Tips on selling your items at a flea market

Hey, guys!

First of all, thank you so much for all your lovely feedback on my previous post; I am so glad you enjoyed the peek into my makeup bag! It will be very interesting for me to draw comparisons as I update it along the way.

Also, hello to the new subscribers, you guys make me smile every day and even though this was never about the number, I am starting to plan small giveaways along the way just to make things more fun, so I am looking into it as we speak.

Sorry about being a bit MIA this weekend, though, I was busy and after reading this post, you will know why!

I am also on my last week of internship and then it is home again for this happy girl :)

Image from the actual event, but not my photo

Anyway, as you can see from the title, today I will share with you my tips and personal experience with flea markets and how you can be a smarter buyer and a more successful seller. If you’re an impatient reader or hate rambling, feel free to scroll down to the actual tip part, while I chatter on for a while more.

For a little disclaimer, I will be focusing mostly on selling/purchasing used clothing items, as I have most experience with this, even though I believe that some of the principles stand regardless.

As a background info, I used to shop at second hand shops considerably often as a kid during my growth spurt, because it didn’t seem to make sense to invest into me (as the youngest child) knowing I’ll only wear it for a few months.

We later on stopped, partly because I stopped growing, so I could buy more substantial, basic, re-usable things and sadly partly because it was too cool for me as a high-school-er.

After going through a phase of not buying anything (and I mean ANYTHING) I went through a phase of buying a lot (as much as I could, anyway, which meant, cheap things and the occasional splurge) and have not been buying much since.

I have also become much more aware of my personal style, what I like and don’t like and the whole… culture of buying and purchasing items starting from home wear to beauty, fashion and even food; meaning I have developed my own opinions of what to invest on vs what to save on or do without all together.

As some of you might know I have become increasingly unhappy with my current wardrobe. I have been wearing the same clothes for more than 5 years (which is a lot, when you’re 22) and feel like my appearance is not reflecting who I am as a person (talk about taking fashion seriously).

A way of changing up my outfits has been second hand markets, which I have found to be quite fun here in Denmark. A lot of young girls buy too many clothes that they have to get rid of before purchasing new things. Sometimes they order things online and aren’t happy with them, but instead of sending it back they sell them here. I have been visiting the local university bazaar a few times over the last months and have to say – those have been the only occasions I have bought clothes. All in all I have developed an appreciation towards the idea and think it can not only be fun, but money saving and helpful in developing a unique and personal style.

Long story short (like that’s possible), I decided to do a major closet cleanout of my own and therefore booked a table at another version of the uni bazaar at another school over the weekend.

It went well and I ended up earning twice as much as I paid for renting the table, so I didn’t lose any money AND got rid of a few items.

Here’s what I have to conclude:

Do your research

What I mean by that is to think about the things you want to sell and find the best arrangement to suit that plan. Is it furniture? Books? Clothing? Your homemade beauty products or food creations? Jewelry? From then on you can research the different events in your local area (preferably, but not necessarily) and try to find a spot. You want to be different to some extent, but still fit in the context of what the visitors will expect to see and pick up.

Find out all the details

Once you find a nice arrangement, get in touch with the organizers and see if there are spots available, if not, how often the arrangement is held and can you book a board in advance for the next one. Don’t be shy to ask a lot of specifying questions. If you have to pay for participating, what is provided? Tables? Stands? Even food, drinks, changing rooms etc. can make a big difference. Ask for parking and how close the ATM is.

Book your spot in good time

Tying in with the last tip, try to be quick, if you have decided to participate, these arrangements usually work after first-come-first-serve principle, so the sooner you sign up, the bigger the chance of getting the most out of what the organizers can offer – clothing racks and hangers for example.

Choose your items

Once you know you’re up and running, it’s time to decide upon, what you wish to sell. Try to be harsh, but reasonable, if you’re unsure, wait, you can always sell it; however, if you can feel you’re holding onto something just for the sake of it, you probably won’t miss it, once it’s gone.

Prepare your items

No matter what you’re selling, be respectful and tidy up your stuff. If it’s clothes you’ll sell, wash and ideally even iron them; if it’s shoes – clean them and give them a nice treatment; if it’s jewelry – untangle the necklaces and pair up the earrings; if it’s home wear – dust it and polish it etc. You catch my drift – you want the things to look nice – you might want to get rid of them, but somebody else might be interested, don’t make them change their minds ;)

Also, if you’re selling clothes, I can speak for myself and say, that I tend to imagine myself wearing the potential items, for example, if I see a cute top, I imagine myself having a fun lunch date with my girlfriends, hence, having a good time, hence buying the item. However, if that top is wrinkled, dirty or worn, I’m likely to imagine myself drunk and/or crying, hence, doing whatever I can to avoid that scenario, hence, putting it right back.

Make things attractive! (And by that I don’t mean cheating people.)

Sort your things by category

It’ll be easier for you and everybody else, if things aren’t a mish-mash of random items. Some people are very specific when they are on a lookout for an item, which is often why they also visit flea markets. If they can easily see your candle holders in one place, they’ll happily go through what you have. Similarly sort books, jeans, jackets etc.

Price your items & label them

This might be a tricky task, especially if we have gotten attached to things, but try to stay objective – how much is the item worth in your opinion? We tend to link our memories to our belongings, so you might feel like your 2 year old New Years dress is worth millions, because you had such an amazing night, but try to be honest and fair.

Keep in mind, it is a flea market and you are selling used items, so you can’t be too ambitious (meaning, expecting to sell things for the same price you bought them for, let alone making a profit on them – that sort of beats the purpose), however, if you have something that’s either very good quality, very new or very well preserved, don’t be shy to ask a fair price – chances are people will still appreciate getting it cheaper than in the shops, even if the price seems high for a second hand market’s overall mark, part of visiting them as a customer is finding the hidden gems – I bought my leather jacket at one and still consider it to be one of my best buys ever.

As for the labels, I always (khm, two times that I’ve done it, khm) like to label mine, so people can easily see for themselves how much I expect. We are all different and not everybody enjoys approaching strangers, even though they might still want to shop cheaper. I respect that. Labeling my items allows them to check out the items and think about it individually, before deciding if they want to approach me or not; same goes for bargains. It also allows me to relax a bit more, I don’t have to remember what I had in mind for each peace or make up prices on the spot, I can do that at home, calmly and considerately. Think about bargains - are you okay with that or is your prices set? Make labels easy to read and easy to find and consider adding extra information. I, for one, have a habit of cutting off the original labels, so they don’t show from my clothes and don’t tickle my neck for example (don’t ask, I have a thing), so you might need to write the brand, size etc. on manually.

Fold and pack

After all of this you are ready to pack up. Depending on the time span between you packing and the actual arrangement, consider how wrinkled your pieces will get sitting in a bag or a box; be gentle.

Speaking of clothes, I like to fold things very neatly, so they sit well and take no time to arrange at the actual market.

Pack the accessories

Now it’s time to pack all the supporting bits. If you’re selling clothes and there are none at the market – pack your own hangers; if you’re selling jewelry – pack a stand or take a shallow box or a plate to arrange them on.

Be prepared beforehand as much as you can

A bank here in Denmark has developed an app that safely transfers money using only the receiver’s phone number. In case there aren’t any ATM nearby or you’re out of change, solutions like that are a great option. Try looking into it.

Similarly, make sure you DO have enough change and bring a wallet or a purse you can easily manage. Bring something with lots of space for coins, you will most likely end up with a lot and don’t want them falling out of your wallet everywhere. I’ve seen people use jars, fanny packs etc, whatever works for you.

Think about how much help you’ll need and make arrangements

Now, when you’ve packed and gotten an overview of your things, decide whether you can do everything by yourself or you need help. I needed a lift, since I can’t drive and had too much stuff to take the bus. Think about setting the whole thing up – if you need to put together a clothing rack (I, for one, have never done it) and packing down. Whether it’s your parents, your boyfriend or your friends, think if you need a man’s help, for example. Are you selling boxes of books? Furniture? Can you do it yourself or you need to arrange for someone to come and help you? If so, do this in advance. Most likely it’ll be a weekend thing, so it’s their free time off as well, respect that.

Considering all that, decide how early in advance you should arrive to set everything up. If you’ve prepared in advance, it won’t take you more than half an hour to an hour. However, I often see people both arriving at least a couple of hours in advance to fold, arrange etc, and still pricing items 15 min before the market starts. Try to plan your own time and maybe it’s a good idea to ask the organizers, when everybody usually shows up to get a frame of reference.

Think about the details and be a nice seller to do business with

Whatever you’re selling, try to be service-minded; it makes the experience much more fun, when you hear positive feedback.

Bring a bunch of empty bags for example to offer to people, who have just bought something. I know I’m really glad, when sellers do, because I either forget my own or have underestimated how much I’ll buy.

Likewise, consider bringing a mirror, if you’re selling clothes or shoes, it’s always a huge hit and hey, if you’re one of the only persons offering a “service” like that, people will come to your stand a lot and are more likely to take a second look at what you’re selling.

I have also seen (and taken advantage of) people, who bring snacks to put out on their stand. Trust me, seeing a plate of cookies after a two hour flea marker raid makes me feel super thankful (and low on sugar), so it a great attraction and also increases your chances of more customers, because then they’re already there, most likely talking to you and what do you know – checking out your stand (let’s be honest, they are also lingering while they eat, because we all know, they want another cookie).

Take care of yourself too

Now, while you are so focused on being the perfect host, don’t forget to plan ahead and take care of your own comfort during the market.

It will most likely take the entire day, so bring snacks and water! Stay hydrated, it’s really important. Stay warm, especially if the market’s outside! It’s such a bummer standing still, being cold, while other people are slowly passing by checking out things you own; you’ll get cranky without noticing.

I would also highly suggest doing this with someone. It’s totally up to you and you don’t have to, but at least try to have a stand next to someone nice and/or familiar, so you can take a break, go to the bathroom and maybe take a walk around the market yourself, check out the other stands.

The day goes by fast, but it’s also a bit boring, when you’re all alone, even if you talk to the people passing by. Consider pairing up with a friend or at least organizing a friend dropping by and keeping you company for a while.

Random

Have fun! It’s a really cool thing to do, be open and nice to people, also the fellow sellers, but don’t push on your things, stay cool.

Be honest with people, if they want to buy something that’s broken or has a lack, I think you’d want to receive the same treatment, however, to some extent, of course they have to keep their own eyes open, I’m talking about the invisible lacks; you don’t want to get a bad reputation, especially if you plan on doing this more than once.

Try to be a good chameleon, some people like to talk, they want to know the story behind the items and why are you selling them, some people, as I said, get irritated by overly enthusiastic people, I have a hard time buying something, if the second I put it on, the person can’t stop going on about how amazing I look and that it’s faith and I MUST have it. I might be exaggerating, but you can see, what I mean. Some people will need your opinion, though.

I also suggest doing some sort of book keeping. I know it’s hard to keep up, especially if you’re selling little bits, but at least know how much money you had in your wallet before the market, so you can compare it afterwards and if you can manage, write down the items you’ve sold, because it’s so easy to forget and then you lose the overview.

These are all my tips for you guys today, I hope you enjoyed it and found it fun! I am definitely glad I did this and am already looking forward to the next time, keeping in mind what I learned.

Let me know in the comments below if you’ve ever participated in a flea market no matter as a buyer or a seller and what are your feelings towards it, even if you haven’t? I would love to hear from you!

Talk to you soon and have a great week!

Renate  ❤

What's in my makeup bag currently (99.9% drugstore)

Hey, guys!

Finally, a beauty post after a long time. The reason I was hesitant to put this up until now was the mere fact, that I am by no means good at makeup, nor am I particularly satisfied with the contents of my stash to be sharing it with all of you.

I have gotten into makeup relatively recently and have been broke for a much, much longer time ;) So you can understand why I wasn't really up for (not to mention being able to) investing into high end makeup, when I didn't even have a clue of the "how & what's". I think that makes sense.

I'm still learning, I still look back at pictures as new as a couple of months and think - wow, that really wasn't a good look, but hey - that's how it goes at first and a little trial and error never hurt anybody ;)

Also, call me close-fisted, but if I buy something and don't really love it, I'll find a way to use it up anyway, I just don't feel comfortable with it going to waste, unless it's really rubbish and totally not working for me, of course, then that just gets thrown out.

However, I finally figured that I DO use these producs every time I apply makeup and besides - write about what you know, right? In any case, this can either be helpful to somebody like me, who's just starting out or simply interesting for myself to look back on when I (hopefully) have a better routine figured out as the time goes by.

My goal is to own less in amount, but higher quality products, that are color-matched to my complexion and skin type and I will be slowly replacing my current products with some better ones as I save up some money and use up what I already own, although I must say, some of the products I own I do really like and can't complain about.

Okay. Without further ado, here are most of the products I own and what I had packed with me moving away for my internship.

Starting off with my brushes - I use this M-Cosmetics Pro Brushset (299 dkk), that I purchased last winter at my local MATAS drugstore. I have seperately purchased an eye shadow brush no.05 (39.95 dkk) from the same brand and a few other ones: Essence powder brush (5.95 $), the Catrice Blush Brush (same price range) and the only high-end Nilens Jord Black Diamond N° 102 Foundation Brush Flat Cut (135 dkk).

While the foundation brush works amazingly well (with thicker foundations, but not oily or sheer ones) and both the Essence (which is the softest brush I own and love to use it for my powder) and the Catrice one (with which I contour with) are considerably high quality, the M Cosmetics brushes have not impressed me too much and I can see - why I paid so little. The brushes are quite rough on my skin and tend to shed and I will definitely get rid of them as soon as I get my hands on a proper set from Sigma or a similar brand people have been suggesting.

For my base at the moment I am using the following products: the L'Oreál Studio Secrets Primer (115 dkk), the Madara Organic Skincare Moonflower Rose Beige Tinting Fluid (26 eur for 50 ml) and the Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hr Foundation (7.99 £).

I bought the primer a long time ago, basically just because I thought that I have to and hated it at first. It was hard to rub in and was sort of sitting on my face as a layer I didn't like. I later realized, that it's a resurfacing and smoothing primer meant to cover pores and bumps, which I didn't have at the time. As I said, I like to use up my products and have since then found, that I like to use it as my base on bad skin days. You know, how foundation and concealer covers those blemishes and spots and hides the redness, but sometimes you can still see the bump of the blemish? Well, this  product helps with that. It makes a more smoother base for your foundation to go onto and these days my skin hasn't been it's best, so I have been using this up. I won't be repurchasing it, but will invest into a primer that's geared towards my skin type and its needs - evening out the skintone and making the makeup last longer.

I have recently discovered a tip for a more natural makeup - the less makeup you apply to the nose and generally the middle of your face, the less obvious it'll be. Similarly, the sligh contour of using lighter products in the middle part of your face and darker ones around will create a more flattering look.

I bought the Rimmel foundation just before going to the wedding in Bulgaria this summer, because I had developed a lovely tan and needed to pick up a darker shade, moreover, I wanted a foundation with no SPF in it, as lots of pictures would be taken and I wished to avoid the while flash effect. It worked and the foundation, although fairly heavy is a lovely product. I picked up the Madara set of 4 mini products together with the tinted moisturizer (I like to support this brand, as it's Latvian and organic, vegan, cruelty free etc.) to try out - it's very light, both in shade and in the consistency. At the moment, I am back to my winter shade - so much too pale for the Rimmel 303 True Nude - and have therefore been applying it around my face, the Madara tint in the middle and mixing these together with my foundation brush. This creates a much more natural foundation look with a subtle contour, which I like.

As for concealing, I have to be honest and say, that I haven't yet purchased one, that I am in love with. When it comes to my dark circles especially, nothing really gets the job done quite right. However, at the moment I am using the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in the shade 20 (sand) (6.99 $) under my eyes, although I used to use the L'Oreál True Match Concealer in Natural Beige (85 dkk) and on my blemishes I use this Catrice cosmetics Concealer palette with 5 shades for correcting redness, dark circles etc. It's a nighmare to use under the eyes, but it works well on the skin, because it's thick and covers spots well.

I also purchased the famous Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 001 Transparrent (50 dkk), which is great for the price and lasts forever - ever since I learned (the hard way) to use very little it gets the job done well - sets my makeup and prevents shine (not that my dry skin really needs it, but I do use a heavy daily moisturizer, so I like the effect)

As for adding some color to my face I've been using the Rimmel Sunshimmer 3 i 1 Shimmering Bronzer in 002 Bronze Goddess (65 dkk), which is a nice shimmery bronzer, again having a light hand with this is necessary.

For the past few months I have stopped using a blush, ever since I got my makeup put on at the MAC counter and the girl only used a plumy bronzer on me - I loved the look and also - have been noticing, that adding something pink toned so close to my dark circles really clashes with the blue/purple undertones and makes them stand out that much more. I have no idea, if I'm imagining this, but I have been feeling a lot better going without as my cheeks are anyway pretty pink as it is, but I used to even use the Korres lip balm (12 $) in Pomegranate on my cheeks and lips during the summertime and tought that it looks pretty, which is why I included it. And after trying out this L'Oréal powder blush I purchased two of the Maybelline Dream Soft Blushes (6.49 £)in the shades 02 and 05. I used a lot of 02 during the summer, because it was such a fun, fresh, light coral shade.

To set my base and add some glow to my powdered face (it rhymed, I know) I used to be a huge fan of the Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist (8 £) and still love it. I'll probably repurchase it sooner than later, especially after the wintertime.

Onto the eyes, I've been starting with my brows. To be honest, I am always trying to avoid having too many products to work with, so I love to a good multi-tool. I have been using my Rimmel Glam'Eyes quad in 019 Sun Safari (78 dkk) on my eyes almost every time I put eyeshadow on - and I don't care that my eyes are brown and I use brown shadows - I think it gives my face such a bronzed look and makes me look more tanned than I am. But I've also been using the darkest shade to fill in my brows, despite the fact it's slightly shimmery... I know, I know. I can't see it, though and the shadow has such a nice reddish undertone, which matches perfectly with my hair and I really love how it looks. However, I've been feeling so guilty about this, that I purchased the Maybelline Eye Studio Master Shape Brow Pencil (8 $) in the shade Deep Brown, which is too dark for me. I couldn't really choose between the lighter shade and this in the shop and ended up going for the darker one, since I love a bold brow, but considering the wax consistency, the color intensifies and my brows overtake my face a tad too much. It also got really short really quickly, I basically had to sharpen the pencil every single time, so it's not my favorite product, even if I had the right shade. I still use the brush though and have since returned back to filling my brows in with the shadow. Because of that I also use the Catrice (used to be clear) Lash/ Brow designer gel, that I will be repurchasing as it's cheap, gets the job done and doesn't leave my eyebrows feeling crispy.

As for the shadows, apart from the Rimmer quad, I've been using my Maybelline Big Eyes in Luminous Purple 05 (currently 63 dkk @ matas), which is as bright and fun as it gets for me... Sometimes I wet my eyeliner brush and use the purple for a subtle liner. Yes, I'm CRAAAZY boring, I know. The shadows are really "creamy" though and the highlight shade is pretty - I use it on my face too sometimes, if I'm going out.

Get excited for the only high end product in my stash (which is not even mine) - CHANEL LE CRAYON KHÔL Intense Eye Pencil NOIR!!! (17 £) In all seriousness, I've been using this for years ever since I stole got it gifted from my big sister and it's great. It lasts forever, it's creamy, easy to apply and I haven't worried about my liner for years, we're still going strong, thank you very much.

As for my liquid eyeliner, I used to use (and love) the Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Eyeliner (60 dkk) until it dried up. It's a bit tricky to work with, but the eyeliner is... black. If you have the patience and the precison, it looks really nice. Also, I was never able to make a subtle liner look with this - always a full on cat-eye, but since I like the look, I didn't mind.

After that, I purchased the Eye Studio Master Precise Ink Pen Eyeliner in Black (8 $) and this is much easier to work with - it also gives much more subtle look, however, it dried fast on me and also, didn't leave a really black color, it sort of faded a bit as it dried, so I am not sure I will be repurchasing it.

I have two mascaras in my makeup bag at the moment - one is the L'oréal Volume Collagene 24h Extra Black (140 dkk), which is easily my all time favorite mascara. I always go for volumizing mascaras, because that's what I feel like I need, otherwise I get 3 reeeeeealy long Daisy lashes and I can't pull them off quite the way she does... Mine's drying out on me and it takes a LOT of patience to work with it as it starts to clump, but I am just dragging the time out until I go back to Latvia and purchase a new one. It's just that nothing really does as good of a job as instantly as this one with a single coat. The second one and my lashes are poking my eyebrows. And the other one is the Maybelline Volum' Express Washable Mascara Black (63 dkk) which I saw at the counter buying groceries...? And it was extremely cheap, 30 dkk as far as I remember and picked it up. I absolutely hated it at first, said it doesn't do anything and doesn't make any difference, but I still use it sometimes - on days, when I want to look natural and if you build it up and use more coats, it does make a difference, obviously, but I feel like the effort and the time is not really worth it.

Onto the lips! I haven't really been into lip products and have been just recently buying a lipstic here and a lipstic there, but haven't really found anything A-MA-SING, if you know, what I mean.

For my lip balms I always, always, ALWAYS go back to the Dzintars lip balms. It's a Latvian brand and I haven't found anything as moisturizing, long lasting, flattering, affordable and lovely as this. I am known to buy 10 at a time to use for the next half a year or so, while I'm in Denmark and keep them everywhere - in my bags, pockets, bathroom, desk etc. I am running out and can't wait to stock up soon :)

As for the actual lipstics, the first one on the left after the lip balm is the Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in the shade Saved By The Bell (£6.49) and I can honestly say, that I don't really like it on me - because of the old fashioned shimmer in it. I only use it together with the RIMMEL LONDON Lasting Finish Lipstick-Kate Moss Collection 109 (5.49 $), because I find it to be too dry and matte, so I sort of layer them, but I feel a bit self conscious wearing both, as I'm worried about them bleeding or not suiting me and always end up not reapplying them during the day. I like the shade of the Kate Moss one, but I find it to be too drying, however, pairing it with a lip balm makes it move around. Hmmm. On to something more positive, the Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick Hollywood Red 540 (£7.19) is a very pretty deep shade, which glides on wonderfully and lasts a long time. It's neither too matte nor too glossy and I personally feel glamorous wearing it, even though I find it too dark for daytime. Dinners though? Absolute favorite.

One that I picked up early last spring was the Catrice Sheer Lip color in the shade 03 Soulful, which is a gorgeous burgundy purple, that glides on extremely easily and leaves a very sheer finish, so it doesn't feel too dark. I usually just layer it on, because I love the way it feels, plus it gets darker as you put more on. I've been really liking this, even though I haven't been wearing it recently.

Next, I have two pencils, both from the same brand and line, namely, the Max Factor Colour Elixir Giant Pen Stick (both 99 dkk per piece). I bought the shade Designer Blossom 30 initially, because I wanted an easy red lip and was too intimidated by lipsticks. And was very impressed - it's easy to apply, it lasts a long time and the color's very intense without looking silly.

After that I wanted to find a more toned down shade and the only other shade from the line I found flattering on me was the Subtle Coral 20, which I used a lot during the summertime together with the coral blush I mentioned earlier.

Last, but not least I have another red - this one I picked up last January to wear with my long, black graduation dress and it was basically the first lip colors I bought. I picked up the Max Factor Lipfinity Colour & Gloss Lip Gloss in the shade 560 Radiant Red and found it a bit of a pain that night - it wore off unevenly due to the glossy texture, I needed to reapply it all the time and felt self conscious, because I've never worn a lipstick before (well, that clearly isn't Max Factor's fault, is it?), but I haven't really been wearing it ever since, probably because of those memories. I feel like I might, however, when the Christmas events roll around as a nice red lip seems so glamorous and festive.

I posted all the swatches in two different lights, if that helps you in any way!

I hope you enjoyed this post, leave me a comment down below with any questions or feedback - I love to hear from you and will, as always, reply to every one!

Let me know, if you want to see makeup looks using these products! There will be different arrangements and outings as the Christmas time approaches, so I could try and snap some makeup photos, if you're interested.

Also, feel free to leave me your recommendations and favorites! I have a high-end wish list, but I'm well aware, that some drugstore products are the same, if not better, so I'd love to create a nice mix between the two. What do you save on and which products do you splurge on? I'd love to know.

Talk to you soon!

Renate ❤

Hawaiian party, failed GRWM and my weekend

Hey, guys!

Before we get into the post - a few things I want to say. Firstly, I have been struggling to find time to blog and have been doing so once a week for the last couple of months. I haven't really been too excited about the content, meaning I want to write much more detailed posts about different things like beauty and style, but I haven't had the chance, so I've been doing recaps of my weeks and personal chatty posts. That being said, you all have been super lovely regardless and I am amazed and very thankful to all of you for your comments, feedback, support and subscribing. Welcome to new followers, I am very happy to see you around and I have decided that I want to get into blogging more, put out a couple of posts a week, but first and foremost - just be more active and involved with all of you guys! As per usual, I reply to all my comments and visit your blogs, if you leave the links below, but as much as it excites me, that you come and visit me, I know it's the same for you and you guys write amazing and inspiring and smart posts and I want to read them all and reach out to you and follow your stories, so I  will definitely try to get back at it.

Where was I? Yes. Everybody - thank you. New posts - coming soon. Better content - you tell me. Hopefully. More active Renate - check.

Shoutout to the lovely Zozo, who guessed my nail polish color in the previous post spot on! Impressive :)

Moving on, today I have a semi serious, semi fun post about my weekend! As some of you know, I finished a degree here in Denmark and have made some friends for life. One of them just had his birthday and since he surfs and has the boards in his apartment anyway, he figured to make a themed party! What's more fun than faking a summer in the middle of November?

At the moment, still being on my internship, I live 700 m from his apartment. My boyfriend, however and more of our friends had to take the 4 hour trip to participate, so I got to dress up, party, see my boyfriend AND my lovely friends all at the same night. A girl was happy.

Another friend of mine and I first went to the local party shop downtown to pick out our costumes, so I purchased some flowers and my leafy green skirt.
After that we went to a second hand shop to which I have never been to before and we picked out a couple of shirts. I did my best to find the most obnoxious shirt I could find for my boyfriend to wear and was pretty happy with the outcome!

On the day of the party I took it easy and went to the local drugstore to pick up some salt water spray to give my hair that beachy textured look I found fitting.

I kept my makeup theme-inspired, so - very simple and natural, yet bronzy (as much as my pale skin would allow me to) and my accessories - minimal.

I wanted to show you guys the products I used and the outcome, but the lighting was so bad by the time I was ready, that the photos are either dark or too light - and the flash completely washes out my face, so you can't see anything makeup-wise anyway.

I will do a post on my current makeup routine this week, however, and will find the time to use the best lighting possible.

We had a really fun time, catching up, playing wii and celebrating and had an amazing walk today which freshened us all up after the all-nighter. My boyfriend is heading home now together with our friends and I am waiting for my parents and my sister to log on Skype for our Sunday date :) My parents live in Latvia, as you might already know, my sister lives in Dublin and I'm here in Denmark, so catching up is really important to us and I'm always looking forward to it, with a cup of tea and sometimes - even a note book! To remember to mention everything I want to say and also, to write down upcoming events and important information, so I know when to text, call and congratulate :)

For the serious side of things, I have had a rough couple of weeks, I'm not going to lie. I have really been mentally occupied by my plans, goals and current routine. I have done a lot of thinking and have come to the conclusion, that I need to adjust the way I go about things. A lot of the things I do are calculated and goal-minded, I want to find a job, learn Danish and figure out, what to study further etc. I have been so focused on reaching those goals, that I have spent the whole past year doing everything I can to bring me closer to them. I've accomplished a good deal, but have also "sacrificed" time with friends, my hobbies and favorite activities. I have been telling myself - why would you spent the day walking through the shops downtown, when you actually should be looking through job postings or read up on some additional Danish material. Of course, I have made progress faster this way, but I have also felt low sometimes and... deprived slightly. I now see, that while it might have worked for a while, from now on, I need to find another way to continue reaching the same goals.

I now need to wrap up my internship successfully, finish up with a positive recommendation letter and move onto to the next challenge, whilst keeping sight on the everyday highlights, the coffee dates, the walks, the books, the cooking and all the things that make me happy from day to day.

That was everything I wanted to say at the moment. I hope you guys are having a wonderful weekend and I will talk to you soon! Let me know in the comments below, if you'd like to see the content of my makeup bag first, my latest food choices in pictures and descriptions, my current beauty wish list or anything else :)

Feel free to comment with any feedback or questions you might have, I always love to hear from you and will reply as usual.

Renate ❤

Keep your head up

Hey, guys! Today was just one of those days, when I woke up, looked in the mirror and went - you have GOT to be kidding me... Apart from the usual (dark circles, I'm talking to you), my skin's been acting up lately, but I had on top of that busted my lip during the night (...?) and I just felt like crawling back under the sheets and going: "Nope. This day has been cancelled."

But, you know, I'm a grown up. At least, I try to be. I know I'm definitely trying to be a positive person, though. So I refused to let my day be affected by starting the day off with negative thoughts. So, I had a lovely breakfast and got ready, paying even more attention to how I treat myself than usual and went on attacking the day. It worked, in case you're wondering ;) I had a really nice day and managed to have a really good mindset.

These pictures are not retouched in any way, this is me, blurred, with my phone, snapping the reality of my bathroom mirror (note to self: find a better way to formulate this) and the only reason I'm posting this is because I sometimes really struggle to keep my head up. This has nothing to do with the superficial side of things. I'm not saying, that putting makeup on makes me happy. It's the  negative oh-what's-the-point-of things mindset I'm struggling with and overcoming that made me even bother with putting makeup on. I hope this made sense. I had made the conscious decision to have a good day and be positive long before the products were used, so its not what I was aiming at.

I also stay posivite by doing what I know best - making fun of myself. Hence, the photos. I think it's important to be able to poke fun at yourself and put yourself out there. It's just... life.

So I ate (almost)healthy. I met up with a friend. I laughed. I walked a lot. I shopped a bit (have a themed party to attend this Saturday - super excited and will definitely make a post on getting ready for it!) and I stayed present.

I also did something that I haven't in a long time. I did my nails. Excuse the claw like hand and the bad lighting, it's prettier in person and totally not my usual shade. Just picked it up today. Can you guess, what it is? :) Leave me a comment down below, if you want! That could be fun.

I can also do a post on how I do my nails, because I always do it myself.

Anyway, hope you're all having a wonderful week and I will talk to you soon!

As always, thank you all for reading, commenting, subscribing and being so lovely! I will answer any questions you have, as usual, so feel free to.

Renate ❤