been loving and using a lot so far this summer: from make-up to dry shampoo, body butter and lipstick, it's all there. I'll include all the necessary shop names/sites where I can.

You can buy all these products via the Body Shop Online Shop.

I'll start off with my body care / shower essentials. Aside from my Garnier facial scrub (boring!), my Elmex toothpaste, my Elvital Color Protect shampoo & conditioner and my Nivea Stress (or Dove Silk Dry) deodorant, these are the things I've been using in my body care routine lately... I may or may not have raided the Body Shop when they had a sale a couple of weeks ago! I am going crazy for tropical scents at the moment, so all things fruity, coconut-y and fresh really appeal to me. Not included in the picture is my nearly empty Passion Fruit Shower Gel, which I highly recommend. The Body Shop are great when it comes to creating smooth, soothing products that smell delicious without being sickly sweet, and it's always good to buy fair trade and vegan where you can!

                                        You can buy Batiste Dry Shampoos via ASOS.

Next stop: my hair. Because of the unbearable heat, I have been washing my hair less often than usual. I have incredibly thick, long, hair, and A LOT of it, too, and to my dismay it tends to curl and frizz a lot when I let it air dry - so I blow dry it after every time I wash it. When it's that hot outside though, I just cannot be bothered to go through the 20 minute long hassle of blowdrying!! Instead, I wash it once every 2-3 days, and use the Batiste Dry Shampoos on the days where I don't. I have the scents "Tropical" (COCONUT!) and "Cheeky Cherry". They work wonders, because they don't make my hair feel rough and sticky, but they definitely give it a fresh feel. I'm pretty addicted to it - though I do prefer the tropical scented one.

                               Cacharel "Amor Amor - In a Flash" via The Perfume Shop

Talking about scents: I have discovered my new favorite perfumes and have been completely in love with them over the past two months. The first one is my every day go-to perfume: "Amor Amor - in a flash" by Cacharel. From the packaging to the scent, it's completely perfect. It's sweet, girly and fruity, without being too overwhelming so I find it perfect for every day wear in summer.

       L'Occitane "La Collection de Grasse" Spring/Summer 2013 Collection Box Set via L'Occitane

My other favorite scent is actually a whole little collection: the "Collection de Grasse" by L'Occitane. It's composed of four little perfume flasks, and I can't even decide which of the four scents I am more obsessed with. The scents are: "Jasmine & Bergamot", "Magnolia & Blackberry", "Vanilla & Narcissus" and "Green Tea & Bitter Orange". I know right? They sound divine, and they really are. I own the box set which has all four scents in 18mL bottles, but you can also buy them individually in bigger bottles if you like one of them particularly! Have a look here on the Birchbox Site!

     Chanel Le Vernis in "Black Pearl" and in "Lotus Rouge", Barry M Nail Paint in "Prickly Pear"

Recently, my nails have been really weak and chipping a lot, so I've been trying to give them a little time to regenerate and air to breathe and have been going easy on the nail polish. I also recently moved away from home and had to leave a biiig part of my collection back! So sad. These are my favorite polishes though so they had to come with me: The two Chanel ones are my all time favorites, as they're perfect for any outfit or season, classy and elegant and still pretty fierce. I've been loving this lilac-y / lavender-y shade by Barry M because it's light and pastel-y and perfect for summer. Their gel nail varnishes are so good - they give such a nice glossy finish and stay chip-free for at least 3 days. Admittedly, the Chanel colors aren't that long-lasting or chip-free if you don't use a top coat, but they do make the prettiest colors ever!

           All MAC Shadows via the MAC Cosmetics Store -  Estée Lauder Quad - H&M Palette

Now to the more exciting part: my summer make-up essentials. I'll start off with my eyeshadows, since they're my favorite bits from my current make-up collection. As I've mentioned before, I've been loving the nude shades for my eyes, so these here have been my essential life supply in the last weeks. I like to mix more high-end make up with drugstore make-up, just because I can't go 100% high-end but don't wanna use only cheap things either, so I try to find a compromise! I am eagerly saving up for an Urban Decay Naked Palette, but in the meanwhile, the eye shadows that I do have serve me well. My hands down favorite is my MAC one in the shade "Brulé", which I use all over my eyelid up to my brow bone on a daily basis (that explains why my little beauty is nearly empty - going to cry!!!). I also dearly love my eye shadow quad in the shade "Truffle" by Estée Lauder. It combines a khaki-olive-y brown/green, a warm, coppery bronze shade, a shimmery deep brown shade and a satin-y champagne tone. For a summery smokey eye, this combination is perfect. My other every day go-to shadows are "Bronze" and "Expensive Pink" by MAC and my "Soft Nudes" eyeshadow palette by H&M which is surprisingly good for a fairly cheap product. You can pick it up for 4,95€ in your H&M!

I've been trying to keep the rest of my make up fairly light so I haven't been using tons of foundations, setting powders and concealers. These are my few bits and bobs that I've been using a lot though. I use the Catrice Cosmetics facial primer, which is great cos it is really cheap, not oily and makes my skin feel smooth and moisturized without making it greasy. I swear by the Maybelline New York Dream Matte Mousse (I use the shade 01 Ivory) because it's a great light weight foundation, and since it is matte I don't need to use any powder make up on top. For dark circles under my eyes, I use the Maybelline Dream Lumitouch highlighting concealer, also in the shade ivory. Recently I've had to cut back a lot on both of these though, as ivory is slightly too fair for my tanned skin at the moment! Luckily, the sun and lack of make-up has made my skin clear up a lot so that's not a problem. My absolute favorite product at the moment is the Benefit High Beam highlighter. I blend it on my brow bone, my cheek bones and a bit on my nose for a fresh faced summer look. I'm going to be so gutted when it runs out as it is such an expensive product, but really worth the investment.

I usually pair my nude eyes with a very thin line of black liquid eye liner and a combination of three mascaras (one for length, one for separating and one for volume) only on the top lashes. As an alternative to my liquid liner in black (and for a softer look), I've been using my MAC eye pencil in the color "Powersurge" as well as my MAC Kohl liner in dark brown. For days when I don't want to wear any proper foundation at all, I go with my GOSH Cosmetics BB Cream in the shade 01 Sand - Primer, tinted moisturizer, and SPF 15, all in one! For my eye brows, I usually use my Barry M Brow Pen in dark brown, paired with my Catrice eye brow pencil in light brown, and on my cheeks, I love to use the Benefit Bene-Tint color stain for a healthy glow. I also like to use it on my lips and usually pair it with my Benefit Sugarbomb Lipgloss or my MAC lipstick in Crème in Your Coffee (my all-time favorite lipstick! I have naturally very pale lips, so it helps me look a bit fresher and healthier). You can pick up most of these products in bigger shopping centers at the cosmetics counters, or you can check out the Benefit Online Store as well as the MAC Cosmetics Online Store.

From left to right:
Barry M in Neon Pink #52 and Baby Pink #100, Manhattan in Nude #95L, MAC in "Crème in your Coffee", Manhattan in Purple #56U, Kate Moss for Rimmel London in "Kiss of Life" #111, Catrice in "Princess Peach" #050, Manhattan in Coral #34N, Kate Moss for Rimmel London in #10, Manhattan in Deep Red #54V.
Below: swatches of the lipsticks (order doesn't coincide with the above picture.)
From left to right: MAC "Crème", Barry M #52, Barry M #100, Manhattan #95L, Manhattan #56U, Manhattan #54V, Rimmel #111, Rimmel #10, Manhattan #34N, Catrice #050. 

Since I go mostly nude on my eyes most days, I've been loving crazy bold lipsticks! I'll let the colors speak for themselves, so there you have my Summer 2013 Favorites. (I wear the brighter, coral-y and candy-pink tones during the day, and the deeper, darker shades like purple and red at night).

If you want any special advice on how to use/wear any of these products, where to get them, or a more detailed review/opinion on them, let me know in the comments below! Sorry for the long, photo-heavy post, but I thought this was a good time to show which products I've been loving so far and will continue to love til the end of the summer for a fresh faced, light summer look with a pop of color.

B's Top 5 Summer Loves

1/ Orange Hues

    MAC Lipstick in ''All About Orange'' | Asos Belt | Faux Pony Purse | Asos Earrings | Motel Stripe Shirt | Orange Beanie |  Leather Sandals | Orange Bangle | Barry M Nail Paint  | Shopper Bag

My whole entire life, I have hated the color orange in all its shades. Maybe it is because I just moved to the Netherlands and adopted the national color, but all of a sudden, I'm all about orange! I'm loving pops of orange in otherwise monochrome outfits, with a belt, a beanie, a piece of jewelry or a funky bag. Especially paired with brown/khaki tones, military print, or cream/off white colors and tanned skin, orange is such a summery statement color to bring fun and sun to every outfit. I'm a converted orange lover, guys! Bring it on, neon, tangerine, coral, apricot... I love them all. Here a selection of a few of this summer's most beautiful orange statement pieces. Links for the shops included above!

2/ Shift Dresses

                    Boutique by Jaeger Jacquard Shift Dress | Pepe Jeans Floral Shift Dress |

Asos 3/4 Sleeve Orange Shift Dress | Asos Herringbone Shiftdress with Exaggerated Zip

Now, I do realize that for a large-busted girl like me, shift dresses are not ideal/flattering. But it's summer and the heat is overwhelming, so the floaty shift-dress-cut is welcome and refreshing to wear. I love the sweater-type shift dresses in soft colors (especially in white and cream), or some of the more fancy ones, with bold colors, layers of sheer material, crazy prints and silky materials. After buying the previously mentioned Monki Sweater dress, I've decided that even I can embrace that style. You can make the shift dress look less boxy by synching it in at the waist with a beautiful skinny belt, too! Not ideal for curvy girls? Maybe, but I can't help but love the shift dress with a strappy sandal and a small bag, a bold lip color and otherwise minimal accessories. Perfect for a summer evening out!

3/ Bold Lips

All Lipsticks via the MAC Cosmetics Online Store

          Candy Yum Yum  | Rebel  | Lady Danger  | Girl About Town | Morange  | Saint Germain

Lately, I've been wearing very simple and nude-y make up on my eyes (usually: MAC eyeshadow in "Brulé" with a thin line of black liquid eyeliner and mascara only on my top lashes), so for evenings out I've been experimenting with a few bolder lipsticks. Though I do like other lipstick brands too, my favorite trend this summer are bold lip colors, and we all know that MAC are the best when it comes to bold, daring and very pigmented lipsticks. My apologies for the lack of diversity, but here are my top lipstick colors for this summer (lighter colors during the day, darker shades for the night) - all by MAC. Though I will always love my all time classic red shades, this summer I am really into deeper purples, fresh coral tones and candy pink colors, which all go great with a nude eye and a bit of a tan.

4/ Cut-Out Boots

                 Senso Quimat Boots  |  ASOS After All Boots  |  Jeffrey Campbell Everly Boots

Nastygal Belita Boots  |  ASOS Afterlife Boots  |  Nastygal Boyfriend Ankle Boots

I know, I know - this trend has been around forever and I am totally late to the party. I've loved the cut-out boot designs from the first minute, but only recently brought myself to invest into a slightly pricier pair (the Asos After All Boots in black leather). Even though they are boots, I find them to be a staple piece in summer. They are perfect for festivals, traveling and city-trips and look amazing paired with a floaty dress and girly prints. I'm glad to know I'll be able to take mine into autumn as they'll make a great seasonal transition piece. Definitely worth every penny. Personally, I'm not that big a fan of the chunkier cut-out boots à la Jeffrey Campbell Coltranes, but I do love the more elegant versions (like the JC Everly Boot). Here are my favorite picks for this cut-out boot trend. Which ones do you have?

5/ White and Cream Shades

    Broderie Cami | Free People Dress | Crochet Midi Skirt | Sheer Panel Dress | Color Block Trousers

For the longest time I thought that the only color in the world that suits me is black. Recently I've been trying to open up a little and try the one or other more daring color (or, like in this case, non-color). At the moment, besides coral tones, I am really loving nude, white and cream shades which are fresh and summery. You can go bold in a black and white monochrome outfit (I love those white trousers with a black crop top and heeled sandals) or more girly in a cream crocheted dress or skirt and dainty jewelry. I love the simplicity of a white top with jeans, too. These colors are great to pair with extravagant statement jewelry or a pop-color lipstick. My favorite: this super minimal sheer panel mini dress.

So, that's basically my favorite fashion trends for this summer. Many of these are big steps for me to take because they're far out of my comfort zone, but they're gorgeous and worth every bit of courage and money ;) I'd love to hear what you've been loving and wearing so far this summer!