Love This Store: STORY

Hello lovelies,

So I came up with a fun idea for a segment on the blog when I was in New York last week. I want to add blog posts about fun, local stores to the blog and introduce them to you.

I was wandering around New York City (in my opinion, the best way to discover this city) and I stumbled upon this cute store called STORY. So I went in, not too sure what to expect. As soon as I entered the store, I saw that they literally have a little bit of everything: books, clothes, a bike on the wall (yes, you read that right. A bike. On the wall.), phone gadgets, ...

This store changes like a gallery. And another part of this store is that it gives this magazine-like vibe. So that means it can look completely different the second time you visit the store. They change everything from design to the product they sell. Cool, right? Every 4 to 8 weeks, they sell products that are related to one theme.  This can go from "Good" to "Making Things" to "Love" and so much more.

Some STORY wisdom for y'all: eat chocolate, lose weight

 I love the idea of having one particular theme every few weeks and to change it up according to that theme. It's so refreshing finding stores like this who think outside of the box to find new and revolutionary ways to offer products to people.

You can find more information on their website: http://thisisstory.com/ and find pictures that are prettier and more artistic than the pictures from my phone :-) If you're in New York, go check out the store at:

144 10th Ave. at 19th St. New York, New York 10011

So nice, they named it twice

Please let me know in the comments below if you like this new segment! Thank you for reading!

Love,

Molly

"Q&A a Day Journal"

A friend recently introduced me to the “Q&A a Day Journal” by Potter Style. It caught my eye because of the lovely design and gold pages.

I was immediately in love and the next day I found myself ordering it online! I really like the idea behind it – this journal shows us what’s in our head, each day, for a period of 5 years. 

 
You get a daily question. When you finish the journal, you have to start over… This will show you how your answers change/stay the same over the years.

I’ve tried to keep journals before, but sometimes I just didn’t know what to write about; That’s why I love the questions in this book! They bring up deep thought without even realizing it. Also, you only have to write a few sentences, so it doesn’t take too much time. This way I feel like giving up less likely. Such an important attribute, because eventually you’ll have to keep it up for 5 years!! :-)

Price:  $16,99

Do you keep a journal? Let us know in the comments!

My Winter Essentials

When I woke up today, everything outside was covered up with snow. Such a nice view!!
It motivated me to write a post about my winter essentials. So here we go ... :-)

Victoria's Secret - "Sheer Love" Hydrating Body Lotion

I use body lotion all year round, but during winter it's one of my BIGGEST essentials. Because my skin gets dry easily during winter, I have to use it a lot more! And I looove the smell of this one. This white cotton scent is my favourite winter frangrance. 

KIKO - Night Balm

Chapped lips do not only look unappealing, they can also be painful! This nourishing lip balm prevents my lips from this. It's supposed to apply this before going to bed, but I'm getting addicted to it! And because it's such a rich cream, I like to use it as well in the day time (I know you're not supposed to do it - but it's cold girls!)

Garnier - Miracle Skin Cream Eyes

I feel like my under eye circles look darker during this season of the year. This eyecream immediately blurs imperfections. On top, it has anti-ageing benefits in the long term too! Exactly what I need. :-)

Nivea - Soft

I've been using this hydrating cream since for ever. Nivea really has the best quality-performance ratio. I've tried more expensive - less expensive products, but in the end; no other product has given me better results.

What products are your essentials during winter? Please let us know!
Xoxo

My 3 most used FASHION APPS

The Hunt is a fashionlifechanger! We’ve all been there: You see a nice outfit on the internet, but you can’t seem to find where you can buy it. This app is here to save you desperate fashionhunters! Just take a screenshot of the item, upload it, and other “Hunters” in the community will help you find it.

You can also be nice and help other people find their items. And, if you see "Hunts" that you like from other people, you can follow theirs and get to know where the item is available for purchase.

Depop allows you to buy second hand items by browsing your feed, and sell by just taking a picture. It’s a nice way to find rare fashion items. Without even leaving your house! You can use private messaging to negotiate on the price, which is nice. Chiara Ferragni is also on the portal. It's almost the coolest thing about this app!

You could say this is just a regular online store, but I think the Asos app is more than just that. First of all, Asos offers such a wide range of fashion items; You could spend an afternoon, just by browsing through the app. 

You can also sync your account. This means that you can start shopping on your Iphone, and make the actual money transaction on your laptop. Then there’s also the “Daily Edit”, which keeps you up to date on the latest fashion trends. 

And if you don’t know what to wear where, you can always shop by edit. Hitting the right button; wedding, festival, work, ... will leave you with that perfect outfit.

You should really let us know what your fave apps are! - Amal :-)

My (daily) makeup essentials

Hi lovies,

Read this article to find out what make up I use on a daily base, maybe there’s something you’d like to use as well ;-) definitely let me know what products you use a lot! I’d be happy to find out more about your makeup habits! :-)

 

Kiehl’s – Micro-Blur Skin Perfector

I use this skin smoother in between my moisturizer and foundation. It minimizes my pores and I feel like this is the perfect base for my makeup.

Maybelline – FIT me

This foundation has thought me that not all good products have to be expensive. It’s the best foundation I’ve ever used. And it was only 14 euro! The product comes in a lot of different shades, that’s how I got to find my perfect FIT. Nr. 225 looks like my own skin, no other shade has ever done that for me.

PS: I apply my foundation with a beauty blender and afterwards I dab my face with a regular makeup sponge.

Essence – Stay natural concealer

In order to hide my under eye circles, I use this concealer. It’s an extremely cheap product which does its job well enough for me to continue using it. But I’m not highly recommending it. 

M.A.C – Studio Sculpt Defining Powder (Dark Deep)

This powder is usually used as a contouring powder, but it can also be used as a bronzer. And that’s how I use it. It’s been given to me as a present, and I’m really happy with it. I’m surely buying another one, once I used this one up. 

Hema – Terra bronzing powder

When I feel like I need a little bit of a highlight, I use this product. It’s maybe odd to use a bronzer as a highlighter, but the Terra bronzing powder doesn’t do its job in a good way. It’s not strongly pigmented, that’s why it only adds a little bit of a sparkle to my skin.

By the way, Hema is a Dutch company, so I don’t think Hema’s products are available worldwide. 

2B – Longwear eyeliner

Again, this is a product I’m not too excited about. But it works for me, so I’m not complaining. 

Essence – Get BIG Lashes

A lot of my friends told me that this is the best mascara on the market. That’s why I bought it. I’ve only been using it for two days now, so I’m not ready to totally agree with my friends yet. However, I will give an update on this one. :-)

Essence – Lash & Brow gel mascara

I need this product. Every. Day. I don’t fill in my eyebrows, because I have really dark and full eyebrows. But I use this gel to tame them a little bit. It works wonders for me. 

Let us know what products you often use! Byeee - Amal

Tips & Tricks: EXAM EDITION

Hey loves,

Some of you are enjoying your (well-deserved) Christmas break. Lucky you! But some of us... Well we need to study for the exams that are coming up AFTER break. Here are a few tips that will hopefully help you.

1. Start on time

Oh yes, you procrastinators out there! I'm guilty as well. But starting on time actually helps! Don't put off making summaries at the last possible second. It's less work if you work on it after your classes. That way, the information is still fresh in your mind and BOOM: you have a summary to study. Less time-consuming AND less stressful.

2. Make your own schedule

You know yourself better than anyone. So decide if you're more of a morning student or an evening student and base your schedule on that. Don't compare it to others as everyone has their own methods. I'm personally an evening studier, so I don't wake up at 7 since I know I won't be productive. Also, I like to sleep. I'm better at staying up late than waking up early!

3. Take reasonable breaks

Everyone needs a break. Especially when you've been staring at your books or screens for a while. Find out whether you prefer a lot of little breaks, or just one big break after a couple hours of studying. Go out for a walk, make some food or do some yoga! Anything to take your mind off of school for a little while. Taking breaks help process the information better and you will be more productive when you start studying again.

4. Use colors. Loads of them

I'm a big fan of markers. Big, big fan! Not only do they make your books and notes look pretty, they actually help you memorize the information better. When marking a word or a sentence, it stands out. That helps you remember it on the exam!


Alright so those were some pretty basic tips. Here are a few more that people tend to forget:

5. Change your clothes

Sounds weird. But I know that a lot of people stay in their pajamas to study. They wake up  and walk to their desk the way they're dressed. My tip to you is: change. your. clothes. Even if you're staying home all day, just change into some soft leggings and a comfy sweater. You'll shake off the grogginess and you'll feel more awake. Splashing cold water on your face also helps!

6. Eat healthy and drink loads of water

It's so much easier to grab something quick and unhealthy while studying. But most of the time, it's counter-productive. You need something that will give you energy throughout the day. Don't eat too heavy at lunch because you will want take a nap right after. And water, loads loads loads of water. That's always a good idea. And it helps against pimples. Nobody wants pimples, not even when they're studying!

7. Open a window

Even if it's freeeeeezing cold outside (which it currently is in Belgium), open your window. Maybe not the whole time but for 15 minutes every couple of hours so fresh air comes in. Cold air works wonders for me to stay awake.

8. Sleep

If you can, try sleeping 7-8 hours a night. If you don't sleep enough, you will be less concentrated and might end up taking a nap on your desk (trust me, it happens!). Especially the night before your exam! Otherwise, because of the lack of sleep, you won't remember the little basic things. So sleep! You'll go into your exam with fresh eyes, face and brain. You've studied, you'll know the answer!



Good luck to all of those studying for the exams. You can do it! But remember: not everything is about school. Those grades do not define you. You can achieve anything you want in life. Just gotta work. Hard.

Hope you liked this post. I'm going back to my books!

Love

Molly

Let's talk about LUSH!

Hi there

Cold weather is coming up (or is already here for some of ya! Or not at all for those in AUS)! That only means one thing: warm baths & hot showers! I always love pamper days when it's cold out. I like to treat myself to a hairmask, a facemask and just mmmh-smelling products in general! So of course LUSH is the place to go to. 

For those who don't know what Lush Cosmetics is: it's where they make fresh handmade cosmetics. All their products are plant-based and do not contain any harsh chemicals. The company is against animal testing and is completely vegan. Oh and did I mention they are eco-friendly? What's not to like?

You may notice I am not mentioning any bath bombs or bubble bars here and there is a very simple reason for that: I do not own a bath. Here are 5 products you can enjoy from LUSH Cosmetics, even if you don't have a bath tub:

1. King Of Skin:

 Words cannot express how much I love this. I have very dry skin and I'm very lazy a.k.a I hate moisturising after I get out of the shower. This is the perfect product for me! I just put some water on the body butter and I rub it on my body. The bar just melts into your skin. You don't need to rinse it off. Also: it kind of smells like chocolate. If that's not a reason to buy this body butter, than I don't know what is ...

Note: when you get out of the shower, don't dry yourself too harshly. It's better to pat your body dry so your body will feel moisturised. 

King of Skin 

2. Eau Roma

I love how toners are just completely clear and feel like water. You don't really think they are doing much but they are so good and gentle for your skin. This one contains rose water and lavender water, both are used to soothe and soften the skin. I use it after my cleanser and before my night/day cream. 

Eau Roma Water

3. Balancoire face mask
Sometimes you need to treat yo self! Wash your face, put this face mask on, make yourself a cup of tea (or hot chocolate, whichever you prefer) and get on Tumblr/Pinterest/Weheartit/... or watch your favourite TV show! Face masks are great to calm your skin and nourish it. This one smells amazing as well! 

4. Aqua Marina

At first, I wasn't too sure about this face cleanser. It had little green pieces mixed with a pinkish goo. The consistency wasn't one I used before. But I liked it a lot! It was a really nice surprise. The consistency turned out to be really gentle so this was really good for my sensitive skin. 

Aqua Marina

5. The Godmother soap

I just really like this one for the smell! It's just such a girly and sweet smell. It makes your whole bathroom smell amazing and it also lingers for a very long time on your hands and body.

The Godmother

So here are my 5 favourite products from Lush Cosmetics! Leave a comment below with your 5 favourites! And just a quick question: who wants to give me a bath tub for Christmas so I can use those Christmas-themed bath bombs? 

Love xoxo

Molly