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Upcoming Guest Post Collab

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I recently joined a group of fashion, beauty and lifestyle bloggers on Facebook and am happy to say I’ve already ‘met’ quite a few lovely people and found a number of interesting new blogs to follow. One of those people (& blogs) is Danielle Alinia from ‘Danielle Did What?’. Her blog is so well-rounded & interesting – I loved it immediately (& highly recommend it, especially if you’re interested in reading more than just beauty news and features – i.e. photography, books, cooking, fitness etc.)!

Given the above it should come as no surprise that when I saw a post of hers, asking for blog submissions for consideration re: a guest interview feature she was planning, I answered immediately. To cut a long story short, Danielle and I have now scheduled a little blog collab: I’ll do the ‘Hot Seat’ interview feature for her blog and she’ll do a ‘Blogger Focus’ feature for mine.

Despite the fact that I’ve been at this (blogging thing) for quite a while now, this is my first ever collaboration and I’m beyond excited! I thought I’d let you guys know in advance – so you can drop by and check out the interview (and, of course, Danielle’s amazing blog!) once it’s published. I’m planning on e-mailing my answers tomorrow – and will update this post to let you guys know when they’ll/ I’ll be featured.

[image via Central Desktop Blog]

Style File: Club Monaco

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Club Monaco is one of my favorite TB (to browse) online shops. True, it is quite expensive and I could never really afford to buy anything from there, let alone all the things I covet each time I visit – but all their designs are exactly my cup of tea (easy to wear, laid back, casual chic). Thankfully the online shop only delivers to the US and Canada, so both me and my bank balance are safe. Still I can’t help but look around and make lists of all my favorite things – if only for inspiration, in a bid to find similar, lower budget options.

Clodia Leather Dress $369
Color Block Sheath Dress $199
Delphine Wrap Dress $229
Davin Dress $269
Eli Dress $198.50
Julina Dress $159
Kiona Dress $199
Arlet Leather Wrap Skirt $895
Lochy Dress $198.50
Darelle Coat $319
Dorian Leather- Back Trench $639
Daylin Coat $449
Eleta Coat $799
Jayda Sandal $298
Briana Pump $289
Casey Calf Hair Sandal $269
Mackage Carrie Crossbody $550
Lionette Monaco Bracelet $238
Lionette Dana Tiered $178

What do you think of my choice of dresses/ coats/ shoes & accessories, featured above? Any piece you particularly like/ think would be worth splurging on? Any ideas re: similar ‘philosophy’ brands with a more budget friendly approach? Let me know in the comments’ section…

Ruby Robin Botanical Jewelry

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Today’s design post is slightly different, in that it deals not with interior but with jewelry design.

It is no big secret that I am slightly addicted to Pinterest – and it was on one of my regular visits that I discovered the talented Khrystyna (a.k.a. Ruby Robin) and her gorgeously romantic range of Botanical Jewelry, which I immediately felt the need to share with you all.

Each piece is, in the artist’s own words, a “wearable keepsake”, lovingly handcrafted “using a range of strange and beautiful curiosities, found in the woods and on the mountain sides, combed from the windswept beaches and picked in the wild meadows” and meant “to inspire a sense of childhood wonder in the wearer, taking you back to that feeling of excitement you had as a child when you found a fragment of a speckled blue robins egg in Spring, a perfectly formed seashell on a windswept beach or some other small marvellous thing from nature”.

Now, I don’t think I could be described as a romantic, by any stretch of the imagination, but I have still fallen head over heels with these designs and would absolutely love to own a couple of them – I’m even considering contacting Khrystyna, with a view to procuring a custom piece.

Items from the range are currently available to buy at select stores in Ireland and the US (specific details are available via the designer’s Etsy shop, which you could also visit should you feel inspired to make a purchase).

Ruby Robin Jewelry has also got a presence on Facebook and Twitter and, from what I can see, will be launching a website in the near future.

[all images: Ⓒ Ruby Robin]

A 15 Item Nordstrom Wishlist

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My 15 Item Nordstrom Wishlist

Going through my draft posts yesterday, I realised that this one had somehow fallen through the cracks and never been completed/ published as intended 8 (!) months ago. Despite the amount of time that has passed, I still find it 100% relevant, especially since (*shock, horror*) I have not yet got around to purchasing any of the items mentioned. So, without further ado, here’s my (much neglected)  ’15 Item Nordstrom Wishlist’:

LORAC ‘PRO’ Palette (38.91€)
Jouer Anti Blemish Matte Primer (35.20€)
Sara Happ ‘The Lip Scrub™ – Crème Brûlée’ Lip Exfoliator (22.23€)
Jane Iredale ‘Magic Mitt’ Makeup Remover (13.90€)
Mario Badescu Drying Cream (15.75€)
BeautyBlender ‘Blendercleanser Solid’ Makeup Sponge Cleanser (14.78€)
TheBalm® ‘Nude’tude Naughty’ Eyeshadow Palette (33.35€)
Kiehl’s ‘Midnight Recovery Concentrate’ Elixir (42.62€/ 64.85€)
Smashbox ‘Photo Finish’ Light Foundation Primer (33.35€)
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion (15.75€)
Deborah Lippmann ‘The Stripper to Go’ Nail Lacquer Remover Finger Mitts (11.12€)
Clarisonic ‘Mia 2 – Pink’ Sonic Skin Cleansing System (138.04€)
Smashbox ‘Full Exposure’ Eye Palette with Mascara (48.17€)
Lipstick Queen ‘Velvet Rope’ Lipstick, in Black Tie (46.32€)
Julep ‘Ta Da’ Quick Dry Polish Drops (12.97€)

Have you tried any of these products and, if so, would there be something you’d recommend I take off the list? Any suggestions for things to add instead? Sound off below…

Uber Delayed Secret Santa

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About a month before Christmas the lovely girls over at Beauty is Perfection decided to organize a worldwide (beauty) Secret Santa. Having never participated in any sort of bloggers’ exchange before, I loved the idea and promptly registered my interest.

According to the “rules” we were all meant to choose a budget and offer some info re: our beauty likes and dislikes, allergies etc. in order to be matched to someone (I got matched to LiAnn from Sparklecrack Central), then had a couple of weeks to shop/ festively wrap and send out our purchases.

Now, in theory we were all meant to have received our packages during the holiday season – in order to post about them before the new year. Unfortunately however, Hellenic Post being even worst than usual during the holidays, my package didn’t arrive until the 12th of January. I immediately let everyone involved know that the metaphorical eagle had landed & took pictures of everything with the honest intention of writing up a post asap. Then life (& being back at work full-time) got in the way… and here we are 19 (!) days later.  Better late than never,  though,  right?

The lovely LiAnn sent me a Missha, M Perfect Cover BB Cream (for those of you who are not that up to date with Korean products, this is one of the cult-est BB creams out there) and two gorgeous Sleek i- Divine eye shadow palettes (Ultra Mattes V2 and Bad Girl).

The BB cream comes in a gorgeous packaging and is quite lush but unfortunately way too light (& a tad grey) for my Mediterranean skin tone. It is therefore sitting patiently on my bathroom shelf, waiting for me to find it a suitable and appreciative new owner.

The Sleek palettes are a different matter, though. I’ve always lusted after Sleek products (which I can’t get my hands on in Greece) and these certainly did not disappoint. Their long journey from the US meant that a few of the shades were damaged (not beyond repair though, they are now good as new thanks to this little trick). As soon as I put them back in working order I started experimenting – and boy did I love the results. These are soft and easily blendable, highly pigmented and have wonderful color payoff. I love both palettes but I think the Bad Girl one is my favorite. Preferred colors? I’d have to say… Ink, Maple, Paper Bag and Fern from the Ultra Mattes one and Blade, Gunmetal, Intoxicated and Twilight from the Bad Girl one.

All in all, I’m very happy with my SS (thanks a mill LiAnn, hope you like yours as much as I do mine) and have greatly enjoyed the whole international gift swapping experience (thank you Kirsty & Jasmine for putting it all together!). If you have never participated in a Secret Santa before I highly recommend that you do – I know I will again, when Christmas rolls around.