April 7, 2016July 31, 2016 - vicky Leave a comment

INSIDE OUT-LINGERIE AS OUTWEAR

INSIDE OUT – LINGERIE AS OUTWEAR

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Lingerie-inspired looks have been around for years. Remember Carrie Bradshaw and her slip on dress or the 90’s. Wearing lingerie as clothes has been one of the most controversial fashion trends. You will either love it or hate it. Although I understand how some criticise them of being too revealing, I do like the sexy vibe they have. Matching a sexy, lingerie-inspired item with more casual and everyday clothes, is an easy and effortless way of spicing up your dressing routine. They allow you to be sexy even outside the bedroom. There are many types of lingerie which are worn as outwear. Below I share a few of my favorite ones.

The slip on dress

There is nothing sexier than an ethereal slip on dress. Sheer, lace or satin, it is still the epitome of sexy. The only important thing is to be careful when picking the length as a too short one could seem a bit too much. A midi, slip on dress with a pair of strappy heels is the very definition of effortless sexy. For instance this gorgeous powder blue Mango dress would look amazing with a pair of white or silver sandals. Sexy yet innocent, it would be perfect for a summer night out. However, the slip on dress can also be worn in the daytime with the right styling. A pair of chunky boots, or ankle boots and a nice bomber or denim jacket would tone it down without taking any femininity away. For instance this lovely Zara floral camisole dress is perfect for a summer day. You can pair it with sandals or ankle boots and a denim jacket for a grunge look. Just don’t forget to be careful with the length of your camisole dress as a too short one could seem a bit too much.

The bralet

A bralet is another lingerie-turned outwear. It is inspired by bras, but it is not as small and revealing. It is a bit longer and usually the material is a bit thicker. A bralet is also very versatile as it can be worn with skirts, pants and shorts. It channels a feminine and relaxed vibe. I love wearing bralets in the nighttime with a pair of pants and a nice jacket, however, they can be worn in the daytime too depending on the material and length. For instance this lovely ASOS Festival bralet with fringe would look amazing with a nice pair of denim shorts or jeans. On the other hand, this cute Missguided lacy one would look better as a nighttime outfit with a skirt or a pair of pants and a blazer.

The bodysuit

Another type of lingerie-inspired top, besides from bralet, is the lacy or slinky bodysuit. This is actually my favorite lingerie-turned outwear. I love bodysuits way too much! This Missguided sheer bodysuit with the appliqué flowers is simply beautiful! I got it myself and I can’t wait to wear it with a pair of denim shorts and a sheer kimono for a more toned down daily look. However, I can also pair it with white pants and heels for a romantic nighttime look. Another lingerie-looking bodysuit is this black Missguided one with the lace trim on the cleavage. This is a total showstopper; style it with a pair of plain black pants with wide leg for an elegant and sexy nighttime look.

The pijama shorts

Apart from the slip on dresses and the sexy tops, there are also the pyjama shorts. These shorts are reminiscent of the pyjamas we all wear to sleep. They are usually silky or lacy and have a relaxed vibe. As with all the previous pieces, they are also versatile and can be dressed up or down. This cute Missguided pair of shorts will look great with a crop top and sneakers for a day look, or a bodysuit and heels for a night look. Another pyjama-inspired pair of shorts is this lovely Y.A.S one with the lace trim. It is perfect for spring and summer as it is very lightweight. I love how there is a romantic vibe to it but it can be toned down with a plain t-shirt and flats.

Lingerie as outwear is not a new trend. It has been around for years whereas it dominated the 90’s (see Courtney Love). It may be a very controversial one but I personally love it, because it is a trend that underlines a woman’s femininity and sensuality. The most important thing though, is to incorporate the trend to your life without being tacky and over the top. Picking up a main piece and match it with casual items for an easy everyday look or with more delicate pieces for the perfect sexy nighttime look. Comment down below and share your thoughts on this controversial trend and if you have any favorite pieces share them too. Also don’t forget to connect on my Instagram (@vogueandmacarons) and Twitter (@vogueandmacaron)!

Till next time take care dolls 😉

Vicky x

April 4, 2016July 31, 2016 - vicky Leave a comment

STEPS FOR GLOWING SKIN

Glowing, youthful skin is something all women strive to achieve through various products and treatments. Our skin is very fragile; it gets damaged very easily either from factors we something to do with (like diet and makeup) or factors out of our control (like the environment and time). Although it is not easy to change the effect these factors have on our skin, there are ways for us to protect and even repair our skin by minimizing the effect of the negative factors. Bellow, I share with you guys some easy daily and weekly steps that should not be omitted and that will help to achieve the glowing skin we all desire.

DAILY STEPS

Daytime

Cleansing: Every morning it is important to cleanse our skin once we wake up. You might think that it is not necessary as all we did was sleep, so how come the skin is dirty. However, throughout the night, our skin is exposed to the environment around us, plus there are the products we used the night before that need to be removed. Therefore, we should cleanse our skin with a mild cleanser, to merely refresh it and wash away any impurities.

L-R: first aid beauty, philosophy, lancome, lancome, first aid beauty, clarisonic — L-R: First Aid Beauty, Philosophy, Lancome, Lancome, First Aid Beauty, Clarisonic

Moisturizing: Once we have cleansed our skin and before applying any makeup, it is important to moisturize it. During the day our skin is exposed to the harsh environment, like the sun and the car fumes, plus we have makeup on. Either the weather or the ingredients of our makeup, might dry our skin. In order to keep our skin hydrated we need to apply a light moisturizer, that will not burden the skin or interfere with our makeup.

L-R: kiehl's, charlotte tilbury, lancome, lancome, jurlique — L-R: Kiehl’s, Charlotte Tilbury, Lancome, Lancome, Jurlique

Sunblock: The final step of a daytime skincare routine, must be the sunblock. We all know how harmful the sun can be for our skin. From creating free radicals and quicker aging to skin cancer, the sun rays are a major source of skin damage. Therefore, it is essential to apply a good, high protection sunblock before applying our makeup.

Nighttime

Remove makeup: Removing our makeup at the end of the day is the basic step of a good nighttime routine. Many women tend to omit that step, which results in all the chemicals from the makeup products to stay in the skin for the entire day. This essentially results in a lot of damage; from breakouts to dry and irritated skin. Therefore, it is crucial to remove all the makeup from the face and eyes.

L-R: Koh Gen Do, Clinique, Johnson & Johnson, Biotherma, Ren — L-R: Koh Gen Do, Clinique, Johnson & Johnson, Bioderma, Ren

Cleansing: Once the makeup is removed, we should cleanse our skin. Even with the makeup remover products, some makeup will remain on the skin. Plus our skin has been exposed and covered in makeup throughout the day. Therefore, it is very important to cleanse it with a stronger cleanser than the one we used in the morning. The cleanser will relieve the skin from all the dirt and damage it has been through since morning.

L-R: fFrst Aid Beauty, Philosophy, Lancome, Lancome, First Aid Beauty, Clarisonic

Serum: Before applying our nighttime moisturizer, it is important to apply a lightweight serum over our skin. Based on the skin’s needs, it could be a hydrating one, a brightening one or an anti-aging one. Serums are more concentrated than moisturizers and packed with beneficial ingredients. They are basically boost-shots for the skin.

F-R: Algenist, Nude, Jurlique, Dior, Lancome, Dior

Moisturizer: The last step of a good nighttime routine is the moisturizer. Same as in the morning, the moisturizer will hydrate the skin during the night. Since during sleep our body doesn’t function as intensively as the rest of the day, and since we don’t put makeup on while we sleep, the night moisturizer has to be a bit thicker than the day one. The night moisturizer can also have anti-aging properties. Don’t forget that during sleep, our body heals itself and repairs any damages, so we should do what we can to help it.

WEEKLY STEPS

Apart from a good daily routine, it is important once or twice a week to exfoliate our skin and apply a mask. Exfoliating is important as it removes the dead cells and skin. It basically rejuvenates the skin and polishes it. The “bad” skin is washed away for the “new” one to emerge. Because the exfoliating process could be a little harsh for the skin, it is important not to overdo with it; exfoliating once or twice a week is more than enough. Apart from exfoliating the skin, applying a mask is equally important. It could be a hydrating, brightening, anti-aging or anti-blemish mask; the mask’s purpose is dictated by the skin’s needs. Face masks are concentrated and therefore easily absorbed by the skin. They offer an instant boost or repair of any damage done to the skin. Applying a mask on the face is a spa-like treatment but in the comfort of your own home. Again a little goes a long way, so once or twice a week is the perfect frequency for face masks.

exfoliators — F-R: Lancome, Fresh, Chanel, Laura Mercier

L-R: H&M, Fresh, First Aid Beauty, Lancome, Fig & Yarrow, Kocostar

Following some simple daily and weekly steps will result in clean, glowing, youthful skin. Using only a few products, can help achieve the perfect skin we all desire. Although my skin doesn’t have any specific problems, I follow these steps, as much as I can, to protect my skin and keep it glowing and fresh. Comment below and share your favorite skincare routine steps. Also let’s connect on Instagram (@vogueandmacarons) and Twitter (@vogueandmacaron)!

Till next time take care dolls 😉

Vicky x

December 1, 2015 - crazyandfashionable 2 Comments

Tips for weightloss and a healthier lifestyle

TIPS FOR WEIGHT LOSS AND A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

As someone who has always struggled with weight issues, I have recently decided to follow a healthier lifestyle, not just in order to lose some weight, but also in order to feel better emotionally and physically. We all know that excess weight is not just an appearance issue – that’s the least important “problem” in my opinion – but mainly a health (emotional and physical) issue. Due to my weight, I was always quite insecure. I didn’t have huge self – confidence and in general, I wasn’t at peace with myself. Along with my emotions, my very own body was not feeling well; many problems just emerged to make things worse. About half a year ago I finally decided, with a strong will, to change my life. This is something I was contemplating from time to time but never really made up my mind about it. But as we all know, change is never easy; you can’t change your entire life habits overnight. Also when change is not drastic but slower, it is steadier and long-lasting.

When people hear about “healthier lifestyle” and “losing weight”, they immediately think of exhausting and depriving diets. However, I believe that you don’t have to go on extreme ways and starve yourself or merely deprive everything you enjoy. You just need to bring a new word to your life: moderation! So here there is a list of tips for a slow and easier change. Don’t forget that you should always adjust any plan you follow to your own preferences and needs and never follow a universal plan, because more likely it won’t work for you perfectly.

Drinks: Do’s and Dont’s

When it comes to what you should or shouldn’t drink, things are quite simple. Drink a lot of water. Not only because water hydrates the body but also because it actually helps with the fat burn! Experts say to drink about 2 Liters per day. I find that a little bit hard but I always try to drink about 1.5 lt. In order to keep an eye on it, I have a nice little bottle which I refill. Next to that it is very helpful to have some tea. Either green tea or detox tea. There are so many detox teas out there. I personally love Skinnymint Tea and Your Tea. I find my metabolism works better when I include tea in my every day diet. Higher metabolism means easier fat burn. Of course you can also drink coffee. I don’t like coffee really so tea works perfect! Also drink juices and smoothies. I can’t even explain how good for the body a smoothie is. Especially when you are not huge fruit eaters, a juice or smoothie is a great way for your daily fruit intake. There are hundreds of recipes in books and blogs. Check out my post about a few of my favorite smoothies (see post). A big don’t however, are soft drinks. Soft drinks are horrible for the body; full of sugar and carbs. I haven’t had a soft drink in a year and I haven’t missed it at all. Instead of soft drinks just go for a healthy, sweet juice! You will feel much better afterwards trust me!

Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner

Well when it comes to the basic meals of the day it’s really up to everyone’s preferences. I know experts say we should have many small meals during the day for our metabolism to be high but that doesn’t really work for me. So what I do is this: I have a nice breakfast and then one meal; preferably a late lunch or an early dinner. In the middle of the day I’ll have a healthy snack. For breakfast there are so many amazing options: granola (my homemade granola recipe), oatmeal, fruit salad, egg sandwich, and muesli are some of them. For lunch or dinner I plan my meals. I don’t like eating meat a lot, as it’s not very healthy, so I prefer having fish like salmon and seafood along with a salad or mashed potatoes. I do have meat, usually chicken and pork. I also love beans and lately I am getting into soups. They can keep me full, hydrated and are easily digestible. In general, it will help you a lot to have a weekly meal plan. Therefore, you won’t be discouraged at preparing your own food. Also you should have an early dinner so it will be digested by the time you sleep. Prefer to have vegetables and fishes instead of pasta and meat.

Pasta – bread – rice

This is an easy one. Just by simply switching from white bread, pasta and rice to whole grain ones, you will help your body a lot. You will lose weight and lower your sugar levels. Whole grain food is not only for diabetics; it is good for everyone. It also tastes the same. You can have a diet full with everything you like to eat (no junk food though!) and simply switch to whole grain pasta and that will be enough to lose weight and improve your health.

Sugar – Fast food

I am pretty sure this needs no explanation. Instead of telling you to cut sugar and fast food completely, I would advise you to just cut down the quantities you have. If you wish to order some take out, go ahead but do not do it for more than 2 times a month. As far as sugar is concerned, instead of buying processed sweets from the supermarket, why don’t you bake your own goodies. Because they are homemade with pure ingredients you picked yourself, they will be a much healthier choice. That saying, your quantity should be cut down as well. You can’t have a slice of cake or a chocolate bar per day and expect to lose weight. Besides the weight implications, sugar affects the emotions as well. When I quit sugar for 10 whole days, I noticed a change in my mentality. I was not as irritable and easily aggravated as before. Also you can switch refined sugar for brown sugar, coconut sugar, stevia, honey or agave syrup. All these are sweet enough and much healthier, especially stevia and agave syrup which are herbal.

Nuts, grain and superfoods

A perfect snack between meals, would be nuts! Nuts are a great source of protein that can fill you up and sustain you till your next meal. Carry some around you for a quick charge! Grains are amazing! Very beneficial for the body as well as the emotions! You can have grains in homemade granola and muesli or in the yogurt and smoothies. I have a post where I mention how important grains and nuts us (see post). Lastly superfoods are an important trend that is very big all over the world nowadays. They are basically ingredients you can add from your tea and smoothie, to your granola and even your baked chicken! Spirulina powder from seaweed, acai berry powder, ground flaxseed, goji berries, turmeric and some of those which belong in the superfood category! Those are natural types of food that come straight from the earth and are packed with amino acids, protein and other components which are important for the body.

Leading a healthy lifestyle is quite difficult but not impossible. Every change, in order to be permanent, has to be slow and solid. Any quick, flash diets are bound to fail. The above are merely some personal tips that will make the process easier, but they have to be adjusted to your needs and goals. A healthy diet is not a diet of deprivation but of modesty. Eat a little bit of everything, cut down unhealthy habits like junk food, drink lots of water, tea and smoothies and your health will improve. All this in combination with exercise, will have some amazing results. I exercise around 3-4 times a week depending on my time and mood and only for a couple of hours per time. I don’t go to great extends when I am in the gym. Take your time and create your meal and exercise plan and stick to it. You will feel healthier and happier in no time. Which are your tips and pieces of advice for a healthier life? Share down below and don’t forget to pop over Instagram (@blueberrylover) and Twitter (@vickyinlalaland) and say hi!

Till next time take care dolls 😉 xxx

Vicky

October 20, 2015 - crazyandfashionable Leave a comment

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT FOUNDATION

Photo credit www.dailymail.co.uk — Photo credit: *www.dailymail.co.uk*

One of the most important elements of my makeup is foundation; it is the base that the whole makeup will be set upon. The foundation turns my face into a blank canvas for me to play with the colors and create something that expresses me. As much as I love my foundation, it took me a while to choose the right one, as it is a quite complicated process (yes it is!) You have to decide how sheer you want it to be, what will be its finish (matte, velvet etc), which form do you prefer (cream, liquid, powder etc), what is better for your skin (water-based or oil-based), and of course the shade that suits you better.

Level of coverage

The first thing you have to consider before choosing your foundation, is how sheer you want it to be. You can go for high, medium or sheer coverage. The level of coverage is usually based on what do you want to cover on your face: blemishes, acne, scarring etc. The bigger the issue the higher coverage you should seek. Since I have fairly alright skin, I opt to go for a sheer coverage, as I don’t like my foundation to feel heavy on my skin. Therefore, I prefer a light foundation that basically evens out my skin tone. My personal advice, would be to go for the lighter you can as foundation will always weigh on the skin. If you don’t have a major issue you wish to cover up, go for medium coverage or even sheer.

Finish

The foundation finish could be matte, pearl/luminous or velvet. It is your choice of how you wish your face to look. I prefer my skin either matte or luminous, however, luminous finish looks better on younger skin than older which looks better matte. Also I don’t go for too luminous and shiny foundations, as I don’t like my combination skin to look oily and sweaty after a few hours.

Liquid, powder or cream?

As if picking the right foundation wasn’t hard enough already, there is a variety of forms that makes the choice even harder. Powder foundations (Too Faced Cocoa Powder Foundation is amazing) are usually light and have a velvet finish. They could also be full coverage (Studio Fix by Mac). Many of them contain minerals, which are perfect for oily skin with breakouts. Liquid foundations vary from medium to full coverage and are ideal for combination or dry skin. The cream foundations (Extra Repair Foundation by Bobbi Brown) are usually full coverage and perfect for dry skin like the liquid ones. After assessing your skin and what it needs, it is not that hard to decide which type will work better for you. I love liquid foundations for my combination skin and sometimes powder ones for a light coverage.

Water-based or Oil-based?

Now this is something quite tricky that you have to ask about on the makeup artists before picking your foundation. Water-based foundations give a more sheer and natural look, which is perfect for pretty much everyone who has fairly nice skin that needs some extra boost. The oil-based foundations are better for dry skin as dry skin lacks of moisture which the foundations replenish. I absolutely love Maestro Fusion foundation by Armani which is water-based and it has the softest and most velvety finish ever. One day it shall be mine!

Shade

Last but not least is the choice of the proper shade that matches your skin perfectly. In order to find the right shade you must try it on your collarbone or neck and not your actual face as we do want the shade to match our neck skin tone so we won’t be two toned! Also, you need to try the foundation on your skin on natural and not artificial light for the truest result. If your skin has a pink undertone then you need a cool tone shade and if it has a yellow undertone then you need a warm tone shade. If you have both then you need a neutral shade. So based on your undertone, you pick either a cool, warm or neutral foundation which then you try on your neck under natural light. That way you will find the best shade for your skin.

Tips for applying the foundation

You can apply your foundation with a brush, a sponge or your hands. I don’t prefer using my hands as I feel they make my skin dirty. Therefore, I use either a sponge or a brush. I love using both depending on the finish I like to get or the time I have in my hands. Using a beauty sponge gives a more matte and natural finish whereas a brush does not blend as much and sometimes you can see the bristle marks on your skin. However, a brush the most appropriate for powder foundations. While using a brush with a liquid foundation, you should pat/press it on the skin instead of wiping or brushing it on. On the other hand, when you apply powder foundation, you should load the brush, tap the excess product off, and then apply it on your face from outside working your way inwards in circular motions.

Choosing the right foundation is usually a complicated process that raises a lot of questions; “Does this color make me too dark or too light?” or “Does it make my face look oily or too dry?”. Following the steps mentioned above, will make the whole process easier and fun! Don’t forget to ask for help from the makeup artists but always trust your own opinion. Makeup is supposed to make you feel and look better without hiding your real self! I hope my tips will be helpful for you guys! Please comment below and share your on tips and advice on how to choose and apply the foundation. Also don’t forget to follow me on Instagram (Blueberrylover) and Twitter (Vickyinlalaland).

Till next time take care dolls 😉 xxx

Vicky