Lana Del Rey

Since I am dating a musician, I started to approach music differently. He always makes me discover new artists, new songs, things that had something different, something special that would make you feel special when listening to it. I really loved discovering those new artists, and I kind of stopped listening to more popular tunes that we can hear on the radio, my style and tastes changed, and I liked that. But I did not want to forget my identity with all of those new stuffs, and I continued to listen to the artists I had loved for a while. And one of them is Lana Del Rey. I discovered her with the commercial "Video Game" that I am still loving deeply (even if my boyfriend tends to condemn everything too popular and 'commercial'...) but since I have learned to listen to music differently, to look for new things in tunes, to put more importance in the feeling that can be spread by a song, I enjoy Lana Del Rey's music even more than before. 

With this new approach I did not find "weird" some tunes that I disliked at first for their originality and odd atmosphere. I started to enjoy those tracks that weren't so popular because they were sometimes a little bit out there (as 'Freak' for instance). By avoiding the popular radio songs, by listening to many different kind of styles (from Jazz to Fusion and Rap music) I started to listen to Lana Del Rey in a different way. I saw new things in her song, I started to realize that some parts of them were full of emotions, poignant. I think this artist is still considered by many as a girl who was born in the wrong time, who has a style too weird, who does uninteresting music, but I would strongly disagree. I think she has a lot to say, and she has the voice and the ideas to do so. She is for sure one of a kind, somebody who might not be remembered till the end of times, but who will for sure inspire a generation with her poetry and vision of life. 

xo

Amy

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Summer Little Pleasure III: Gorgeous Breaky

Summer is almost over, and here is the last 'Summer Little Pleasure' post for this year. In few days I will be back in Amsterdam, so I am making the most of my time at home. And during this Summer I realized that what was most important for me was to take time, to do things slowly, to be calmer than during the rest of the year. And I am still lucky enough to have two months of holidays during Summer, so lucky enough to take time to slow down. And this did start for me in the morning. Waking up later than usual, taking time to stretch, to lay in bed for an additional couple of minutes, to do things in order to feel good. And breakfast was a big part of this slowing-down process. I like it yummy, but also pretty. I take time to make a different meal every morning, to make it healthy and yummy, but also beautiful, because it is part of making things slowly. And what a pleasure when it does look nice. Eating a gorgeous and yummy breaky on my sunny terrace, with family, boyfriend, friends. The best way to take a good start of the day, with taste, beauty, and love. 

xo

Amy

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August Favorite Bag: YSL College Bag

Summer Holidays are almost over, and since a few days I have started feeling seriously back into the school mood. I guess that is the reason why I choose this bag, since I am writing at the end of August.  Its name definitely spoke to me, the "College Bag", perfect for a College Girl, right? But I like its size, its shape, the style those two elements give to a look, how elegant the material is as well. This leather is so elegant, so well-made, and the golden monogram and chain are just adding some more elegance to the bag. We already saw it on many it-girls, actresses and other public figures, but even if it is definitely a it-bag, it is also a classic. The shape of it, the strap, the handle, the monogram, the leather, all of those elements are at the origin of a classic. It is maybe not the best known bag by Yves Saint Laurent, but for sure one that will last for its classical side and the trend it belongs to. Classic but so pretty we stop caring for any trend in the end. A bag that let us dream of college. 

xo

Amy

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Art Review: 'I Loved Him But... I Wanted Too Much'

What an issue I had with this art review. I stumbled upon this art piece on Tumblr, and I never found the name of the artist nor the title of this print. I assume it is from a comic book, maybe one called 'Young Romance', but still I am not sure. Too bad, I would love to find other prints from this artist, but I would have to stick to this one since I do not have enough information yet. 

However it doesn't really matter, because I just love this print. I have a thing for this kind of aesthetic, and the color of this special one caught my eye. I never read comic books, and never enjoyed this genre, but the prints from the 1960s are definitely an art form that I am found of. In this special one, the perfection of the girl's face, her full lips and big deer eyes, the beauty of her face is just stunning, too perfect to be true, we know, but still. Her pink hair is just a proof that this is all a fantasy, but this fantasy is quickly broken by the text printed in a heart shape "I loved him but... I wanted too much". What does that mean? We cannot know without the rest of the book, we can only let our imagination run, dream about an end we guess tragic. What a shame for such a pretty girl. The reality kills the fantasy, and the dream world disappears for the real one. 

xo

Amy

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Wardrobe Essentials

Since several months I have been trying to buy less clothes, which is not as easy as it seems for a shopaholic like me. But I actually realized that I wanted to change my style, and what I like is more basic than I thought. Of course I love a fantasy blouse or a printed shirt, but we all need basics. That is why I ahem decided to invest more in them, and of course to go for quality and not quantity. I tend to go for Zara, even if it's not the best quality fir every item, if you choose them carefully you can go out with real good quality garments.

But what are basics? I mean, is there a list of specific items for our wardrobe? When I googled it I found so many answers that I was even more lost, that is why I decided to pick up my own basics, following some rules and fashion magazine advices. First of all, of course, a good pair of jeans, in black and blue, then all we need to do is to pick up the shape that fits us the best. Then, a white shirt, in a man shape. Simple but effective. My other basic will for sure be a blazer, that I pick up in dark grey, elegant but not as sad as black. Of course there is also the list of simple t-shirts, grey, white and black, easy to associate for everything. What else? I would say a striped top, a marinière always being elegant and effective. And a little black dress! Oh my God, this is not a basic, this is essential!  I am so sure I am forgetting a tone of items, but at the same time I am afraid that I'll put everything in the basics category... But in the end, are there any basics? Or should we just make up for ourselves our basic wardrobe according to your style. Yet a basic is a base, so I won't stop buying amazing and original clothes! Hurray, the shopaholic won't have to stick to basics! 

xo

Amy

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Summer Little Pleasure II: Bike, Champagne and Flowers

Bike is one of the best way to go from one place to another in all cases, but it is even better in Summer cause thanks to that you can make the most of the hot and sunny weather. And what a perfect vehicle to go and meet your friends for a moment of complete bliss. The best accessory you can have for such a day is for sure the basket that you attach to your bike. Because you will need it to carry your fresh flowers and a bottle of champagne, two essentials to bring for your lovely evening in such a moment. No need for a special occasion to celebrate in Summer. And here are all the keys to happiness. A bike, fresh flowers, and champagne. 

xo

Amy

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Honey Hair

Summer can be hard beauty wise. The burning sun, the salted sea, everything from hair to skin gets dry, and we tend to not take enough care of ourselves. For the body and face it is quite easy, sunscreen and moisturizer, in quantity for those dry days. But what about our hair? They suffer as much as our skin, and they need us to take care of them. We can find thousands of hair masks and conditioners, but I recently had the chance to discover a brand that is definitely full of really good products for amazing hair, Gisou. This brand is all about taking good care of our hair, moisturizing it and make it all shiny and soft, but also healthy. What is the magical ingredient making it all so perfect? Honey. The story behind the brand is already really lovely. The funder, Negin Mirsalehi, has grown up with beekeeping, and knows everything about this universe, then she discovered how much good bees could do to your hair. 

The brand has launched several products, all consecrated to the hydration of the hair and the respect of the production. My favorite product is for sure the Honey Infused Hair Oil. I wasn't sure about hair oil at first, but after several uses I realized that an hair oil is definitely the solution for hair dried by the Summer sun. But as a base another product that is for sure a must is the Heat Protecting Spray. It will protect your hair of the sun all day long, and by using the oil afterwards the hair will be at the same time protected and hydrated, the combination we are all looking for. The brand is still pretty small, and the range of products limited to three, the last one being a texturing spray to give you the beach hair style, the perfect final touch to style your healthy hair. However, even if the brand is still tiny, all of their three products are amazing. A saver for the Summer. Thank you lovely bees. 

xo

Amy

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Book Review: The Girls, Emma Cline

Some true stories, how horrible they may be, will stay forever engraved in the collective memory, remembered almost as historical facts. And all of those stories will work on people's imaginations, be at the origin of books, comics, tv shows, movies, will become even more famous. That is definitely the case with the Charles Manson's affair. The cult that he built, gathering lost girls from all over California, some young, some older, some being mothers, some being daughters still, keeping them around with his ideals of love and purity, keeping them around with drugs and sex. This story fascinated the world when it happened in the 70s, and it actually still does. Emma Cline wrote about it in her fabulous novel, "The Girls". It is all inspired by this story, the same plot, the same ideals, the same man, the same lost girls, plus one, Evie, the character through whom we see the story happening. 

It is not a historical book, it does not intend to retrace the real facts. Actually, it is way deeper than that. It is about the girls. About why they went with this guy (named Russell in the book), why they followed, why they accepted everything he did, everything he wanted them to do. Evie is 14 years old. Her dad left, her mother fell in love with a man she hated, her best friend abandoned her. She is alone, it is Summer, she falls in love with a group of girls, pretty, mysterious. It is the start of the end for her, and she knows. Emma Cline had the cleverness to write Evie's mind when she is 40, still marked by the events of her young years. We see how a cult can change people's life forever, can destroy them. The subject of the famous murder is also evoked, but through Evie's mouth, everything look so innocent that we can only have pity for the real girls, just so lost that they followed the rules he gave, without even asking, so sure of him. This book is definitely an eye opener. While reading it I found myself interested in the case, in the universe of cults, and the more I was reading, the more shocked I got. This book is not easy to read, it is heart-wrenching, after all, a 14 years old girl is in the middle of it. I am sure this book will forever stay engraved in me. The author understands people's feelings so well that you cannot get out of this read unharmed. This novel gets through you, and I don't even know how to explain it. Just read it. 

xo 

Amy

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Weekend Inspiration II

xo

Amy

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Zara Home Haul

Home decor is a well spread passion nowadays, more and more people willing to live in beautiful spaces, trendy and inspired by decoration magazines. I have also been touched by this tendency, and started to buy a lot of decorative objects. Home decor, more than a trend, is actually something that tends to belong more and more to well-being, people feeling better in a more beautiful environment. Shops dedicated to this field have bloomed during the past decade, but personally, as a lover of the brand Zara for clothes and accessories, I instantly fell in love with Zara Home, spoiling us with various universes where everybody can find its own style. That is why I am now sharing with you my favorite pieces at the moment from this amazing shop, pieces that will definitely make of a house a home.

To organize is something crucial in home decor, when things are ordered, everything look better. And what's better than a tray to tidy up your stuffs? I love this one for its mirror, perfumes bottles look really nice on it, and able you to order by keeping it pretty.
Round Mirror Tray

To have a nice table is something I always long for. To eat with nice dishes, drink in pretty glasses, is always something that make me enjoy even more my meals. So I here picked up a water glass, something that will definitely upgrade your table game.
Platinium-Rimmed Tumbler Glass

Bed is a place where we spend half of our life in, so it is important to have a comfortable one of course, but also a nice looking one. Zara Home is then pretty good at proposing you beautiful bed sheets, and for this selection I choose a simple flower print in grey, something that at the same time looks sophisticated and effortless, a Hampton house style in a word.
Linen Duvet Cover with Blurred Print

Trend is all over Zara Home, and it is not a secret anymore that cactus are trendy. So what's better than a trendy but still elegant bathroom? This bathroom set is the perfect combination of both those adjectives, and will definitely add an original touch to any bathroom.
Cactus Shaped Bathroom Set

Organization is definitely a key of today's lifestyle, and it is something that we find in house decor, since our environment has a direct impact on our state of mind. That is why my final object for this haul is a box. Of course a beautiful one, yet still practical to hide everything that will look like a mess!
Mother-Of-Pearl Box with Metal Trims

xo

Amy

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