Renate's closet diaries #1 Shoe collection

Hey, guys!

Whoa, you really make my day with your sweet comments and lovely feedback! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Since all of you were really supportive of my fashion reinvention and thought it was a good idea for me to share the process, but none of you helped me with the name, I went with my own, cheesy, embarrassing title of the series and I blame you. (Damn, lack of creativity. Damn you.)

I was in doubt about today's post, but since some of you appreciated the shoe picture I put up on my last post, I decided to roll with it. Hope you enjoy!

So this is basically it! Minus my boots, that were still in the basement at the time and what I'll just talk about now, since I have packed them away already, because summer is really over as it seems, are the sandals.

Last row, first pair from the left - a pair of H&M sandals - this year's buy. 170 dkk, if I remember correctly. I was actually very impressed by them, to be honest. They were surprisingly comfortable (sometimes completely flat shoes are even more painful and uncomfortable than killer heels, I swear), lasted really well and were quite soft and all around a good pair of summer shoes. I thought they were cute and I got some compliments on them, not the cheapest you can get, but in this case I think it made sense.

The almost invisible, black pair of sandals next to it are a toned down version of the gladiator shoe. Also an H&M buy a couple of years back, wore it once this summer, I think and don't think I'll keep it for very many years to come. We had our moments, though.

The pair next to them are my pride and joy... naaah. My boyfriend hates them a little, he's not the biggest fan. But I can't help it - they're damn comfortable and extremely good quality. They're like the nokia 3310 of shoes! Nobody's particularly proud to have it, but deep down you are! Because there's something about it that's just reliable and impressive... Ok, now I'm just being plain weird. I wear these when I travel, hike in the heat or have to be on my feel walking in the summertime for the entire day. They're really awesome. Not Victoria Beckham's first choice, I'd reckon, but I, for one, love to look like an overgrown child sometimes. (I don't.)

Continuing with the comfort we have the casual girl's reliable sneaker trio. From the left - my Nike free runs 2, which I've had for about a year now. Fun fact, I've worked as a waitress at a cocktail bar (meaning, night shifts and weekends only) for 3 years. I like to say, that Danish drinking habits put me through college! I also worked at a restaurant, so sometimes, if I happened to be double booked I was on my feet for 16 hours at a time. The restaurant's kitchen was downstairs, the restaurant - upstairs, we had to run with every single plate up and down every time. After a few painful shifts I noticed that all of the other waitresses wore running shoes. I decided to try and invest and, believe me, these babies saved my back. Great support, great comfort, cute also, so I'm very glad I got them. Now, I use them for exercise. I think they were about 600 dkk at Stadium. 

The Converses is a recent buy, probably a couple of months ago and a very long wish come true. I just think it's such a staple peace and I love how it goes with everything I have. I'm also one of those people who like it either way - brand new and really trashed, so I'm looking forward to wearing them in even more. 500 dkk from Maibom Eurowalk, but you can get them anywhere and the prices are pretty much the same either way.

Lastly, my Puma tennis shoes, quite an old buy, but trusty and very low maintenance - I've machined washed them a few times and they always come out looking brand new. They have a weird, tight fit, but before I got the Converses, I used to run around doing errands with them all the time. Sometimes I used to also exercise in them, but they're not the best for that, to be honest.

Still onto comfort - here you can barely see have my flats! From the left - a pair of brown leather granny shoes I bought in Latvia on my trip a couple of months back. They were less than 200 dkk and are soft as can be. They were discounted, because the lining inside is detached at the top, but I just arrange it before I put the shoes on and it doesn't bother me, although I should probably get it fixed. A cute, super comfortable shoe, which I'm glad I got.

In the middle we have another pair of in-Latvia-bought flats - I love them, because they're super comfortable and very flattering. They go with everything and I lived in them last summer, but I have to say, as soon as I find and buy a pair of good black flats, they'll go, because, unfortunately, they're not leather and they... stink. Yes, I know, its gross. I clean them very well and it's not like they stink all the time. Its just that my feet sweat in them and after a long day - I need to clean them, burn my socks.. (just kidding) I'm just saying - gotta hand it to my mom, who told me never to buy non-leather everyday shoes and boots, she was right. Not worth it.

On the right we have a very recent purchase from my visit to a second hand market this past Saturday. The girl had bought these Zara Woman's shoes online (for 900 dkk, she told me, but I couldn't find them online) from their website and found them too big. Thank God for my large feet! Because I fell in love with them the moment I saw them although I'm fully aware, that men's tuxedo inspired, long toed shoes are not everyone's cup of tea. I got them from 200 dkk, which I thought was still a bargain, although it was my most expensive purchase there. I have yet to wear these out and I look forward to it very much!

Onto heels, blacks first, obviously. From the left we have a nice pair of leather wedges, that I bought a couple of years ago in Denmark. I'm not a big wedge person, I don't think they're the most flattering shoe on me, but these were a very nice in-between flats and heels, that I have used a lot going out for dinners or drinks in the summer time, wore them with dresses and to a couple of my exams and school presentations. I haven't worn them in a long time, though, because (very weirdly) they got less comfortable in time and mostly because I've totally destroyed the brown heel - it looks very messy and I think I'll throw them out as soon as I repurchase something similar. They were quite expensive, as far as I remember, my guess would be around 400 dkk.

The middle heel is probably some good 3 years old and have (surprisingly) gotten MORE comfortable in time. It's very important to arrange my toes properly in the shoe while and after I put them on and that determines how long I can keep them on for. A nice, classic staple heel, very flattering and, what can I say - the boy loves it also. My feet - not so much :) They were 200 dkk and can still be bought at Deichmann shoes.

Lastly, a fairly recent H&M purchase, I think they were 250 dkk and seemed comfortable, but as I've discovered - the opening of the toe is a bit too big, compared to the height of the heel, so my big toe (and I mean it, my toe is noticeably bigger than any of my other toes and adds an extra size, I'm not kidding) slides out of the shoe and I got nasty blisters after a night out. Haven't worn them since. Maybe with stockings (I had bare feet) and some silicone pillows or pads under my feet would help. Anyway, they look nice and I like the chunky heel - prevents my legs from looking like carrots, when my fairly big legs suddenly end in a delicate, unexpectedly tiny shoe. Am I weird?

Moving onto to something lighter, literally. The nude heel is a staple in most wardrobes, I think and these I bought hours before my sister's wedding a bit more that a year ago, because my original option proved more and more painful as my feet swell up (summer wedding, crazy heat, what can you do).  They were the only ones that were available in my small town, could work with the dress and was something I was willing to use unexpected money on. They're Tamaris brand, which is my mom's favorite (for good reason, they have some quality shoes), most likely around 300 dkk, but the shoes themselves are not super comfortable for me. Despite the relatively low heel, the rounded toe part hurts my toes (they're big, I've told you) - especially the big one and the small one on the side - there's just no space. I have worn them only a couple of more times, but maybe I'll try to stretch them out soon using a bit of alcohol or whatever the method is. I'll look it up before, don't worry.

The middle shoes are relatively recent, a purchase from either April or May. I got them at Havana shoes in Aarhus for 300 dkk, I think and found them very comfortable and the first pair of heeled sandals, that had enough support for me to walk in. I figured, that I'll be able to wear them throughout the summer going out and they seemed stable enough to even walk in. I wore them to my high school reunion in June, but had stockings and found them impossible to walk in as my feet were slipping. My mistake for not foreseeing this and buying some silicone pads. I wore them out recently on bare feet and sprayed some hair spray, which did the job just fine. We walked considerably a lot that night, but I also have to say, that the heel is so chunky and so high, that it tends to lean backwards when I step on it, if you know, what I mean. Like, the middle part of my feet press down on the shoe and the sole bends, which makes the heel give in and not hit the ground perpendicularly. Gosh, this is difficult to explain. I hope you know what I mean. They're not the most delicate to walk in, is all I'm saying, especially walking fast, so I have to watch it, otherwise I look a bit like I'm hammering down the street.

On the right is also a recent purchase and a total steel. 95 dkk at Bianco shoes and the most comfortable heel I own. The heel is just the perfect height of being easy to walk in and high enough to be flattering. The color is so pretty and the design is very chic, I think. I even don't mind the golden heel and the shiny finish, with a very simple outfit like I had for my friends wedding, it's a very nice stand out peace and I can't wait to wear them more.

Moving onto some outerwear. The brown Chelsea boot on the left is also from Bianco and although I bought it before the summer, April I believe, they are still there in the shops, if that's interesting to some of you. Leather, I got them for a discount subscribing for a member's card, I think, 500 dkk, if I remember correctly. Have worn them a lot, very comfy, very simple, goes with everything and basically a very good staple everyday boot.

In the middle - another Chelsea boot, last Sept. or October from Maibom Eurowalk, 350 dkk as far as I can remember, still there, I saw it recently. A very good every day heel - gives me a bit of height (not that I need it, I'm pretty tall, I meant more so confidence wise), very classy, very comfortable, I've walked lots with these, long distances, been out, spent long hours wearing them - nothing ruins them, except my horrible handling. They're suede, so I usually just brush the dirt off and have a light hand with some water and a wash cloth, even though I know that's not exactly the ideal treatment.

Lastly we have my New Years 2013 shoes. I bought them at Havana shoes in Aarhus for 400 dkk, I think and although I love them, they're also quite uncomfortable (I did NOT dance all New Years night and wait for a bus barefoot, because I couldn't bear to have them on for a second longer). Every now and then I wear them out, when I know I won't have to be on my feet much, but even then its pretty sweet to come home and take them off.

Getting there, guys. Home stretch. Boots! On the left we have a few year old pair from Deichmann shoes (which are NOT held up by a wine bottle hiding inside), a last pair, partly leather, my size, I remember seeing them and putting them on just for fun (since it was my size unusually enough) and getting surprised by how comfortable they actually were. They were discounted 700 dkk from 900dkk and after a long and hard inner battle thinking I ended up deciding to go for it, as they are a classic, looked amazingly on and for once, I did have a job and the money on my account. Imagine my surprise when I paid 150 dkk for them at the check out. I have no idea, to this day, whether that was a mistake or luck, but since then I have worn them loads, as you can see from the ruined heel, they're trusty, relatively comfortable for a heel that high, super flattering and very elegant, I think. Not made for winters, though, because they slide easily. But if I figure out how to fix the heel, I'll gladly continue to wear them.

In the middle, another Deichmann shoes wonder (I used to really only go to that store in Denmark, I can see now!). But they're also real leather, last pair, my size, 200 dkk or even 150 dkk, I can't remember, bought it last Autumn and wore them religiously during the season, also in the winter (they can take a thicker sock as well, which is nice), comfy, classic, a bit of a pain to get into due to the non-existant zipper.

Lastly, a pair of second hand market finds - 50 dkk! I love these, because they make me feel so bad ass wearing them, they're comfortable, easy to wear with everything, a staple peace in my opinion and very versatile - I wore them out the other night downtown and the next day - watched a football game at the stadium.

So, there you have it, guys! My shoes! What do you think? Am I missing something? Which are your favorite styles? What do you consider shoe staples to be? What can you not live without? Leave me your input down below, I would love to hear from you!

On a side note, cheers to my boyfriend and I for being together for two years now :) I know some people say - time flies, I can't believe we're together for so long, I feel like I just met you yesterday! But I seriously feel like I've known him for my entire life and it's actually a bit surprising its only been two years, because it feels much, much longer. We've been though some hard times and I believe have come out on the other side and the best is yet to come. I love him more every single day and feel like the luckiest girl in the world.Hope you guys have had an amazing start of the week and I'll talk to you soon!Renate ❤ 

Closet confessions and starting my fashion series

Hey, guys!

I feel like I'm starting every post out the same way, but seriously - thank you everyone for commenting, subscribing, reading and basically making something I love as it is (meaning, writing) into such an enjoyable and fun part of my day. I love to check out your blogs and read your comments, so, please keep going, because I appreciate it more than you know.

Okay. On to the point. Firstly, I want to cover a little part of the background story regarding my wardrobe and fashion (lack of it, let's be honest, Renate).

I believe there are two kinds of people in this world - ones that look polished and put together no matter what and no matter where you might see them and the ones who can and do sometimes or often look good, but you can definitely run into them on a bad day. Flat out, I'm the latter. I CAN dress up and look put together, but it just doesn't come naturally. Since most of my clothes are pretty basic I don't exactly risk ending up looking like a hot mess, but neither am I always ready to "meet my destiny", if you know what I mean. Maybe 2 days out of 7. The rest - I would probably call and cancel.

Want to know, what I mean? Here, some examples of  me dressing up from day to day.

I can also dress up on occasion.

Not THAT bad, huh? Yes, but I can also go about my day looking like this.

And I mean - unflatteting, illfitting, (pretty immature) and sometimes - male clothes (I'm looking at you, purple sweater). All of these pictures are at least a year old, I'd like to point out and most of the clothes I've since gotten rid of, but - it's in there :) So, you see, my series are not just about having the dream closet. It's about learning how to develop a personal style and about putting effort into my every day appearance without feeling like it's a hard job.

Anyway. I wanted to change something. I wanted good quality clothes I could rely on and look more classy without excessively dressing up everyday. Trust me, I've tried. I've dressed up for a week and then, exhausted, grabbed my sweatshirt, baggy jeans and converses.

Also, I've never had much money. Now, I don't think I had significantly less, than others. I just think I wasn't so good at managing it. I'm by no means better now, but I'm willing to change that. I guess I'm willing to grow up. (Holds back tears)

THEN, I used to prioritize quantity over quality (a big no-no regarding... everything, really) - I wanted to have lots and lots of options - so that I'd be able to get up in the morning and choose a new outfit every day, depending on the mood I'm in. Now, when you don't have a lot of money that means - buying cheap clothes to achieve the quantity factor. Which meant I often ended up with low quality, often ill fitting and semi-tacky clothes, that were accompanied with the occasional splurge of more expensive items.

Now, while all of this makes me sound like a pretty hopeless case... I'm not. At least, that's what I'm telling myself and been told by some very kind people (I love you, mom). I'm not.

I'm just trying to put down in words why during the past... let's say 6 months to a year I've been unhappy with my wardrobe. I felt like I have a different lifestyle now (I'm not going to school every day, I'm looking for a job - why would I need 3 sweatshirts and no pretty cardigans?), like I'm more comfortable with myself (I know my style better and don't feel like trying out different things every other day) and like I'm grown up (meaning I've stopped fluctuating and changing my shape and size for the most part, which means I am able to start investing into more expensive wardrobe staples).

What I did then was - look at every single item in my wardrobe, the good, the bad and the ugly, as they say. I was pleasantly surprised by how many basic peaces I already own (a good blazer, a leather jacket, a navy coat, a trench coat etc.) and noted everything I was lacking or things that were out of place. Things that were still in good condition, but ones I never wore anymore, because I've had them for years, for example.

I cleaned everything out and was left with about haft of what I had. I made a wish list and after that - a priority list. Let's say, even though I was missing a good pair of black flats, a pair of boots came first, because - that's what I needed right this upcoming season. And THEN I started keeping my eye out for good deals. I'm missing a lot of things, which means, there's a lot of work to be done!

Now, what I'm trying to say in this post is that although a lot of bloggers put out the "result" - the good outfits, the put together, thought through wardrobes, the "afters", I'm going to show you my journey towards... any personal wardrobe, to be honest, even if that might be way less glamorous and stylish.

I thought it could be really helpful for me to have this "project" documented and maybe it could be interesting for some of you, if I shared that process here. This is my journey towards discovering my personal style, revamping my wardrobe completely, changing my careless ways (I also don't tend to care for my more expensive items, unfortunately, especially shoes) and hopefully come out as a decent, young lady!

Maybe I'll make a post with what I consider wardrobe essentials to be and then let you guys know, how my updating process is going.

I can also do outfit and styling posts, hauls, wish lists, inspiration boards, tips and tricks (not many DIYs, though as I'm rubbish at it) etc.

Here's a preview of the upcoming shoe collection post - in case you'd like to see that.

Hope you'll enjoy these posts and I'll talk to you soon!

Please leave any feedback you have in the comments below - also if you can think of a good name for the series, I'd love to hear from you.

Renate ❤

Autumn comfort food

Hello, guys! 

First of all, thank you so much for the lovely feedback on my last post, it meant a lot and seriously made my day. Thank you for reading, commenting, following, subscribing - I appreciate it all.

Today's post is a first as well (oh, the luxury of having every possible topic to chose from) and covers one of my favorite hobbies (for most, also a daily necessity) - cooking.

Despite the surprisingly pleasant weather in Denmark this year in general and recently especially, the Autumn is definitely here - the air's cooler, the evening's - longer, it rains more often and smells of leaves. Every year when the winter rolls around, I experience a craving for warm, filling, creamy, saucy food thick in consistency (porridge for breakfast, mashed potatoes or other veggies - cauliflower works great, by the way, everything pumpkin and, obviously) - SOUPS. Especially cream soups and thicker, more filling, salty ones. This is an old favorite of mine, however, surprisingly enough - a first try at cooking it myself.

When I woke up to a rainy, gloomy day full of chores, I decided to utilize all the ingredients in our kitchen and stir up this Minced Beef Mixed Bean Tomato wonder. I hope you enjoy it, it's really a soup for the soul to me and actually pretty healthy as well.

You'll need:

• 1 can of white beans
• 1 can of red/kidney beans
• 1 can of tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 4 dices of garlic
• 2 carrots (optional! I did without, since I had none, but the original recipe requires it and I'm sure it'll only make it better)
• 400 g minced meat (I only had 200 g, but it was more than enough for two people - the beans make the soup very filling also)
• 1 table spoon of tomato paste
• 2 large potatoes (I simply used up all we had of some little ones)
• 600 ml meat or vegetable broth
• 2-3 bay leaves
• Black peppers, salt
• 3-4 cloves
• Chopped parsley
• Greek yogurt - optional

While it might sound like a lot - most of these things everyone tends to have on hand, but even if you don't - no worries, this recipe is also very affordable, because all of the ingredients are cheap and versatile for using on cooking other dishes later on.

How to:

• Rinse off the beans, chop onion finely, wipe off your tears after doing so and crush the garlic
• Warm up your pan with the olive oil, fry the meat with the onions and carrots, add salt and pepper. Have a light hand with the salt, in case your broth is very salty already, like mine was
• In a pot, pour the broth and add tomatoes, tomato paste and add the ingredients from the pan together with the bay leaves
• Bring up to boil and then add the potatoes - quite finely chopped - boil for 15 min on medium heat (Set the table whilst, because we're being time economic - at this point I'd also do most of the dishwashing, so it takes less time after dinner)
• Add beans, spices, the garlic, finely chopped parsley, bring up to a boil and then let sit for a while on low or no heat. I had to wait for quite a while (15 - 20 min), because my boyfriend was running late, but it didn't ruin anything - I think the taste intensified, actually
• Finish setting the table adding candles, napkins etc., because we're being cheesy and it's cute and sweet
• Have cooled beer ready, because the boyfriend has had a 13 h working day, including 4 hours of driving
• Serve the soup warm, add Greek Yogurt, if desired (it's an old habit from my childhood of eating all soups with sour cream), add some extra fresh parsley and enjoy! Don't burn yourself by eating too fast, because you're so excited to try it (This is definitely NOT a note to myself and I did NOT already do that)

Hope you guys liked it and let me know, if you try it, I'd get so excited! Also, feel free to leave me your favorite fall recipes and foods in the comments, I'll definitely give them a go. Let me know if you'd like to see similar posts to this one coming later as well.

Talk to you soon!

Renate ❤

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 ❤