Friday Fav Five

1. Sea buckthorn. It's a strange, bright orange, miniature grapes looking plant that helped me get rid of my skin troubles early this year. My mom used to force me to have a spoonful of these berries with honey every morning while I was growing up and man, did I hate them. Now, they're my go to multivitamin concoction every spring and fall. They boost antioxidant properties, they help digestion and ward off the flu, but there biggest pro is that they're Skin Superfruits. Definitely worth any beauty bloggers attention.
Best use: buy about 500g/15 ounces, clean them (they have tiny stems), fill a large mason jar or two normal sized mason jar with a combo of 50% sea buckthorn - 50% honey. Take one table spoon on an empty stomach in the morning for at least 1 month. Enjoy the awesome benefits




2.  This Brow Set. I was gifted an Oriflame brow set by my mom's old friend while in Romania. Just after I bought one before going on that trip. Doesn't that happen to you? Anyway, I tried it while in Romania and I have to say I like it very much. It's got two little brushes in a sleek little drawer under the 2 shadows and 1 wax. Simple, traveling friendly, sufficient. And not bad on the budget for about 10€. Sorry for my US and Italian readers, but Oriflame is not available in those countries yet. UK readers, rejoice, you can find it on their website.










3. This beautiful Lip Crayon. I'm currently obsessed with Nars's crayon, but saw this Ilia crayon on the latest goop newsletter. It looks just as good with the added bonus of being organic and free of a lot of chemicals which are commonly found in all those beauty products we adore. You can find it on The Beautyaholic's Shop for Italy or on their online shop for US. It's in the same price range, a little over 20€ and I have to say I'm tempted to order myself on in this delicious berrylicious color.

4. Adidas All Stars. When was in high school I used to own a couple of pairs, one a pristine white and the other a perfectly complimentary black and white stripes. I wore them with everything from my school uniform to jeans skirts and flared jeans(yes, they were fashionable when I went to school). Suffice it to say that I was not considered hipster or well-dressed or even sound of mind. That was long before bloggers were a thing and being original was cool. No bright pink hair or long siren blue hair in my day ladies. No. You wanted to be Christina Aguilera or Beyonce. Sexy. Perfect.
Hence my (now they call it) fashion forwardness was laughable.
Well...as they say. Better early than late. Or is it the other way round? :)

5. Dior Addict Fluid Shadow "Univers". Sephora got me again. Somehow, I manage to plan all of my hard earned money about 2 weeks before I actually get it. Or have earned it. This eyeshadow has me waking up in a sweat at night for how much I love it. I've now swatched it about 4 times, glaring at the price. 31€ for something I'll probably use once a month. Hm. It is absolutely dreamy, this Universe color is gorgeous and it also last for quite a while. At least on the back of my hand it did.
And because Sephora always drives its victories home, they've sent me a text message yesterday saying I have 20% this month. There goes some more of that hard earned money.




Kiss and Peace
Miss Sinister

Friday Fav Five - late but good

1. Collistar's Top Coat + Art Pen.
Lets set things clear. I love getting a mani/pedi and schmoozing with my lovely beautician.
But. Sometimes I don't have time (to be read - when Mystery storms home and says we're going to dinner with X&Y at that fancy new restaurant and/or hey,we're going to Milan like right now). This means I have to do some of the things I'm utterly useless at. This beautiful set, bought on a whim so that I could qualify for 20% off on the perfume I was buying (please stop laughing/pointing your finger, you know you do the same exact thing!), has proven to be a little treasure.
Easy to use, cheap (14€), long-lasting. Convinced?
Find it over on douglas or pretty much any drugstore/beauty shop for around 15€/13$.


2. Sugar. This is almost as addictive as the real thing. Listen once, get stuck on repeat, spend the rest of the week singing "Sugar,how you get so fiend...Sugar...."

3. This coat over on Zara. It's handmade, 50%wool, easy on the budget, blackness perfection. Something for the long winter to look Dior.

4. Dolce by Dolce&Gabbana.
This is the description Sephora has on its US site for this fragrance:
"Dolce is a gentle, feminine mix of white flowers introduced by the freshness of neroli leaves and defined by the full-bodied scent of white amaryllis, a South African flower used for the first time ever in scent. The amaryllis is perfectly blended with a unique and opulent combination of white water lily and bold white daffodil creating a classic yet distinctly original floral fragrance."

I have to honestly say it's one of the best perfumes I've worn for a very long time. I'm a big Dolce&Gabbana perfumes fan because they're ultra feminine and they don't give me a headache (something I tend to suffer from when I wear perfume) so I've been perched up high clinging to Light Blue (in all its declinations) for years now and refused to come back down and smell...well...the Dolce roses. This is now my fav. Just love it. Make sure you try it on your skin before you decide to get it.

5. The Shoe book. Manolo Blahnik teamed up with photographer Michael Roberts and put out a magnificent coffee table book that any shoes aficionado must at least in part consider putting on full display this fall/winter season. I'm a big fan of Mr. Blahnik and this is soon going on my Xmas list!

Millenialy buyable on amazon.com.

The Blog Tour Award Post

About two weeks ago I got nominated for the Blog Tour Award by lovely Gabrielle from The Gab of Gift. I am very honoured and absolutely ecstatic since it's my first nomination!

This award’s purpose is to answer some questions about how I manage Green Vogue and Glam and ultimately nominating 4 other lovely blogs that are definitely worth a look!

There are some rules and I plan to ignore rule 2 just like Gabrielle did since I tend to be very democratic about stuff.

Here are the rules for the Blog Tour Award:

1. Pass the tour on to at least four other bloggers.

2. Give your nominees the rules and specify the Monday in which they should post their nomination answers.

3. Answer the four questions about your creative process, which allows other bloggers and visitors to understand what inspires you to do what you do.

4. Compose this one-time post on a specific Monday (date TBD by your nominator).

How does your work differ from others in your genre?

I think each and every blogger is unique in the way they write, take photos, style and shape their blog. Unfortunately the sheer multitude of blogs nowadays makes it difficult not to find common points with other people. My grandma' used to say that every genius idea in the world had at least 10 counterparts somewhere else that failed to conjure the right conditions to come into existence. I think my most unique attribute is the fact that I am helplessly ironic.

How does your writing/creative process work?

I like to feel useful, so everything I share gets a lot of attention from me. Something like giving advice to a loved friend.
I share OOTD's because I myself appreciate them, I share funny anything because the world needs a laugh, I share interesting things because it takes a village to raise a child, but also to find the right toner, and finally I do a whole lot of research for my own persona so why not share it. 

Posts then kinda come naturally like a sort of one on one discussions with a friend.

I sometimes post 4 times a week, but generally it's about 2, max 3 times a week. This is usually some Polyvore inspo (which I secretly love), some OOTD and my new Friday Fav Five weekly post.

Why do you write and create what you do?

Blogging for me is half serious, half therapy. I am an overly articulated individual with a limited amount of people willing to listen so blogging just naturally extends my articulateness tenfold and undeniably within an audience of similar people. Therapy because I am very private about things, that's why *gasp* I don't have *drumrolls* Facebook. It makes me nervous. So a blog somehow makes me feel more in control about what, how and who is part of my life.

A lifelong passion for fashion should also be mentioned here considering it's been holding my finances hostage for the past 10 years or so.

What are you working on at the moment?

Trying to develop the weekly Friday Fav Five post, getting schooled on the FW collections, trying out gluten free recipes to share and putting together a list of amazing fitness link/websites/youtubers.

Stay tuned for more. 

Ok.

My nominations are:

Misha from Misha K.

Rachel & Lauren from The Flower That Blooms

Georgia Charlotte from Georgie Blue

Naomi from Getting to Nomi

Kiss and Peace

Miss Sinister

Friday Fav Five

1. Pu-Erh Tea. I've gone goo over this tea this past week. It boasts fat reduction, cholesterol lowering, energising qualities that only needs to be drunk twice a day. 

It all started with me looking for something for Mystery's slightly raised cholesterol level (hereditary) and I ended up buying 50€ worth of tea under 5 minutes flat. Ha, story of my life.

I found both the traditional, no flavours added type plus a lovely rose-petal enhanced one. 

Needless to say, I took a whiff of the traditional one which the Chinese culture says smells like earth after it rained, I will cautiously say it smells like Ancona's fish market on a bad day, and I chose the rose-petal one.

I have now prepared 2 bottles full of it and had a cup yesterday evening with Mystery. We both love it. I will report back with the effects. Whatever they might be.

I bought it here, they have the most amazing store in my little Italian Dolce Vita town and a wonderful English website. Check it out.

2. This white coat from Anteprima's FW collection in Marie Claire's August Runways Edition. I really want a light, soft, possibly white coat for the winter and this just ticks all of my boxes. You can see the entire show here.

3. My new Emanuela Caruso bejewelled sandals. Mystery gifted me a pair a couple of years ago and I fell head over literally heels with her work. Unfortunately, I am not an avid sandal wearing Miss Sinister so I tend to shy away from sandals. But upon seeing these magnificent little things the other day, all of my defences (to be read credit card self limitations) went down and they became mine. What can I say, some people like faux jewellery around their neck, I like mine on my feet. You can find more awesome models here. Feet ART!

4. Maroon 5's Songs About Jane album. For those of you little sinisters that might not know, I am the biggest Maroon 5 fan. I have been so from the very first moment I heard "This Love" over the radio little over 13 years ago. I have every album, posters, broken heart over Adam not being single anymore, concert-going wishes, etc. 

I think their first album is by far the best. It has that end of the 90's, 2000 just beginning feel that made everything around that period magical and mythical.

I started listening to their first album again, and more specifically, I've had "Secret" on repeat for the past few days. :) Well, I do have to live up to my sinisterness, right?

Just in case you wanted to listen to it.

5. A little app called Seven.

You can find it on iOS or Android and it gives you 7-minutes worth of crossfire with images and voices. It's simplicity totally won me over. I am not a big fan of crossfire and yet this little app makes me jump, squat, tricep dip, push up and lunge for 7-minutes everyday. 

*Warning, if you miss three days in a month you loose progress and have to start over. :))) Way to keep me coming back app developers.

Give it a try!

And here are my Friday Fav 5 

Kiss and Peace

Miss Sinister

Friday Fav Five

This will be my new regular post. 5 things I like/love/enjoy.

1. I passed! I passed my Delta Module One exam and I am so happy I think I might explode. A whole year of studying, practicing, doing my very best all the while trying to do it all. It was a rollercoaster and I've now reached the end of it. Module Two here I come!

2. Sara Battaglia bags. I have been fighting a desperate urge to exert my credit card on one of those beauties. Like this one in particular.

3. YogaWorks 21 days of yoga summer program. Which I should have done at the beginning of June and am now doing at the end of July. I have an online subscription with them and although I sometimes don't have time to go to their website and do a whole practice, I have been using it religiously for the past two weeks and I can definitely feel it. Go over to their website and marble at the  blissful easiness of it.

4. Forrest walks. Me, Mystery and Dudu and a whole lot of trees. My new fitness addiction. What's yours?

5. mytheresa.com has just started to sell Tom Ford. I am/have been/will always be obsessed with his stuff. I love everything about his understated elegance and wish I could afford most if not all of his creations as soon as they are produced. My winter fetish? These boots. Maybe Santa can take a hint?

Off to work.

Kiss and Peace

Miss Sinister

Dinner Oufit - my new self-drawn pantsuit

I just spent two wonderful days with my family by the sea.
I actually got some tan lines to show for that.
We went to dinner the other evening and my mom's good friend Pia, a wonderful photographer that I've always been to embarrassed to ask to take photos for my blog. But over dinner, I told her how exciting The Haute Pursuit search for a blogger for an H&M mentorship seemed and how I'd have loved to participate. She got more excited than I was, so straight after dinner she said "Let's go to my studio and take some pics!!!" I couldn't say no. I was also wearing my H&M denim jacket. It is the only denim jacket I have, need and care for. It's about 5 years old, it's starting to look faded hiccup just makes me love it even more and I have to say it has been everywhere with me and I can show a billion pics with this jacket. It was perfect.
I was also wearing my brand new two-piece that I had made by my friend tailor. It took a while to ruffle all the ruffles and get the pants just right, but I am beyond happy with the result. I got stopped five times that evening to be asked where I got it from. :P
So despite not being eligible to participate, I did have a blast taking these pics.

Denim Jacket H&M

Two piece pantsuit - I drew, my friend made it

Blue Suede Shoes Loriblu

Red MiuMiu bag

Little monster

Kiss and Peace

Miss Sinister

P.S. Thanks Pia once again for the wonderful pics!

Raw hems outfit

How do you feel about hems?
I thought they were a consistent part of wearing clothes, but fashion proved me wrong yet again. Apparently wearing raw hems is a must and although I can visualise my grandma's jaw dropping if she would see me wearing a pair of jeans with drooping threads, I have to say I like it. I'm enjoying this new (and only apparent) freedom to rock raw hemmed jeans and T-shirts and shirts and whatnots.

I was by all means intending to buy my own pair of overly expensive unfinished jeans to terrorise my tailor with, but I got very defensive when faced with very finished prices that would leave me a little raw.
So I dug through my pile of unworn jeans, found the perfect skinnies that had been left unworn because of their length and chopped them. This happened about 4 months ago and today, my raw jeans got a little companion. I had my Mystery's white cotton shirt hanging in my closet for the past year with no idea of how to wear it. It got chopped today and turned into a wonderfully rebel little garment that I will now wear much more often.

Here's my outfit of the day!

Kiss and Peace

Miss Sinister

Pitch perfect day at the beach

Hey little Sinisters! (this might become a thing with me, I kinda like it)

I did go to the beach just like I told you. 

Portonovo Bay. Absolutely magical.

Found a little place in the shade of some sea blue sheds and camped there with the little monster. You can see him here with me.

Mystery took the pics (and I'm very proud of him since he has little to no experience with photography but he's learning) and we had a really really great day.

Ended up going to lunch at Il Molo, and might I say, if you are in the area, please pay it a visit for the sensational sea fruits and the "Sea Carbonara" (it's a spin on the classic&delicious egg-bacon Carbonara that just amps the delicious like...tenfold) 

I've got pics of the delicious food, but they're on my phone. :P Will post later!

P.S. Those are my new MiuMiu obsession sunglasses that I got from Milan. I am very much in love with them! Round, light tinted lens, tortoise rimmed. What do you think?

Kiss and Peace

Miss Sinister

Summer Outfit

I absolutely love summer. Especially when I can get out of the shower, get dressed and go out. No fuss. No hair dryer. No coats and jackets and hunch inducing knitted sweaters.

I'm off for my aperitivo!

 

Edit:It's moments like this that make me love living in Italy and having a patient, adorable boyfriend willing to take pics.

Kiss and Peace

Miss Sinister

Call me old fashioned

I will grow up a very poor woman. I unfortunately have a spending problem that spirals ever more out of control because of all of those big and small companies out there that produce lovely stuff, package them even lovelier and then have this or that stylish, fashionable, beautiful, inspiring woman or man present it to the world.

Don't get me wrong, if I was richer I would still be poor since this would entail just more money to spend on everything from lotions and creams to shoes and designer pillows.

We have become fetishist, each and every one of us. We all want the best organic skincare money can buy, and by that I mean a lot of money can buy. I will spare you big names that could drag my little Sinister behind for bad-mouthing them, but any example that comes to mind right now....yeah, that's it. Those ones.
Then we have shoes. Oh, the shoes. Living in shoeland as I am, I have arrived at a sad conclusion. Albeit being masterpieces, shoes are rarely sold at a fair price. Their prices are inflated, steroid-pumped, out of this world kind of prices. The production of some of the worlds most coveted shoes right now, and again I ask you to think of an example and I know you'll get it right, would buy a nice lunch in a normal trattoria in Italy. That's it. Everything on top is the shops, the magazines, the models, the celebrities and my fellow bloggers.  And that's fine. But it's not honest.

I love designer everything. Just like I said, I will be a perennially poor individual because I buy that stuff. But somehow, today, seeing the 1 millionth blog post showing a "Outfit of the Day" which from top to bottom would cost more than 5000€ and seeing all the comments at the bottom, somehow, it all felt wrong.
I have designer pieces, I also have H&M and Zara. I recycle. I think everybody does. I love to wear my clothes more than once. That's why I buy them for. Because I like them. So much that I want them to be part of my closet, something I could leave to my hypothetical daughter or granddaughter someday like my own grandma did with me.

I am not wearing stuff for anybody else than for myself. That's why I write here. Because I want to inspire and get inspired.
5000€ to frolic in the park is ridiculous and unrealistic and not inspirational.
And I'm getting resentful towards all the people who don't appreciate fashion for what it is. Art. Hard work. Personal. Revolutionary.
Not a bunch of high end labels stacked on top of each other meant to make us, the financially unstable fashion lovers, feel unworthy to be so.

But hey, that's just me.
I'll go back to my cave now.

Kiss and Peace
Old Fashioned Miss Sinister

The Exam & The Expo

It's over!
My big exam, my one-year long study plan, the thing that kept me away from blogging, Mystery and the little monster is over!
I am beyond excited for this summer and all the things I want to do.
The exam went well, could have done better but the time was just too short.

But...I mixed business and pleasure and went to the Expo Milan while I was there.
I have to say it is an impressive place and worth a visit if you will be in Italy in the next few months. It will be in place until the end of October and I strongly recommend it.
I saw a considerable number of pavilions and am going back with my mom in October and still felt I could have seen more. :P
The Thailand pavilion is by far the most organised/impressive one, the UAE pavilion was disorganised (hello, 45 minutes in the sun) but totally worth it, the French pavilion was a very creative, artistically inspiring one. Azerbaijan was absolutely beautiful, USA dissapointing (:((), Japan had the longest line, the Russian one had a delicious bar, the Italian pavilion didn't come through how I believe the organising country should have. It was dull.

Here are some photos. I'll post soon with some Milan photos as well.

Kiss and Peace

Miss Sinister

Feeling-Better Outfit

One last dinner with friends in Ancona before my trip to Milan.

Beyond excited, and tired, and a bit worried, and feverish, and ... lots of other contrasting emotions.

Finally feeling better today so I broke out my new pencil skirt with my new Stan Smiths!

I've also set my eyes on a spectacular pair of sunglasses I hope to find in Milan so if all goes well, there will be news shortly! :P

Pencil Skirt

White Cropped Cotton Sweater

(Zara)

Adidas Sneakers

Miu Miu Bag

Kiss and Peace

Will come back with some other OOTD Miss Sinister