Milan Outfit Diaries

One of the things I always freak out about when travelling is which clothing items I am going to pack with me, and most of the time, the choice revolves around any new items I have acquired in the days leading up to the trip. Yes, you guessed it; more often than not, I end up buying new clothes just to take with me here or there and of course, Milan was no exception.

Being a fashion capital, I really didn't want to get it wrong and we all know how stylish northern Italians tend to be. I this post, I am going to share with you three outfits I wore during the day. One special dress is missing from this post but I will show you the outfit in better detail in an upcoming post.

Outfit #1 - Of Ruffles & Western Details

For our first day I opted for a comfy ensemble as we had to catch a flight of course. I took this River Island coat with me which proved to be a life saver against the cold temperatures and since it keeps me so warm, I could get away with something light underneath. Of course I had to wear my new Italian leather Zara Chelsea boots to lend an otherwise girly outfit an androgynous edge. The western buckle belt further gives the outfit an edge as does the demi-tucked shirt. To top it off, I chose wear a cloche hat and this tassel detail cross-body bag. Pictures were captured at Parco Sempione.

Printed Ruffle Blouse, H&M | Coated denims, Promod
Coat, River Island | Real leather chelsea boots, Zara
Western buckle belt and tassel flip-over cross-body bag, both River Island
Felt cloche hat, H&M

Outfit #2 - A Colourful Melange

Me and my boyfriend both enjoy going to museums and sightseeing and whenever we are abroad, we try to take in as much as possible from the place we're visiting. In fact, we dedicated our second day entirely to sightseeing and some shopping of course. I wanted something colourful and vibrant for a day in the city and have to say I am really pleased with how this outfit turned out. I think the scarf really brought it all together. The heeled boots are one of the comfiest pairs I own so I had no issues after a full day of walking around the city. My favourite pieces from the outfit are without a doubt the colourful scarf which I bought in Munich last month and the Tommy Hilfiger x Gigi Hadid bag which my boyfriend gifted me for Christmas. Pictures taken at Colonne di San Lorenzo and Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II.

Down feather jacket and emerald green roll neck sweater, both Zara
Denims, Charles & Ron | Boots, Nine West
Scarf and gloves, both H&M | Felt cross-body bag, Tommy Hilfiger x Gigi Hadid
Necklace, Fossil at Sunlab

Outfit #3 - Modern Day 90's

We spent the first half of our last day in the picturesque city of Como where the temperatures were a little colder than in Milan so layering was of course a must. I opted for the same Charles & Ron denims and Zara real leather boots from the days before just because they are so comfortable and I took the opportunity to wear this new merino mix top (also bought in Munich last month) and my new River Island bomber jacket. I also had the same coat from day 1 but I took it off just to 'show-off' the beautiful embroidery on the jacket. I finally found a bomber jacket that I like and with the choker and dark red lips, I felt I was reviving my 90's self. Pictures were taken at Como.

Bomber jacket and choker, both River Island
Merino wool mix cable knit sweater, H&M (L.O.G.G.) | Denims, Charles & Ron
Chelsea boots, Zara | Earrings, I AM
Glasses, Dolce & Gabbana at Optika

The rest of our last day was spent in Milan, where we attended the Manolo Blahník exhibition, visited the Duomo and dined at Nobu in the evening. I will show you what I wore to Nobu in another post and I was also requested to write about my dining experience there so I'll be sure to write about that too :)

Which was your favourite outfit? Should I do travel outfit diaries more often or do you prefer a separate post for each outfit? Leave your comments below :)

Travel Look | Cold, so cold!

Welcome to 2017 beautiful people and welcome to my blog for another year :) Just last week I was in the beautiful but cold cities of Munich and Salzburg so of course, I had to pack a luggage full of practical winter clothes. The holiday was a very welcome break to ring in the new year with our friends and it was jam-packed with places and things we had to see and do.

I put together one of the most comfortable outfits to travel in without compromising on style of course. Luckily, I convinced my boyfriend to take pictures of the outfit before we departed Malta so I can share it with you guys.

I already owned most of the items I am wearing so I'm afraid you won't be able to find the exact clothes I am wearing in the shops. However, the coat, beanie and bag are still available as they are all new stock items. The boots have been in my collection for two years or so and they never let me down! They keep my feet warm and they never get wet inside so it's the perfect pair to travel to colder climates in. I really enjoyed wearing this Zara coat and River Island bag all throughout my holiday and they proved to be very good investment pieces.

Coat, Zara | Denim shirt & Embellished v-neck, H&M
Denims, Tommy Hilfiger | Boots, Indigo at Marks & Spencer
Backpack, River Island | Beanie, Peacocks | Glasses, Dolce&Gabbana at Optika

I shall be traveling to Milan for the first time this month so do let me know if you'd like me to shoot outfit pictures there too :) 

High - Low

Yesterday afternoon we celebrated my Dad's birthday with lunch at one of our favourite restaurants in Marsascala, Sepia. I always take every opportunity to dress up and wear new clothes and accessories I would have bought not long before.

Yesterday was one such day where I wore a new H&M dress and accessories and paired them with my Diane von Furstenberg 440 Gallery Bitsy Cross Body Bag, hence, high-low dressing ;) I love the cut-out at the back of the dress which gives the illusion of a matching crop top and skirt. I also loved wearing two new lip products from Kiko which lasted all throughout lunch without the need of a touch-up, but more on them in another post ;)

Here are some pictures that my other half captured for me :)

Dress, H&M | Sandals, Aldo | Bag, Diane von Furstenberg

Sunglasses, Marks & Spencer | Watch, Michael Kors at Sunlab

Bangles and bow earrings, H&M 

First Impressions | H&M Beauty

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Swedish fashion giant H&M, have completely revamped their make up range and we're not just talking packaging-wise, they have come up with a bigger-and-better-than-before range of products.

Sadly, we still don't have an H&M store in Malta so I had to wait for my trip to Barcelona last month to get my hands on some of their products. I tried to get more products on my trip to Sicily last week but the store I went to didn't carry the new range of beauty products so I have to wait yet again till December for our visit to Munich. 

Although I can shop online, the reason why I'm resisting is because I want to experience the products first hand as for example, when I swatched one of the eyeshadow palettes in Barcelona, I didn't like the texture and pigmentation. However, I did settle on four items which I really wanted to try and I wanted to share my first impressions of with you here.

I picked up a Pure Radiance Powder Blusher, a Cream Lip Colour and two nail polishes so far. First off, a word about the packaging. I'm in love with the way the products look but not so much with the way they feel. At a glance, the black/white and gold packaging really gives the illusion of expensive makeup but when you take the products into your hands, you can immediately feel the packaging is made out of cheap, light-weight plastic. Then again, this is a sort of drugstore brand we are talking about so I can't really complain; and they do look nice at the end of the day!

Pure Radiance Powder Blusher in Golden Peach

H&M has two types of blushers in their beauty range, cream (white and gold packaging) and powder (black and gold packaging). I got one of the powder blushes simply because I tend to favour powder formulas more and the shade I chose complements my skin tone perfectly. I wouldn't describe Golden Peach as a true peachy shade as in my eyes, it leans more towards a rosy pink with gold reflects. I like that this lasts all day and for €7.99 (5g of product), this performs really well. I like the hexagonal shape of the compact but it doesn't come with a mirror. The shade name can be found on the bottom of the compact and on the side of the outer box which I think is a nice touch.

Cream Lip Colour in Kombucha

Next is a lipstick which I must say delivers more in terms of packaging as it does feel heavier and sturdier than the blush. As for performance and pigmentation, I should say that both products are on par with each other. However, you do need to carry the lipstick with you as after 4+ hours, it would have faded in the centre of your lips and you would need to re-apply. I would describe Kombucha as a rosy shade with warm undertones that's perfect for summer as it is a little on the bright side. Again you have the name of the shade on the bottom of the lipstick and side of the box it comes it. The price is €9.99 for 3.5g of product.

Here I am wearing H&M Pure Radiance Powder Blush in Golden Peach and H&M Cream Lip Colour in Kombucha

Nail polishes in Cashmere and Carnival

Lastly, I couldn't not pick up some nail polishes but I restrained myself to just two and settled on Cashmere and Carnival. I have already worn Cashmere and it lasted for a week before I could see some tip wear which I think is exceptional for a €4.99 nail polish. Cashmere is a beautiful taupe with fine gold shimmer running through, making it a universally flattering shade. On the other hand, Carnival lives up to it's name - it's a mix of diamond shaped glitter and micro-glitter in turquoise, bronze and purple floating in a clear base. I haven't worn it yet but I look forward to matching it with summer outfits!

Overall, I think that the new H&M beauty line has very good potential and prices are very affordable. I really look forward to expanding my collection, so do leave your recommended products from the line in the comments section :)

The High-Waisted Skirt

This year I promised myself I will try to feature more outfit posts on my blog so here goes another one. I had bought this skirt from H&M in London way back in December but of course I had nothing to wear it with so I bought a few tops from River Island ;)

 

Since the weather is still acting silly and refusing to go into full-on summer mode, we're still getting chilly evenings so I went for this orange wrap body suit which has three-quarter sleeves to keep me warm(ish). I just love the combination of orange and blue, don't you?

 

Orange Wrap Bodysuit, River Island | High-waisted skirt, H&M

Shoes, Limited Collection at Marks & Spencer | Clutch bag, Mango

Necklace, Peacocks | Stainless Steel Bangle, Calvin Klein

Ring, Viventy at 202 Jewellery | Sunglasses, Aldo Shoes & Accessories



Photos captured by my ever-so-patient boyfriend :)

What I got for Christmas & London Haul

I feel so bad at the moment cos I really don't have a lot of time on my hands to sit down and blog as much as I'd like to with all that is happening in my life right now. Thus here is my late 'What I got for Christmas & London Haul'.

I will start with the Christmas gifts I received first. So our consultant doctor at work gave each of the girls at work a Marks & Spencer body lotion and chocolate (which I ate already of course!). Next we had our own version of Secret Santa between my shift colleagues and I was gifted with this pretty set of dainty stud earrings in rose gold and a card wallet which I absolutely love!

We also had a Secret Santa with Mario's family and this silver bag is right up my alley when it comes to special occasion accessories as I don't really fancy flashy sequins and stones so thank you to my father in law :) Mario's family gave us some vouchers for home ware seeing we are moving in together in a few weeks and we also got a set of bath towels.

My Mum & Dad really spoiled me with a pair of Charles & Ron Marilyn jeans which fit like a glove and I can't wait to wear them! Lastly, my amazing boyfriend bought me this Carvela Kurt Geiger bag while we were in London as we had agreed that we shall be buying our Christmas gifts for each other while on holiday. I love how I can pair this bag with loads of outfits and it fits so many things! 

The last Christmas gift I have to show you is this River Island eyelet midi dress from my brother. I love how this looks on me and it is a very versatile number as well.

Christmas Gifts

London Haul

Luxury Beauty Buys

Onto what I bought from London, which actually isn't as much as I thought I would buy (yes I am looking at you in the eye stupid exchange rate), starting with the luxury beauty buys.

I bought this Scandalous perfume miniature (£8.50) from Victoria's Secret as part of a larger underwear haul but of course I will not be sharing any pictures of that here. I also decided to try this Facial Peeling from Onsen (RRP £99.99, £59.99 with offer) which I shall be reviewing very soon here and the lady also gave me a body lotion sample.

I walked into MAC in the hope of finding the Ellie Goulding collection but it wasn't out yet; however, I did not leave the store empty handed as Odyssey lipstick (£15.50) caught my eye. It is a satin finish and is a sort of magenta-plum shade. Also from MAC, I purchased the Dita von Teese lipstick (€24 including shipping) online and I found it waiting for me when I got back from my holiday.

Drugstore Beauty Buys

Next I have some drugstore beauty buys from Superdrug and random stuff I got from Primark. I got some hair ties in black and brown, a brow and lash comb and a travel container set which were £1 each. I also got other random bits and bobs such as hand sanitiser gel, a lint roller, mini jar candles and scented tea lights, cotton discs and socks. Also from Primark, I got some exclusive Montagne Jeunesse masks and Hask Keratin hair masks for £0.90 and £2 each respectively.

Superdug had some really cool offers going on and I got myself some nail polishes from Bourjois (£5.99), Revlon (£6.99 each), Essie (£7.99) and Models Own (£4.99). I also got a travel sized version of the Tokyo dry shampoo from Colab (£1.99) and I got a free compact mirror and HD lipstick with my Revlon purchase apart from the fact that the Matte Colour Balm was free on a 3 for 2 offer.

Lastly are the fashion items! So I finally found not one but two hats that actually fit my tiny head! The cloche hat is from H&M and I bought it for £14.99 while the floppy one is from Primark and I bought it for £8. Also from Primark is the blush laser cut floral motif belt which was only £2 and the bag behind it was actually another gift from my parents but somehow I ended up photographing it with the belt.

Next are these two joggers from Gap which were on sale for £7.99 each and I bought them to wear for my night shifts were tend to go for something more comfortable. The silver based earrings are from H&M and I love the enamel colours on them. They were £3.99.

As for clothes, I was really happy to see a lot of small sizes available but it was disappointing to see that some of them still were too big for my petite frame. Nonetheless, I still managed to buy some exciting pieces.

Zara is the only store where everything I purchased was on sale and they are probably my favourite pieces. I got this flower print crop top which was only £17.99, the anchor print shirt was £12.99 and the trousers were £19.99.

H&M is probably one of the first stores that I look for when I am abroad because I really like the quality and style of their clothes. I was sad that I didn't find the new makeup line though but I am determined to find it the next time I am abroad ;) So I got a few tops from there and the prices were as follows (left to right): £14.99, £19.99, £29.99 and £10.00 for the shirt which was on sale. Shift dresses are staples in my wardrobe so I got this grey one for £24.99 and I also got this super cute skirt for £24.99 as well.

Primark is always full of people who seem to go bonkers with all the cheap priced items the store has to offer so the first time we went there was a little too chaotic for my tastes and I only ended up buying the random stuff above and the navy and cream shirt (£10) which caught my eye while we were in line to pay. We did visit again on Sunday to buy luggage and socks which I remembered I had to stock up on and since the atmosphere was much calmer, I had all the time in the world to browse the store for some basic pieces. I got myself two more blouses, two knits and a faux suede skirt. The monochrome blouse and the knitwear were only £6 each, the burgundy blouse was £10 and the skirt was £8.

Lastly, I have my River Island online order which came home while I was abroad as well. I bought the black embellished collar shirt in a separate order but I liked it so much I decided to buy the cream one too. I also bought this black Victoriana blouse because it is something different. All three shirts were on sale for €25 each.

That was one long post! Hope you enjoyed it guys and I hope I get more time to blog again normally soon!