Life Lately #5

This week was one of those really good ones. You know the kind where looking back you almost cant believe that much fit into only 7 days. There was a lot of eating out which is definitely not something I do every week but thoroughly enjoy. Here are a few snippets:

- There was an awesome sheesha session with Laura in the beginning of the week. I love having one of those on Sunday or Monday as it sets a really lovely mood for the rest of the week. Our sheesha sessions usually involve some yummy Lebanese food, Moroccan mint tea and hours of talking about everything from make up and shopping to how we are going to open an animal rescue center one day. Of course they involve some grape/mint sheesha as well.

- On Wednesday me and Morgan went on a beautiful date night. It was restaurant week in Dubai this week so set menus in a lot of places I have wanted to go. One of those places is Pierchic- called one of the best and most romantic restaurants in Dubai. It holds a special place in my heart as I got to be a part of my sisters super romantic surprise proposal that took place on the pier leading up to this restaurant. So I finally got to go for dinner this Wednesday. Here is a picture of my outfit (Reiss dress), of Morgan on the pier and the views you get of Burj Al Arab. It was stunning and delicious.

- We did a little bit of home improvement again. This time to Morgans office. He had loads of unused skateboard decks that now serve the purpose of wall art. I love the look and it goes so well with the old door we re-purposed as an office desk.

- Had some crossfit fun as well. I have been going for a year now and first 6 months were a true love/hate relationship. Mostly hate! And suddenly I got into it. Now I love it. I love that its not girly aerobics or anything fancy. I love getting stronger and learning about Olympic lifts and being able to up my max weight in front squat or push-press. Never though I would but I do.

- Friday was as chilled as I can be. Spent in bed watching Friends for hours and having numerous naps with cuddly cats. In the evening we packed up our small BBQ and head off to the desert. BBQ and stargazing in the desert is right up on the top of my favorite weekend activities. The stars are crazy bright, it is totally silent and all kinds of wonderful. You know just being really still and quiet for a few hours to reset yourself for another week.

We are now off to enjoy some Mexican food at another restaurant I have wanted to try for ages.

You guys still have a whole Sunday ahead of you so make the most of it! x

Gradient Pastel Nails

 

I have great love for painted nails and enjoy hording nail polishes but I'm not particulary into nail art. Gradient nails however have been on my mind for ages and I today I gave it a go. 

I admit I need to practice some more so the gradient part would be smoother but overall I am happy how it turned out. I might try to do this again with some other color options.

So for this you need:

- two polishes you want to use + base and top coat

- a toothpick 

- some aluminum foil

- a small piece of makeup sponge

- q-tips and nail polish remover

1. You start by painting your nails with the color you want to have as a base. Mine here is BarryM Gelly in Sugar Apple.

2. Now put a bit of the base polish and the polish you want to create the gradients with on the foil. Mix them a bit with the toothpick. I chose to use Barry M Berry.

3. Cut a small piece out of your sponge and dip it into the color. Then slowly start applying it onto your nails. Obviously having a light hand in the middle on the nail and concentrating more of your gradient color to the tip.

 

There is no way to keep this looking clean so dont worry too much when the polish gets on your cuticles. You can just have a quick clean with the q-tip later.

4. After a minute or so just apply a good layer of topcoat and you are all set. Seriously it is that easy!

What other color combo would work nice for this? I'm thinking pastel pink to golden would always look nice. Or maybe light pink to dark?

Have you tried this before?

25 Random Facts

Today marks 4 months since I started my little blog so I thought I will do something different from the normal outfit or beauty post. Sort of a celebration of the occasion (even if 4 months blogging doesnt certainly have a significant meaning). So here are 25 random facts about me:

1. I love anniversaries. I make them up constantly (like a 4 month blogging anniversary for example). I also count monthly wedding anniversaries and fully believe its a thing! To think of it..maybe I just like celebrating!

2. I rescued my first cat when I was 7 years old. Found her in a shoebox inside a trash bin in a park near my house and cried until my mom allowed us to keep her. Her name is Santa. She is now 22 years old and is living with my mom in Estonia.

3. I was a dancer preforming in clubs, musicals and doing different shows.

4. If a person says they dont like animals I have an immediate suspicion we will not get along. Sometimes I'm wrong but more often I'm not.

5. I cry about everything. I can watch Britain's Got Talent clip I have seen 10 times before and still cry. Example of things that make me cry- Morgan showed me this clip in the morning. I cried. Any Hollywood movie will do the trick as well. On most days I will also tear up about situation of the homeless cats and dogs in Dubai and that I cant do more to help them.

6. I love to sing. Im not particularly good at it but I love it anyway


7. I'm from Estonia but have also lived in China and Spain pior to Dubai.


8. If I got offered a good job in either New York, Barcelona or Montreal we would pack our things and animals and move in a heartbeat. Love those cities and have always dreamed of living there.


9. My dog has been to 18 countries. We did a Europe road trip with him and he is originally adopted from China.


10. I dont like sweet stuff in salty food. Like pineapple on a pizza or apple in a salad is a no-no. Sweet and sour sauce is a dislike as well.


11. I once met Usher. Okay met is a bit much to say about it but I did totally get a photo with him. I may or may have not cried a bit after I got it.


12.  I was a real goody-goody in school, a proper teachers pet.


13. I used to work as a TV host in Estonia


14. I love making lists about everything. Shopping lists, to-do lists, wish lists all are great fun. That would be the organized Virgo in me.


15. I LOVE my birthdays! And when I say love I mean really really over the top love them. Its the best day in the world if you ask me. I make a huge fuss already a month before and do a constant count down in my head. I actually refer to September as my Birthday month because lets be honest one day is not enough. I need a whole month. I enjoy getting older and my love for my birthdays has not diminished one bit even if the number keeps getting bigger. Birthdays are the best! p.s. mine is 3 months and 5 days away!!




16. I am horrible at math. I used to cry in school at least once a week after a math class or a test because I really did try but always failed to understand. Numbers are not my thing. Makes me shudder to think of it even now.

17. If I could be one celebrity for a day I would without a question be Beyonce. Queen B forever!

18. I talk loud and a lot. When Im really excited about something I repeat myself to make extra sure the other person understood.

19. The first time my husband said I love you he accidentally burst it out during a random conversation on the street. He then proceeded to make a face he didnt say it and after an awkward silence kept on talking about random things.

20. My dream home would be a farm in city center (yes I know that it is unreasonable). Im a city girl at heart and love the buzz of it but at the same time I need all the space to rescue as many animals as I possibly can.

21. I dont like spicy food.

22. My current favorite workout classes are Crossfit and Bikram yoga.

23. I prefer red wine over white wine

24. I asked Morgan to add a weird fact about me. He thought you should know I cant drive ( I think he secretly hopes this will embarrass me enough to finally get started with the driving license)

25. I can quote Friends til the sun comes up. Every day there is a situation that makes me think of an appropriate quote. I often have it running on the background at home. I can be in the other room and still laugh at all the jokes as I have seen every episode a million times anyway. I also sometimes talk along with the characters to test my memory. Its a truly useless skill.





Last random fact that doesnt come as a surprise. I will take any excuse to add pictures of my pets! Hope you enjoyed this post.


Have a happy Tuesday and thanks for reading!

Life Lately #4

I am sorry that this weeks Life Lately goes online with a delay. I had some technical difficulties and some personal difficulties. Personal difficulties were mainly that I was too relaxed thanks to the long weekend. Lets get to it then:

- the highlight of the work week was a girls night out on Monday with Laura, Simone and Zara. Talk about an excellent sheesha session and lots of laughs. Take a look at Simones vlog to get a glimpse of it.

- there was a small amount of shopping done. This dress from River Island didn't come home with me but now I kind of wish it did. I was a bit worried that it looks too much like a pink meringue cake topper as its poofy and pastel but who am I kidding-I secretly love resembling a meringue!

- three day weekend get at me. We spent some of it on the beach. It was +37c so we didn't last too long but little over an hour was enough to get that tan going. If you live in Dubai spending time on the beach is a must in my books.

- yes there was the Justin Timberlake concert. I could go into a very detailed fan girl talk here about how freakin talented he is but I will spare you. If you have a chance to see his world tour show do it! It was amaze balls! I <3 JT!

- found my new favorite mani-pedi place called The Cure. Its small and calm and plays Friends while you get your nails done. I might have burst out laughing a few times since you have wireless headphones and its easy to zone out and forget where you are. They also have a great selection of Essie polishes and good quality coffee. I chose Essie- Watermelon and this just might be my favorite summer pink for now.

- yesterday was home improvement day and I finally started putting together the gallery wall for our living room. This is very much a work in progress but Im so happy with the outcome so far. Need to order more cool prints from Etsy and get a few wedding photos developed to extend it soon.

Hope you are having a really lovely Monday! x

OOTD and chitchat

Firstly this is a quick OOTD from yesterday morning.

The cats woke us up earlier than needed which left some spare minutes to take these photos before work.
The new bits here are the super basic white T-shirt and the jewelry.

I am always and forever on the lookout for new basic t-shirts. I go through white ones so fast and although my favorite basics come from COS, I also like to have various styles to choose from. Maybe its weird but I totally notice when people have a cool plain white tshirt on, so when I saw this rolled-up sleeve t-shirt on my friend Diana I marched to Mango the next day and bought it in both black and white.

It has a high neck, short raglan style sleeves and a raw edge hem which rolls up a bit. Its a true basic but something about it just makes it more special than my other shirts. Maybe because I find the high neckline perfect for playing with jewelry.

 

The skirt is an old sale find from Reiss and the shoes are these Topshop beauties Im still totally smitten with. Not to tempt you or anything but in addition to many other color choices they now also come in baby blue suede (OMG! I WANT!). The heel height is just perfect for day time and I'm very much considering ordering another pair.

The bling is layered New Vintage by Kriss as always. The shorter one is my beautiful and treasured dainty Love necklace with a bright pink jade drop on it. The longer one is a new addition and I'm kind of in love with it. It is the Miss Coco Goes Rebel from the COCO Collection-white cultured pearl with a golden spike is exactly the way I like to wear pearls.

Now for the chitchat- if usually I am enabled by other blogs to buy more things then this time I did it to myself. When I went to find the link for the Mango shirt I obviously had to browse some pages of the online store. How hadn't I noticed there was so much pretty tops in this season Mango selection? Well I never really go into Mango lately so that's how. But look at this one or this one and that one as well. So yeah what that little "research" did, was make me go straight to Mango after work and purchase two tops. I fully accept that I'm hopeless case and will just happily continue shopping.

Will show you the new things soon but now I really have to start this long weekend with a trip to the beach.

Hope you have a great day!

Zara flats

You know when you buy new shoes that you really really like and those said shoes break after a month or two. First is the mourning period and being bummed as you wanted to wear these the whole summer but you will move on right. You will understand that said item was not the best quality. A smart person will not buy the said shoes again even if they do come in the most perfect leopard print right? 

Or would she?

Well I sure did! Didnt even think twice. Not sure what that says about me?

Yes I bought the black and gold version of these Zara flats and wore them everyday. And they tragically broke way to soon. I learned that the quality is not that great probably. Yet a week ago on a casual stroll to check out Zara stock I saw them in perfect pony hair leopard print and without thinking twice they were mine. This is my favorite print, they are so very comfortable and I still totally love the style.

So fingers crossed these ones will last longer. I will report back.

 Also as you can notice for some reason taking pictures of my animal print flats attracted my own zoo like magnets. Mate just posed and posed until he was told to stop.



By the way has any of you spotted some good gold or other metallic flats (without ankle strap)? Similar cut to the Zara ones would be awesome. I cant seem to find any that I like..

Aesop Parsley Seed Mask

Hi guys! How is this new week treating you? 

I will be honest my thoughts are well in the weekend already as there is two great things to look forward to. Firstly there is a loooong-awaited Justin Timberlake concert this Friday and let me just tell you one thing. I do love me some JT. Like a lot! Like I might just be preparing myself to do a proper fan girl high pitch screaming and know all the lyrics to every song..I might! Second thing is that we have a public holiday on Sunday so a three day weekend ahead.

That aside lets get to the real subject of this post- far less interesting than swooning over JT but still a good one. If you read blogs a lot you have heard about it- Parsley Seed Facial Cleansing Masque by Aesop.

A lot of bloggers always included this on their favorites list so finally I got my hands on it by ordering via Glambox.me. I love a good face mask and even if sometimes I get lazy about using them, this one has been reached for more than any other.

Its is a seriously lovely mask to have around. Its a clay-based cleansing mask that promises to extract impurities clogging the pores, to smooth and refresh the skin. I mean I ain't no expert in skincare but it does make my skin smoother and far less bumpy and thats pretty much what I look for in these things. Also "Hello" lovely packaging!

I like that its much thinner and liquidy that my other clay masks and after using it my face feels less tight. This is also the first purifying mask I feel like using more than once a week as it seems less harsh. It goes on rather colorless and then dries like other clay masks but is far easier to wash off than my beloved Origins Clear Improvement mask.

Oh and before I forget. You need to go and buy those two Barry M polishes on the first picture! Im telling you..you need them! And if you know me at all you get that I would never lie about a topic as important as nail polish! Barry M Gelly formula is just knocking it out of the park. If you want to see Rose Hip and Sugar Apple on my nails be sure to check my Instagram.

Have a great Tuesday! xxx

Short and Sweet

This will be a quick post but one that you dont want to miss.

My oven in the new place is still not working and that doesn't suit well with my need to bake. So this weekend I turned to non bake goodies and on the top of my *must try* list were these Raw Chocolate Bounty bites by Secret Squirrel Food.

They were so easy to make and if you love Bounty as much as I do make them right away. I could not believe its possible to make something this tasty without adding any sugar. I cant pass the fridge without eating at least one of those babies and husband has already requested a batch numero dos.

While you are at it take a look at some other recipes on Secret Squirrel because my-oh-my there are some amazing ones! As soon as my oven is up and running I am making this Gluten Free Apple Spiced Tea Cake.

Have a happy Sunday!

Life Lately #3

Its interesting how writing this every Saturday post makes me realize even more how weeks just fly by. Reflecting back on the week is a lovely way to end it and I am enjoying this a lot.

So this week I:

- I took the Sunday off from work as it was the last day before my friend flew back to Estonia. We spent the day sunbathing in Nasimi, one of my favorite beach clubs, fruity cocktails in hand and ended it with a great shopping spree in Dubai Mall. It was sad to see her go and I wish more of my Estonian friends could come and visit. I have not lived in Estonia for 4 years but seeing friends leave after a short visit never gets easier.

- I took a work related trip to Abu Dhabi and as the meetings went faster then expected I managed to squeeze in an amazing lunch at Monte Carlo Beach Club in Abu Dhabi. It is a real stunning location and I would love to go back for a lazy day sooner rather than later. It was also a great reminder how many cool hotels and restaurant there are in Dubai and around that we have yet to visit and see.

- Went to Ahlan Hot 100 Restaurants party at a fairly new place called Qbara. I had been dying to visit and it didn't disappoint. Party was fun and Qbara has placed high on my list of restaurants to try for dinner. Very cool vibe.

- Still cant get over how much I love our garden. Having sunny days pretty much year around is amazing but being able to have my morning coffee in our own garden adds a whole different value to it.

- Weekend was one of those really great ones- relaxed but fun. A perfect date night with the husband consisting of sushi dinner, shisha and a movie ( went to see The Grand Budapest Hotel..best movie I have seen in a while. Loved it so much. Have you seen it?). Today was spent topping up the tan at Sunset beach. I feel energized and excited to start a new week.

Hope you are well and enjoying your weekend to the fullest. Talk to you soon!

The Topshop Jumpsuit

So heres what happened yesterday evening.

I was dying to show you the new Topshop purchase because I love it so so much. At the same time I knew that:
a) I wount be home to take outfit pictures in daylight until the weekend
b) I will definitely not be going anywhere to wear it this week

So I put it on as I imagined styling it for a night out and asked the husband to take a few snaps near our house. Street light is far from perfect for this kind of ventures but as I said..I cant wait another 3 days to show you my new Topshop jumpsuit.

The thing with me is that as much as I enjoy wearing girly dresses for daytime, nothing makes me feel sexier than a cool jumpsuit. I have 3 at the moment that I love and wear a lot and this new one was a no brainer addition. I anyway love strapless clothing and the tailored bandeau with the pleated loose fitting trouser part just made it all perfect. Did I mention it has pockets!

Another surprise is that it fits like a glove- not too baggy harem pants style and not too tight so I look like wearing a cat-woman Halloween costume. And no need to constantly keep pulling up the bandeau, its fitted and stays put.

I wore it with my new favorite bracelet my sister sent me as a present. Its the New Vintage by Kriss Time to Rock- perfection in the form of black agate and a double wrap leather strap. Such a cool and unique piece that always gets peoples attention. Shoes are old Karen Millen metallic stilettos. I love metallic shoes, really need to get a bit lower heel more comfortable option sorted for summer.

This little photo shoot also worked as a perfect reminder and not so subtle hint (those always work the best with guys dont they) for the husband to plan some fancy date night so I could debut my jumpsuit.

New in from Clinique and a FOTD

I have picked up two little things from Clinique that I really wanted to share with you guys. 

As both of them are fairly boring (foundation primer and concealer) I figured throwing in a FOTD might spruce thing up a bit. I mean they are both great products contributing to a smooth base and whats more important that flawless complexion to layer on your less boring bits like eyeshadow and lipstick.

Newcomers are the Clinique Superprimer Universal Face Primer and Airbrush Concealer.

Few words about the primer first. Clinique Superprimer range has all kinds of color correcting options but I picked up the basic one. The one that promises to smooth and prep skin and help the foundation last longer. This water based Superprimer mainly caught my attention because silicone based primers give me the heebie-jeebies. In short conclusion the Universal Superprimer is great. It does what is says and I can see that the foundation looks so much more smooth and even. It totally blurs the smaller pores and I have been enjoying it daily. Great all around product to have.

I have only good words about the Clinique Airbrush Concealer as well. I would even say its not great but a fantastic one, especially if you have dark circles. Its creamy but doesn't settle in fine lines, its light weight but brightens any shadows super easily. I have been devoted to YSL Touche Eclat for years and I must say this one might be better on the days you need more coverage and it still manages to give you that luminous light reflection. Totally love it!

On the rest of my face you can find the Laura Mercier Mineral Powder. Still cant get over how amazing this mineral powder is. Once again have to admit Laura knows what she is talking about as she was the one constantly telling me I need this in my life. My go-to for the days I am looking for light base.

Smashbox Bronze Lights bronzer in Suntan Matte (applied with Real Techniques contour brush I love so so much). I have also rekindled my relationship with NARS Orgasm blush.

Now moving on to the eyes I wanted to play around with my Mac Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Bordeauxline. I covered the lids with Burberry Pale Barley which is such a nothing-special-yet-so-amazing eyeshadow. I really like it either as a base color or just an all around everyday shade. I then lined my eyes with Bordeauxline and smudged it out, added some more and smudged it out again. Its just as soft and neutral as my daily eye makeup usually but the purple really brings out green eyes.

Lipstick is the ever so dreamy Tom Form Spanish Pink. Seriously if you are looking for a nude peachy amazing lipstick just dont buy the 3 Mac ones you were thinking of and save up for this one. Its so worth the money and Im happy I have it. 

Hope you are well and cant wait to talk to you tomorrow again! Also I would really appreciate if you could drop me a comment which posts are your favorite? Outfit or FOTD or nail polish? I would love to include more of whatever it is you like. xxx

OOTD - What I Wore to Brunch

 As I mentioned in last Life Lately, last weekend we went on a great brunch at Armani hotel. A 3,5h brunch was followed by sheesha session at the Palace Hotel which is the backdrop of below outfit session.

 If you follow me in Instagram ( @thelauracarlson) you already got a sneak of this combo. I still have the unyielding love for midiskirt and this structured Topshop number is no exception. It makes me feel like a pink cloud ( in a good way because I like clouds! I dont mind being one from time to time). The cut of this is special as its not totally A-line neither is it a tulip skirts- its somewhere in between and that's what gives it such great shape. I dont see it online anymore so it might be sold out. I got it a few months back. The length is proper midi (so makes your legs look visually shorter) which means I always wear it with heels, even the lowest of heel will help you out here (mine are old Kurt Geiger ones).

Even if this skirt is no longer available there is some lust worthy option in Topshop. Like this textured knee midi skirt in lilac or baby blue. If they had these at Dubai store I would have already caved but as I would have to order online Im still going strong against temptation.

 The shirt is a new purchase made this week and I absolutely love it. Take a wild guess where its from? I dont even believe it myself but its GAP again! Its their Cuff Drapey Top. In addition to white it comes in various pretty pastel hues and I might have to go pick up a mint green option. The light material and relaxed fit combined with a collar makes it perfect staple to have in a few color options (or so I like to tell myself).

 Its great length to wear over skinny jeans but in my wardrobe will probably get the most use with various girly skirts.

The necklace is of course from New Vintage by Kriss. Its a light green agate slice on gold-filled chain and works equally great layered with some dainty pieces or worn under collars as the length is perfect for it.

I have a few excellent new necklaces from spring summer collection of New Vintage by Kriss so will show you soon. And yesterday as I was aimlessly browsing at Topshop (again!) I stumbled upon a gem. I mean really this piece will be my favorite going-out outfit for sure. And its NOT pastel nor a midi?! Might just have to throw it on and take quick pictures in my garden tomorrow cause I cant wait to show you.

Have you done some great spring/summer shopping lately?

Chanel Rouge Allure- Pirate #99

I have been itching to share this beauty with you but I felt like I wouldnt do it justice taking pictures with my iPhone. So I had to wait til I got to use the camera again.

 This lipstick became mine on a tiny little Duty Free haul on our way to Sri Lanka last month. If you saw this post from February you know I have had my eye on Rouge Allure Pirate for ages. And as my first pick from lipstick wishlist was TF Spanish Pink second one had to be a red offering.

However they never seemed to have Pirate at various Chanel counters so imagine my excitement at Duty Free. Double fun as Duty Free is a grey area in shopping and always makes me feel less guilty about spending money.

 

This is as classic as a red can get. Blue undertones and flattering on everyone.

Very pigmented and creamy and the little black and golden bullet makes me feel like such a grown up when applying the lipstick. Well the fact that it says Chanel on it probably also has something to do with it.

 Pirate is one of those excellent reds that makes your teeth look whiter. I will attempt to make a teeth bearing photo for you soon but until you can just take my word.

If you are in search of a truly classic and luxurious lipstick I say take Pirate for a spin. Or maybe you have already found one and only true love classic red. If so let me know which one?

Life Lately #2

So as I was choosing the iPhone pictures for this weeks Life Lately I realized what a lazy blogger I have been.

I am well on the way to make up for it I promise. I have 2 outfit posts to show and a overdue introduction to a pretty newcomer in my makeup bag. So please do check back tomorrow.

But for now:

- my super amazing friend Grete was visiting from Estonia this week. We met when we were 8 years old which makes her one of my oldest friends and I couldn't have been more excited to have her here. There was a lot of drinking wine, catching up and eating involved.

- Talking of eating. It was Gretes bday a few weeks back but I of course couldn't celebrate with her in Estonia. So instead my present to her was a brunch at the Armani hotel. Laura joined us and we had such a fun 3h foodfest. If you are in Dubai I cant recommend that brunch enough. Great quality wines and Italian food not to mention a to-die-for dessert station.

- Our wedding got featured in a brand new Estonian wedding magazine and Grete brought me a copy of it. Makes me smile so much to see it in print. A lot of DIY hours went into creating the wedding last summer and I cant be happier that its been picked up by a few blogs and magazines as well. I think for our 1 year wedding anniversary in August I will do a little week of wedding posts so I can show you everything. Good idea?

- There was shopping, both in malls and online. But this white ribbed fit and flare dress from ASOS is definitely the highlight piece. Makes me feel so pretty and sophisticated. Usually I find ASOS dresses way too short (hence my midi skirts obsession) but this one is just perfect.

- Another IKEA trip happened this week as well. We came home with a new couch, TV table and a few more bits and pieces. My favorite of them being the solar powered lights for the garden. We ended the week with a small BBQ party and the lights just added a little extra to the garden.


Tell me what you have been up to this week? Cant wait to show you the outfit post I have for tomorrow.

My Etsy Favorites #2

Since moving to a new house I have been even more active on Etsy. I have a loooong wishlist that will be ordered as soon as the big things like couch, bookcase, tv table are bought.

As after my first Etsy favorites post I did receive a few emails from you guys so I thought I will pull all my favorite home decoration stores into one post.

So here goes second edition:
Yvonne Ellen-  her up cycled funky homeware is to die for. I mean seriously I want every single piece. I cant wait to order these whale plates and the rum teacup.

Hruskaa - Scandinavian inspired modern and oh so stylish home decor. Such a easy way to add personal style to your home. I am super in love with their hanging planters and this brass one will be mine!

White Faux Taxidermy - Im not sure this one is for everyone. I mean I would never ever enjoy a real taxidermy on my wall but at the same time I cant get enough of their funky deer heads. I did order this little golden hook to add some character to the usual IKEA shoe rack set up in the entry way. They have excellent vases as well. Also how have I lived so long without a pink unicorn. GIMME!

Up in the Air Somewhere - well just take a look at this page and you see why I added it into my favorites list. Pretty ceramics, pastel colors and lovely shapes. This tray it what I have my eye on at the moment. Would look so pretty on a night stand right?

Notice how everything I have chosen is golden? I admit I have a slight obsession with golden details. As most of our furniture will be white it just works so well.

Last but not the least is something I have dreamed of having for years- a marquee light! Saddle Shoe Signs does so many pretty options and I have a perfect spot for this cloud light in my bedroom. One day..

 

There is so much greatness on Etsy but these are the stores on top of my list at the moment. I might do a third edition of this post for little gift shops and cute quirky items you dont need but will want. I also have a long list of wedding decore shops I ordered from when planning my wedding last year so if anyone wants some suggestions let me know. 

If you have ordered something awesome from Etsy lately please pass on your wisdom.

Lastly- some great news! Husband aka the outfit photographer and his camera are back from work trip so I can finally show you some of the new bits and pieces I have.

p.s. non of the photos are made by me. All the credit goes to the shops listed here.

Life Lately

I personally really love the "Life Lately" type of posts where people just show a small recap of their week so I'm thinking of starting this up.

I take soo many photos with my phone daily ( and I am not gonna lie 80% of them are of my cats sleeping in various poses or my dog looking cute) and I would love to show you some of them so you can see what I have been up to.

- Chivas bar activation for Esquire party on Wednesday. Thats me and my lovely bartenders. It was a fun event and as the party was for Esquire Best Dresses Man the people watching was awesome.

- the most perfect way to start a Friday is snoozing with my the whole zoo in the bed. I love that little furry crew of mine. There is no way to feel stressed or unhappy when they all snuggle close to you.

- I didn't own a full length mirror for 2 years. There was just no room for it in our previous apartment. I actually had to call the elevator to our floor if I wanted to get a full view of an outfit (and sometimes there was people in it in which case I created a rather awkward situation). A full length mirror was therefor one of the first things I bought for the new house. Expect a lot of outfit selfies to come. This is me getting ready for work (excuse the unmade bed behind me but Zulu was sleeping in it and you just cant wake up a bundle of cute for something as unimportant as tidy bed sheets)

- on the weekend I was working at the Blended festival which included some amazing concerts by Aloe Blacc, Joss Stone and Diana Krall. So so much good music packed into two days.

-favorite weekend breakfast of banana pancakes with Nutella accompanied by Friends because I will never ever get enough of that TV show. I am a die-hard-know-all-the-words-of-all-the-episodes kind of nut //Can anyone else name a well known seed that’s been masquerading as a nut?//

- my week ended with shisha and dinner in the company of my beautiful friend Laura

Most of you guys have a bit of weekend left and I hope you Sunday is perfect and sunny. I will be back in the office tomorrow.

Let me know what you think of this little weekly instalment and if I should keep it up.

For the love of Pink Pong

I haven't been around for some days and I missed blogging. I really did!

There is a few things I wanted to tell you. Like I made the first little blog post over 3 months ago and there is over 200 of you on Bloglovin that follow Laura etc by now. This kind of stuff just makes me so happy. Thank you for commenting and following and being sweet and interesting. You are my favorites!

The reason for my absence is crazy times at work and the husband taking the camera along on his work trip. Now that we have the nice Nikon I really dont like using anything else but today I had to. I just had to post about this one thing..because we need to talk about a lipstick and I cant hold it in any longer.

If you read blogs you have most definitely heard about the Rouge Edition Velvet by Bourjois. I kept reading the raving reviews and for some reason that made me super skeptical. I mean I already have a foolproof matte lipstick option (NARS) and this liquidy almost lip gloss looking formula didn't seem right. Whatever the reason I never picked up one despite seeing them in Boots.

Last weekend on my way to lunch it was soo freakin hot outside I had to get a bottle of water no matter what. And well what do you know the first store on my way was Boots (they do sell water in there also honestly!) Just to enjoy the AC a bit longer I wondered around and ended up picking up the Bourjois in Pink Pong.


 As the color was soo bright I tried it on the same night at home. Fully expecting it to bleed into the fine lines and smudge and not be awesome. The truth is it blew me away!

First of all the pigmentation is insane! On the below picture I have applied one coat:



You can easily do two coats and get a little bit shinier and even bright option. One coat however leaves such a vibrate matte non clumping lipstick I could not believe it. It lasts soo long on my lips, like 5h is no problem. I was very paranoid first few days and kept checking if I have bright pink lipstick traces all over my face but it stayed put for ages.

I love the consistency and I find the applicator easy to use. However I do use a brush to go over the lines to make it look neat.. the bright pink is too "look at me" to have a messy lip line. I have since worn it every single day this week making my outfits around the lipstick. I have had 3 waitresses in different restaurants and a few co workes compliment me on the lipstick (has never happened before). I am smitten with Pink Pong and planning a trip to pick up a few more shades of this perfect matte lipstick.

I simply must add another bit of important info into this post. My lovely friend Laura got back from her trip to UK and with her arrived something I have been longing for ages-Real Techniques brushes!!! 

 My god these are amazing! I was almost late for work today cause doing my make up was so much fun thanks to the new brushes. I might do a bit of a review later on but for now I just wanted to share my excitement.

Hope you are well and thank you so much for stopping by. Big hugs to everyone!