All them hairs

Hey, guys!

Today I'm writing my first specific topic related beauty post, namely, all about my hair. To be honest, this topic is close to my heart, because out of all my insecurities (that I'm slowly, but thankfully surely working on one by one), my hair is not only one of the oldest, but also one of the biggest ones. I'm all about focusing on the positive, however, and therefore this post is not meant to be a complaining one, on the contrary - the tips and lessons I've learned along the way through years of constant awareness, mistakes and recent efforts.

This will be a rather lengthy post, for which I apologize for, but I hope you enjoy it anyway, because a lot of effort went into it and I really wrote down my best advice.

A little disclaimer - hair is plural in Latvian (my native language), because technically we have so many :) I'm still trying to break the habit of referring to my hair as "them" as opposed to "it", so if I get really into typing and lose my focus and you spot that somewhere along the post - that's why.

Secondly, this post will be mostly aimed at growing out hair, especially when we'll reach the tip and advice section of the post, but I'm sure it could be useful for maintenance of healthy hair also.

Now, my hair has changed over the years. Not necessarily for better or worse, it's just different now. I've always had baby-like sleek, shiny and thin hair. This is some of the oldest pictures I could find on my laptop and I'm obviously a fan of red. Also, now we know my best posing side/angle ;)

I had a perm in middle school, which never disappeared as I was promised, but simply grew out and I was forced to cut all the damaged ends off. After that I grew out my hair without looking after it at all - I washed it with Pantene Pro V (my mom's favorite) and used a hair mousse before blow drying it head-down only to put it up in a pony tail later during the day, because, although my hair is thin and fine, for some reason it's also heavy, so soon enough I started noticing my ears peeping out and that annoyed the *** out of me. Now looking at the pictures - it's pretty, because I obviously arranged it forwards before a photo was taken and because of the shine and length. I also got compliments on the sleek straightness of it, but I never really felt happy with it.

After moving to Denmark and putting even less effort into my hair I decided to cut it shorter around Christmas 2009. I didn't like it, however. I had the same problems, just shorter hair that I therefore couldn't be even a tiny bit proud of and so in May 2010 I cut it again, this time - up to my jaw. I actually liked it, because I could get volume much easier and it was obviously healthy and shiny, because I cut it so far, but unfortunately my "freshman 15" weight gain made me feel less pretty, including my unfamiliar new hairstyle.

Two things happened simultaneously in 2010 and 2011. I lost the weight and ("thanks to" the unhealthy way of doing it) a bunch of my hair. With even flatter and thinner hair I decided to go lighter in hopes for my hair to appear thicker. While it kind of worked, the cut was unflattering, I'd gain a lot of weight back (surprise, surprise - crash diets anyone?) and I've totally ruined the sleek, shiny texture of my hair, which was now dry, frizzy and dull.

For a while I was letting it grow. I kept eating badly and lost even more hair. I also rocked a then unfamiliar look for me now know as the ombre (I wish I'd know, how "stylish" I was, haha).

In 2012 two things happened again. I started eating properly and cut my hair again. I told the hairdresser to cut as much as it takes (meaning I want healthy hair) and apparently, it took a lot! Because I ended up with very short hair. To be honest, I felt poorly at the time and my hair made me very insecure. I found it discouraging to be eating so healthily and actually lose more hair as the first months went on.

For the next half a year I continued to eat well, take supplements and for the first time - looking after my hair specifically. I went heat-free for a while, stopped using hairbands with the metal bond, stopped putting my hair up in tight ponytails etc. In February 2013 I cut it once more and since then - have been (not-so-)patiently growing it out again.

I have bad and good hair days and I'm still experimenting. But few things I've learned along the way are some I'd like to share with you in case it's in any way helpful.

1. My hair will always be thin. I've tried drinking borderline medicine supplements hoping to grow a beautiful bunch of hair, but I haven't and probably won't. And that's okay. Work with what you have. I need to find what works for me and make the most of it anyway.

2. That brings us to - using fitting products and using them properly. I used to think my hair is fine and weak, so I need to condition heavily and shouldn't bother with the rinsing too much - it'll make my hair sleeker and more moisturized. Wrong. Not only did it caused me to run out of conditioners twice as fast as my shampoos, leaving products (that are supposed to be washed out) in you hair causes build up, flatness and dullness. Ever since I started rinsing properly my hair has been shinier and holds volume better. (I also shampoo twice now) Next, I used to swear by hair mousse, because I was convinced it gave me extra thickness and texture. What I failed to realize was that it also gave me the extra weight and caused serious flatness. It's simply not the best product for my hair, just like a gel or a styling wax isn't. Lastly, I used to blow dry my hair after using mousse and that made my hair dull and dry, which made me think my hair is damaged, when it wasn't.

What I do now is rinsing my hair properly, using a leave in conditioner instead and letting my hair air dry. I style it with a salt water spray, which gives me texture without weighing my hair down and comb it only when dry.

3. Cutting. Now, this is a rather controversial topic for many. Some swear by regular trims. Some - oppose arguing, that the only way to grow out hair is to actually let it... grow! :) What I believe now is as simple as this. Once a hair breaks, it breaks. There's no way to reverse it. Therefore products with"split end repair" and similar claims will let you down. What's worse is, that a split hair continues to break upwards damaging more and more of the hair length. A lot of the times (trust me, I was so, so guilty of this) a girl , especially one, who's trying to grow out her hair, will pity the efforts and refuse to cut it, which sort of beats the good intentions. Therefore, I'd highly suggest biting the bullet and getting a trim before starting on the growing out journey and going all in, even if it's unfavorable. After that you can start doing everything you can to KEEP the hair healthy (not trying to reverse existing damage) through a proper diet, water intake, careful styling etc. and from then on - getting a trim, when it's needed. There's no need for a scheduled 2 month trim if you want to grow out your hair and it's doing well. As long as your hair is healthy - you don't need to cut it. The sooner you get a trim after noticing split ends, the less length you'll lose cutting it. Find a hairstylist you trust and like - also - let them know you'd like to grow your hair out - then you can get advice every time you visit and you don't have to worry about getting an unexpected hairstyle - he/she will know you're only in for a trim.

4. Your natural hair is probably your best shot at long, healthy hair. What I mean by this is - embrace your natural hair, if your goal is length and strength. If you have naturally wavy hair, but you blow dry and straighten it every day, chances are, it'll be more difficult for you to grow out significantly longer hair (mostly time-wise - in a span of one year, for example) as opposed to letting your hair be natural as much as possible. By all means, style your hair, have fun with it, but if you can find a way to work with your hair's natural texture and style and you're able to wear it like that most of the time, you'll notice an improvement in the way you hair looks and feels and the length it's able to achieve. We all grow hair. Some people claim, that their hair simply stops at one decided length and refuses to grow longer. That doesn't really make much sense, considering how we can see that by someone's roots, when hair is being dyed or bleached. Hair grows. What likely happens is that the ends break and the length therefore remains the same. We can all grow hair - for some it takes more conscious effort and care, for some - it doesn't. But if you want to grow out your hair - don't get discouraged, you can do it. Just treat it with care and be patient. Try to avoid breakage. Don't put your hair in a pony tale at the same height all the time. Don't sleep with a pony tale. Don't be rough on your hair when styling - don't pull, tear or burn.

5. Diet. We've all heard about the importance of drinking water and having a proper diet. I've found that for some people it doesn't matter. Similarly to growing in length, each person is different when it comes to strength and health of their hair and those people don't have to worry about proper nutrition in regards to their hair. I won't even go into detail about the importance of a healthy diet regardless of the physical factors and person's outer appearance. (A slim, long haired person with strong nails, beautiful skin etc. should still eat healthy to nourish their body and mind.) What I'm aiming at here is, that even if you feel like your diet is not making a difference - I'd suggest to still have a healthy one. After all, there are only benefits involved! Some of my absolute favorite foods are also high in good fats - salmon, avocado, nuts, nut butters, especially almonds, healthy oils (coconut! yay) along with many others, then - protein (meat, eggs, beans etc.), dairy, and healthy carbs, brown rice, sweet potatoes, fruits, especially greens and other veggies - why not treat yourself to a healthy diet and feel all the benefits. Mix it up, use hummus instead of Philadelphia or even more so - butter on your toast some days, have a cup of tea instead of a soda sometimes, try to feed yourself with good stuff. Even if it doesn't make your hair grow 10 inches overnight, it's still better than blaming the genetics and eating crap.

6. Limited heat styling. Heat protection. Sort of ties in with number 4. Heat protectants are for the most part - affordable and lasts for ages. A few spritzes and your hair's better off curled, straightened, blow dried and similarly styled. I used a heat protectant during the summer months also, because my hair's dark and the sun can make it dry and burned.

7. Embrace the process. You've decided you want to grow your hair. Preferably, by tomorrow. I've been there. Heck, I'm there now! But it takes time and you can enjoy your hair in the meantime anyway. Try different hairstyles (there are great no-heat tutorials on youtube), enjoy how easy it is to have shorter hair in terms of drying, managing and up-keeping, be patient and apart from treating your hair with care, don't obsess over it. Let it be. It'll happen. Probably, faster, if you don't pay too much attention to it.

Now onto the actual products I use. When it comes to my shampoo, I'm very inconsistent. I used to buy the cheapest of the "middle class" - if brands like Dove, Pantene, Schwarzkopf or similar had a sale, I'd get those. More than a year ago I bought the 900 ml TRESemmé Less Sulfates shampoo and conditioner and had it for months. That stuff was seriously never ending. After that I bought another TRESemmé - the popular Keratin Smooth. I also bought and used up the mask.

After trying other Trine's Wardrobe products (last day of her giveaway!) and liking them I am now currently using the Trine's Wardrobe Argan Oil Shampoo (79,95 DKK) and the Trine's Wardrobe Argan Oil Conditioner (79,95 DKK). Both of these smell lovely and leave my hair feeling light and clean. I haven't used them for too long, but so far, so good. After shower I sometimes use the Keune Care Line Vital Nutrition Leave-in Hair Repair (long name for a tiny bottle :) which I got from my sister a few months back, but it retails for $7.90 at Amazon. It has a light consistency and requires little product, but what I noticed when going to the gym after my Danish class and subsequently taking a shower in the evening not in the mornings, was that my hair seemed a little frizzy at first and after soaking in during the night my hair was super soft and sleek the next day, which is how I really got to like it. After that I let my hair air dry and then spray the Toni&Guy Sea Salt Texturizing Spray (129,95 DKK). I previously used the Trine's Wardrobe Salt Water Spray (79,95 DKK) and liked it, but bought a mini version of the Tony&Guy one for traveling  during the summer after it ran out. I quite liked it, because the consistency was stronger - it gave me more texture and a more defined beachy look, but after repurchasing the bigger Tony&Guy salt water spray I can also say, that it sprays rougher, meaning I don't really get an even light spritz of the spray, but a stronger, more precise one, which (although I realize, I sound weird) means I get a lot of product where I spray it and hardly anything other places. When I style my hair - curl or blow dry, I use the TRESemmé Heat Defence Styling Spray (89,95 DKK), then the salt water spray for texture and finish off with the got2b Volumising Style Powder, that I bought in Stockholm after forgetting to pack ANYTHING hair related and experiencing seriously flat hair days and not wanting to waste money buying anything liquid, that I'd have to throw out at the airport anyway going back to Denmark, because I only had hand luggage, but it currently retails for £2.70 at Superdrug. I would love to try the Bumbe&Bumble Thickening Creme Contour after reading reviews like this one, but it does retail for $27.00 at Sephora at I find that pricey for me at the moment. It's definitely on my list, though and if someone reading this has tried it, I'd love to hear more about it. If I curl my hair (see the wand here), I give it a slight spray of the Schwarzkopf Poly Swing Hairspray (32,95 DKK) - a very affordable drugstore choice. At the moment I'm in between hair masks and don't use any, but I'll probably give the Trine's Wardrobe one a try (89,95 DKK), especially since I'm using her shampoo and conditioner line currently anyway. I'm also in between dry shampoos as I'm struggling to find one that doesn't make my hair more greasy as opposed to less. Again, I've tried Trine's and liked it, after that Tony&Guy's, but haven't been a fan. That's basically it! I sleep with my hair up some nights (a high bun secured with a very thick fabric band) and use a clip while washing my face. I use a Remington hair brush, that came with my curling wand.

This has been the longest text I've written since my bachelor dissertation, I think :D I'm sorry. But I hope, that you found it helpful and/or interesting to read. I also intend to post about my eyebrows (growing them out after years of serious over-plucking), maybe a few cooking and food posts (let me know, if you'd be interested in WIAWs for example or something similar) and definitely an autumn wishlist and wardrobe necessities.

I'd love to hear from you, if you have any feedback! Talk to you soon.

Renate  ❤ 

A week in life

Hey again! Hope you guys are doing well. I’ve been having a crazy time lately, there are too many things I need to focus on and figure out for me to spend a lot of time on girly things that I initially was planning to blog about. I’m just going with the flow and posting anyway – I enjoy it nonetheless, so here’s what I’ve been up to.

Last Friday my boyfriend and I went out for the beginning of the festival week – we had a few drinks and walked around the town to see what’s up, but all in all took it easy and went home relatively early. I relied on my thrifted leather jacket, which I’ve been wearing religiously ever since I got it, sandal heels and a black/white combo. It was the first night my heels felt really comfortable, thanks to Beauty And The Blog tip of spraying hair spray in your shoes in case of missing silicone pads – it really worked and made the shoes much more stable and easy to walk in.

Saturday we spent downtown, enjoying the live music, meeting my boyfriend’s parents for coffee and later on – sitting in the last afternoon sun with our good friends from school sharing some delightful homemade blueberry muffins. Those two are definitely good in the kitchen. Later on we stopped by our local Blockbusters and rented a few movies. Although, it’s not exactly my usual style, I really wanted to see “This is 40” (see trailer here) and did not regret it. A funny, light Saturday treat it was.

Sunday started with a movie No. 2 – The Hobbit (see trailer here) and despite the poor reviews I’ve been hearing, I quite enjoyed it. Otherwise it was a nice practical, easy, lazy day after which we treated ourselves to (according to my boyfriend) the best pizza in town and had a cheesy movie date watching Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine” (see trailer here) – I liked it, but my boyfriend (and as later discovered, his friends also) found it rather boring and predictable.

Monday morning started bright and early with my 8 AM Danish class, after which I met up with a girl I used to study with, since we haven’t met in ages. After catching up on boys, future plans, our summer vacations and current happenings, I went home to start on my Danish homework in time for dinner. After that we watched the last of the rented movies - The Lincoln (see trailer here) and I really liked it. Wow, that was a lot of movies :) Same Danish class + homework arrangement Tuesday, only afterwards I went out for dinner with some of our other old classmates. You see, during our 3,5 years of studying people in my class had really bonded. We had all moved from our families, countries and friends and sometimes spent very homey holidays together – Christmas, New Years, Easter, Midsummer – if tickets were too expensive or our exams – too close by, we stayed in Denmark and spent them together. Now, half a year after graduating, we still try to keep the bond alive. Every first Tuesday of the month we meet up for dinner somewhere and whosever is able to join - comes. Loved ones are always welcomed too. We spent a lovely evening with a buffet and catching up and these dinners are something I’m looking forward to every month.

Wednesday – Danish and homework, while later my boyfriend was cooking and I was packing, because – come Thursday and I took the train to Copenhagen for the weekend!

Firstly, I participated in a seminar at the place of my future internship. I got to be at a project meeting after that and meet my boss, his boss, see my future office and the building itself, which was all very useful and exciting.

Later on I met with some of my other classmates, who have moved to Copenhagen after graduating and catch up with them, which was such a treat, because I really miss those guys, although being happy for their success and accomplishments.

The next day I went to see an apartment for me to stay at during my internship and it went very well. It’s so comforting and calming to know I have a place for that period. And later on during the night my big sister flew in to see me! I haven’t seen her in more than a year and honestly don’t think we’ve ever spent a weekend together 1 on 1.

The next few days were so much fun. The weather was amazing (luckily, since from today is typical Autumn weather) and we got to catch up, see Copenhagen, eat out and stay up late, have breakfast together and go window shopping downtown. I took the bus home last night and have been trying to get back to my routine now by sorting the pictures, packing out, doing laundry etc.

As you can see, a very filled and eventful week (in my books anyway) and from now it – it’s internship preparation mode ON!

I need to read some books and try out some of the software they use, figure out what to bring and when/how to move etc. I’m so excited and, naturally, a bit nervous, which is good.

I hope you all have had a wonderful week and I will talk to you soon!

Renate ❤

OOTD and an update

Hey, guys!

Hope you’ve all been great. It’s taken me a little too long yet again, but I’m still trying to get into the swing of things and even though I want to put out posts, I also want them to be qualitative, not sloppy, so for now, less is more :)

Today, among other things, I met with my contact person for a 2 month internship. As I’ve wrote before, I’m a recent college graduate and until now have been learning Danish and looking for jobs and/or internships. I’ve been lucky enough to find a seemingly perfect one and I’m looking very much forward to experiencing that! I won’t go into too much detail about it yet, because so many things are still unclear, but if everything works out, I’ll have to move for those couple of months, take a break from my Danish class and go to the office every day and get to meet with many talented and skilled people from the industry.

Even though today was not an “interview”, more so – a meeting to discuss details such as dates and paperwork, I still wanted to look presentable and give myself that extra boost of confidence.

Necklace – Accessories
Watch - Pilgrim

Peplum top – New Yorker

High-waisted black pants – Pieces

Chelsea boot – Eurowalk

Please, excuse the dirty mirror – I didn’t notice it until the pictures we’re uploaded (and I was already sitting in my p-jays), but the outfit is pretty basic. Every time I want to feel more put together I tend to gravitate towards black&white, gold accents, a lower or higher heel and simple fits. It’s simply so effortless, still comfortable, still easy, but still nice.

Here’s a closer look at my makeup and hair – gave myself the first blow-out in months! And went with a simple black eyeliner – always makes me feel put together. If you want to see a more detailed makeup post - let me know, I only used drugstore products.

Hope you'll all have a wonderful weekend (it's an early one for me this time) and talk to you soon :)

Renate ❤

Bulgaria and being gone

Hey, guys! Flat out, I really didn't expect to not open up my blog or reader for so many days straight. Even with the holidays I planned to get a post or two in, not to mention catching up with my favorite blogs as usual, but that'll come. Unfortunately, I spent my last couple of days in Bulgaria not feeling well and have been trying to get better ever since.

I'll  make a quick post tonight and make proper ones later on, just so I feel like getting back to it and I hope from now on, mostly, I'll have more time to keep a regular schedule, because I myself find unpredictable, chaotic blogs hard to follow and not as fun to keep up with.

Anyway. As I've mentioned before, my boyfriend and I were invited to a wedding in Bulgaria, which we were both really excited about, since none of us had ever visited Bulgaria before. The packing was a pain, first of all... You'd think that after moving to another country and basically traveling on somewhat regular basis I'd have an easier time with it, but - not really. I do make lists, though to keep organized and not forget things, but other than that - pretty much everything needs to be laid out, so I can see it and then I can pick, what I'll bring with. Mess.

The wedding was awesome, however and I couldn't have been happier to experience it and see it. Everything was so thought-through and we felt very much taken care of - with the translating, accomodations, we vere constantly entertained and everyone was super sweet and caring. The ceremony was beautiful and the party - so much fun. My feet were hurting in the best way possible - after a long night of dancing. I loved my friend's dress and couldn't get over the cute little details - such as the wedding presents in a swan shape - so beautiful!

After returning to Sofia (the wedding was in my friend's home town), we had a tour around, shopped a bit, went out for drinks and enjoyed the amazing (yet, very hot) weather. I ended up finding a leather belt at H&M on sale (15 LV, which is approx. 60 DKK), that I thought was a steal and the picture below is taken just before we went out for dinner and drinks, however, the very next day I was feeling very sick, couldn't keep anything down, had stomach pain etc. and ended up being taken to the ER and spending the night there getting 5 bottles of fluids in. Those were not the most fun couple of days I've had, to be honest. Turns out, I was very dehydrated and had probably had something bad to begin with, combined with the heat, going out and eating unfamiliar foods. I'm just now starting to feel better and trying to drink as much water as I can, which I sometimes tend to forget, so it's new.

On our last day, after getting checked out of the hospital and handing over our hotel room, we walked down the pedastrian street in Sofia and I got some last minute bits and pieces. The brown bag is from Zara and was a pretty good deal for about 200 DKK. I liked the color and the style was simple. The bag is big enough for my books, which is important, since I'm still in school and it had a zipper, which is important for me - I don't feel comfortable walking around town with a completely open bag. I got a couple of magazines for the long trip (takes more than 8 hours total) and a couple of random bits.

The "Rose of Bulgaria" is a brand my mom got me into, because she loves it and always brings me something on her trips to Bulgaria (she's been there multiple times). I love their lip balms, because they're extremely buttery and soft and last for ages. I keep them in my bathroom and put them on at night just before bed. In the morning my lips are soft and moisturized and the lip balm is still lingering on - in a very nice way. I have tried their soaps, body lotions, my mom swears by their face creams, they're paraben free and extremely affortable. Basically - if you happen to go to Bulgaria - give them a try. Not at the airport, though, then the products are more expensive. But the little shops along the streets are if anything - a really cute place to check out. 

I also picked up two матрёшка - the Russian doll-in-a-doll-in-a-doll... dolls :) Because I've always thought it's a nice souvenir to have, but have found them very expensive and never been to Russia to buy it there. On the streets of Sofia we found a little outdoor market with them and I got a couple for my friend and I. They were 16 or 18 LV each, which means about 70 DKK. So, although it's not Bulgarian and it's basically a very non-related buy, I'm very glad to have picked them up!

And lastly... Probably one of my favorite finds of the month - the Bioderma cleansing water. I've been hearing about it for ages on youtube, but haven't seen it in Denmark (haven't looked also, to be honest) and haven't had the urge to order it online. When I was in Latvia, I saw it at the pharmacy and picked up the 250 ml bottle. I knew it was most likely very good, since everyone was so impressed, but even so I was surprised. It feels like water on my face, but takes makeup off effortlesly, doesn't irritate my eyes, doesn't break me out (on the contrary, it cleared up my face). So I was sad, when it ran out, I bought a Biotherm cleansing water, which sort of did the same job, but then again - not as well. And then, being in Bulgaria we walked into a pharmacy, because I was prescribed a bunch of pills for my stomach etc. Sure enough, I spotted the Bioderma 500 ml bottle, which cost me the same as the small one back home - about 100 DKK and without thinking picked it up. It really is an amazing product and I'll probably try to find it here in Denmark as well. Another pharmacy, maybe? Seem to be seeing a pattern of finding them there :)

Anyway, that's my little haul and update as to where the hell have I been. I hope everyone had a great couple of weeks and I'll talk to you soon!

Renate ❤

Being cheap

Hey, everyone! It's been a little while since the last post - I've started on somewhat a more normal schedule last week and at the moment - enjoying a long weekend at a beautiful summerhouse in the south of Denmark.

First I want to say thank you to everyone who reads and leaves delightful comments, it makes my day and I'm surprised by every new follower - that's really sweet. In connection to that I want to say, that I always check out your blogs and profiles and 99% of the time - I'm very impressed and find them lovely, but for those asking - generally I do not follow-me-I'll-follow-back - I'll gladly check out blogs and follow them, if I find them inspirational, helpful and interesting to read, however.

I'm struggling with the internet a bit at the moment - meaning - there isn't any down here. So this post will be a rather simple, yet talkative one. It's about shopping. Now, don't get me wrong - I'm GOOD at spending money. I can really spend. The "problem" has always been the lack of money to spend. I've never had much money and throughout the years, even now, when I'm doing better financially, this has taught me to avoid spending too much, especially on things, that are overpriced. Overall, I don't care, if a clothing item says a specific brand inside, if the material, design and quality satisfies my wishes just the same. Likewise, (at this point in my life anyway) I would not spend 3 times as much money on a brand nail polish, that will last on my nails for a few days and that I will struggle to use up, before it dries out, if the result ends up looking (in my opinion) the same. My clothes doesn't have to be new, if I find a good steal at a swap or second hand market (especially basic peaces and classics - jackets, blazers, everyday dresses and going out clothes for more seldom use) and my shoes doesn't have to be the newest model for the upcoming season. Call me cheap, but I love sales, discounts, affordable brands, simple, classic things, basics and offers. I'm not... obsessed, but it definitely makes my shopping experience more enjoyable and fun. I find it's easy to go into a shop and buy the first thing you like, but it's more fun to make some effort to try and find something equally as qualitative, good looking and stylish for less. Sometimes you can't. And sometimes you shouldn't. My mom has also taught me to never save on shoes (especially boots and everyday shoes) and to remember: "We're not rich, to buy cheap things", if you know, what I mean. But let me give you an example and see, what I mean.

I have a wedding to go to in a week's time. One of my old classmates from college is getting married and the wedding takes place in Bulgaria. The weather will be 35 + degrees C, humid and sunny. I have nothing light and thin, that's not black and nothing fancy enough, yet simple to make the bride stand out more. Here's what I came up with. My boyfriend volunteered to help me and one (hungover) Sunday we took a walk downtown. We started with the shoes. They were 99 DKK and something I've never owned before. Moreover, they were surprisingly comfortable which was a big must. I found the shape beautiful and the heel just high enough to still look good. I actually have a very hard time buying heels. My big toe is indeed bigger than the rest of my toes and I swear adds an extra size. Any closed toe heels hurt, any peep-toes makes my toes slip out in the front. Any wide shoes fall off and look like swimming fins and any narrow ones transform my feet into pointy irons. Platforms make me look massive, thin soled shoes - hurt the pillows of my feet. Hard life, I know, right? So, please, understand my satisfaction to have found a flattering, flirty pair of heels for a fraction of the expected price - even if they last a couple of times!

After, we went for the dress, but found a hat. I had been contemplating getting one, because the wedding takes place outside - in a garden of a restaurant. My hair is dark, as you might know and I wasn't really up for fainting. Yet, the hats we could find and like cost up to 500-600 DKK. After deciding to find the dress first and then return for one of the hats, we passed Accessories and spotted a similar one for 89 DKK. Needless to say, I was pretty pleased.

Next, we continued wandering the shops and the only one, that caught my eye was a grey, soft midi t-shirt dress for 149 DKK. I found it so easy and simple, I loved the toned down color and the idea of being able to wear it many times after the wedding and styling it with different pieces I already own. We decided to buy it anyway, even if I end up finding something else for the wedding.

Lastly, I returned to Accessories and picked up the earrings (49 DKK) and the necklace (99 DKK) - getting a student discount on both afterwards. Next I searched for a clutch bag, but the ones I liked priced 250 DKK up and I somehow found it silly to use more on the bag, than my dress (although that's sometimes a good trick) and after a lengthy search, bought a clutch bag for 149 DKK. Lastly, I took advantage of a 2 for 1 deal at MATAS and picked up two nail polishes (59 DKK) - a vibrant orange one for every day use and pretty coral one for the wedding, which are also pictured.

All in all I'm very satisfied with the outfit - I think it's very me and didn't set me back too much, moreover - all of the items are more than a one time thing - I know I'll be able to incorporate them in my wardrobe and wear them continuously. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I know I'll feel comfortable, which was the goal.

Let me know, if you've found this relatable and maybe even helpful. Have you shopped an entire outfit for an event? Do you go all out? What are your shopping habits?

I might do a seperate post on my wardrobe and good steals and finds - some tips maybe, if you're interested. If you'd like to see hauls, wardrobe essentials or any kinds of specific posts, feel free to request them. I'll try to get up a get-ready-with-me or the-face-of-the-day type of post soon, so watch out for that as well.

Hope you're having a wonderful week, talk to you soon!

Renate ❤

Oh, snap

Hello!

Happy Sunday. The weather is still amazing and I've really been in a good mood lately. Last post might have sounded as if I'm a little too serious and so today I decided to share a few of my recent snaps, because honestly, I've really been having a good time.

Unfortunatelly I seem to have a tendency of sticking to one thing at a time until I'm absolutely tired of it. What can I say - I'm a creature of habit. During the last few months I've definitely gotten enough of greek yogurt with honey, oatmeal, nuts, berries and various combinations of the aforementioned. Breakfast is always something I have been looking forward to and the moment I didn't anymore meant I need to make some changes. Hello, peanut butter, banana and berry on a toasted whole wheat bun. The toast makes the peanut butter melt and it's just basically heaven - so, the challenge is not to eat it for months straight until I can't think of ever eating it again. Similarly, as both my boyfriend and I have been very lazy in the dinner cooking department, the latest favorite is a Thai place with pleasantly cheap prices on top of our student discounts. Trick here, again, don't ruin it, Renate.

Regarding relaxing - it's been something like - pass out and sleep as much and deep as you can (I'm clearly a fan of the concept), then get up and do something you enjoy - the rainbow for one, which I honestly can't get enough of - I love the view from it and the feeling inside walking around; or - shopping, because who doesn't like that (actually, not that long ago and sometimes still - ME! but recently I've been enjoying it) and then go out for the best drinks in town, have some fun, sit outside and walk home in the warm summer weather.

Beauty-wise I've been swapping my beloved black eyeliner with a simple mascara routine and playing around with my hair after years of helpless straigth-ness, flatness and boringness and not even trying to fight it. It's funny to think how much of a late bloomer I am when it comes to doing (and actually enjoying) all of the girly stuff like dressing up and getting ready and painting my nails and trying out lipsticks and hairstyles - that's new. It's nice to have fun with it.

Again, thanks for everyone reading and checking it out, feel free to speak up - How are you spending your summer days?

Hope you're having a great weekend. Talk soon,

Renate ❤ 

August rush

Hello,

As the summer's last month approached, I felt a strange mixture of excitement, melancholy, restlessness and yet - a sense of peace and calmness. In the middle of my life's "big vacation" - in between educations and jobs, where I constantly feel the presence of plotting thoughts and images of what I should or could do next, I managed to find a little safe corner of this summer. Maybe it was the way we've been blessed with the weather this year, maybe it was me, who was blessed with having plans, that takes me to my favorite places and allows me to do my favorite things, but I've read good books, I've seen good movies, I've spent time with my closest people, I've had fun, I've been swimming, tanning, eating well and sleeping lots. Through all of that I've managed to charge my batteries for this years next season - and for new challenges in my life. I'm not the one to talk about dreams and plans as if they're already something real and true (As a matter of fact I believe there are two kinds of people in this world - ones who protect their dreams from other people, who nourish them and work until they've come true and ones, who share it with the world - as if convinced that letting your dream fly around the world, it'll eventually return back to you and come true with the help of the universe's energy. I suppose I'm simply the first kind), but if everything goes well, I cannot wait to share my experiences and embark on this new chapter of my life.

All of that will begin in August and pick up in speed and intensity as the autumn rolls around. Therefore August of 2013 for me is a month of transition - last month of this almost magical summer, where time had stalled for a few needed moments for me to gather up my energy and capacity to leap forwards.

Although this blog is not my first priority at the moment, I love the feeling of having it, without being able to explain it to a greater detail. When I spend a good deal of my time working, reading up, preparing - I enjoy being able to take a break, open up my reader, catch up on the newest post of the lovely blogs I follow and every now and again - write a post of my own - just when and I feel like it and have something to say to begin with.

I still plan to have some summer experiences in August - a very exciting trip and hopefully a good weather all in all for weekend sea side dates and drinks out on cafe terraces, so don't worry - this blog is not steering into a serious, philosophical and mysterious direction - quite the contrary. I hope to write about different beauty, fashion and lifestyle related topics, mostly about things I've learned along the way and what helps me to keep up a positive mindset and how I deal with the times, when I don't feel that great for whatever reason, but I don't have a schedule or a particular list of topics in mind as I truly believe in the honesty of the moment - writing about something topical - something I feel like sharing then and there.

That's all I wanted to say, I think. Hope you all are having a great summer - thank you for everyone, who's visiting and checking out the posts and showing interest in the blog - it's very exciting and positive. As always - I'd love to hear from you if you have something to say.

Talk to you soon,

Renate❤