A Day in... Leyden

To leave the Netherlands after two years spent there was a hard step to take. The last week, I was not feeling good, sad and nostalgic to be leaving. So my boyfriend and I decided to make the most of those last few days. We rented pedal boats, strolled around areas of the cities we've never been to, and took a day trip to Leyden. This day trip literally felt like a holiday. Amsterdam is a very nice place to live, don't get me wrong, yet Leyden was such a cute town. People were way more chilled and friendly, natives for most of them which was also very nice to help us dive into the Dutch culture. Amsterdam is losing its identity because of people like me, foreigners making a living there. Yet Leyden has not fallen into this terrible vicious circle.We got lost into this typical Dutch town, and enjoyed a beautiful day under the sun. No need to visit anything, to be fair. The best way to discover is to not have a plan, stop to eat an ice cream along the canal, or cross every bridge you meet. A beautiful memory, that made my departure a little less bitter. Yet still, I'll miss you, the Netherlands.

xo

Amy

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Holiday Makeup Look

Last week, I went away to Northern Italy for a family holiday. The temperatures were crazy, at some point we reached 39°C, which is quite a lot compared to the 30s I am used to. But even if I was on holiday, and the goal was to fit as much as we could in one day, I still wanted to look presentable. It wasn't the best days for my skin, and I needed some help from my makeup. But how to combine makeup and crazy heat and sun? Here is what I packed and wore during my first Summer holidays. 

First thing first: sun protection. I have already talked you through sunscreen in an earlier post this year, and I have stayed pretty faithful to that routine, especially under this mediterranean sun. I changed my sunscreen for a La Roche Posay one, simply to give a try to that brand, and to be fair, it works wonders. My body never burnt once, even if we spent all of the hottest hours wandering under the sun, and I even managed to get a tan! A real miracle for the pale girl that I am. Of course I also moisturized a lot, every morning and every night, so my skin stayed healthy and good looking even with that heat. I am also applying my Nuxe Lipbalm on my lips every time they felt drier, keeping it from crumbling. However, there is not only your body and your face that you need to protect, but also your hair. For that, I have been faithful for over a year now to the brand Gisou, created by blogger Negin Mirsaheli. For the past weeks, I have used all of her products. After washing my hair, I apply the heat protecting spray, then the oil that I run through it. The wave spray has also been a favorite of mine to style my hair, as well as the comb which recently came out. The heat protecting spray came with me to the beach every day, and I must say it worked wonders. But just to be sure that my hair has not been damaged at all during the day, I applied the hair mask every night. In a word, Gisou is saving my hair this Summer. 

Makeup wise, with this heat, there was one quality I needed in every of my products, it was for them to be waterproof. With the sweat and the water, I could not afford to wear normal makeup that would have dripped all over my face. However, I don't want a lot of coverage in Summer. I look for light weight products, that won't feel like anything on my face, and that will stick to it while staying natural. I don't wear foundation at all during Summer, but I wanted to cover my few blemishes, and for that I turned to my faithful Estée Lauder Double Wear concealer, which has a very good coverage yet won't be visible at all. My other essential was my Better Than Sex mascara, by Too Faced. This waterproof formula is amazing, it is so good that you even have trouble removing it at night. But I must say, it made my lashes look wonderful, and stayed all day even under that heat and after few dips in the Lake Major. Last product - yes only three! - my beloved Dior Lipglow in Matte 002, I recently talked you through. This combination of three make up products has been a favorite of mine this holiday, and will for sure stay one for the whole Summer. The goal for me is to protect my skin from sun damages, but also to look good and healthy, glowy, without too many efforts nor products. I think I have finally found the perfect recipe to achieve that. 

I hope my care and makeup routine will inspire you!

xo

Amy

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A Sunny Mood

Summer holidays are always a good time to relax, to enjoy, simply to take the time. This past year has not been the easiest one for me, and I had to go through many issues and stages. And although I learnt a lot about life and myself, I also had some hard times, I am happy are behind now. This Summer won't be the easiest neither. The upcoming year will be a harsh one for me. I won't go back to Amsterdam, while my boyfriend will be there; I won't be attending any university, and my blog will be my only focus; I will move back home and have to deal with my personal issues. This year promises to be hard, especially concerning my personal issues. I want to get rid of my anxieties, and this will be a major stage to go through. 

However, this Summer, I want to say positive. The sun is shining, the lake is beautiful, I just got back from my first holiday, and I have many other plans to come. With anxiety, to enjoy can be hard, however I want to try my best, to enjoy as much as I can. I am happy to say that I am feeling better, and am ready to improve myself. This Summer will be a good one, and I hope the rest of my days would be as positive as this one. Above that, I wish the same to all of you, a nice Summer, but also a careless and happy life.

xo

Amy

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Holiday Suitcase

In less than a week, I am going away for a five days holiday in Northern Italy and Italian Switzerland, by the Lake Major. Hence, I have to start packing, and thought it was a good idea to share with you what I will pack to go. I will not list you everything, since most of the items I'll pack would have been already mentioned in earlier articles, however I will talk you through the content of my suitcase. 

Fashion wise, my Summer Capsule Wardrobe will be packed away with me. My gingham trouser will be one of my essential, the perfect evening piece for a stroll along the lake, once the sun would have set. With that, I will obviously pack several tops, and many from my collection of white tee-shirts, with a details such as this Mango one I have ordered few days ago. The coton material and the light colored fabric will be perfect to survive under this Southern sun. Yet during the hottest day, my new favorite sundress will be the prefect ally, to let my body breath while staying stylish. Linen shorts and denim skirts will also be needed, to add with any top, such as this Free People bohemian top, now on sale! Last but not least, a bikini. This year, I went for a stripy number, with a rather flattering shape, that I am sure to love bathing in when by the lake!

Accessory wise, my beloved woven bags and beach basket will obviously come with me, as, I have realized, I cannot leave without them this Summer. My straw hat will also be needed to protect my face from the agressive July sun, and on the beach, I won't bring my heavy coton towel, but a fouta, a very light weight and easy to dry thin towel, a traditional Tunisian piece that I love to use for its practicality. Last but not least, a my pair of sunglasses, that I got in Amsterdam few years ago from Komono, and obviously my Zara slides and Superga sneakers. 

Apart from fashion, I will bring in my suitcase a notebook, where I will, everyday, write about my feelings, adventures, and impressions during those holidays - a post will also be up by August! A guide book can also always be useful, even though we love to get lost. My camera will also be here, to immortalize the most beautiful landscapes. Finally, a good read, certainly one of the few I have listed in my Summer reads, that you can find here. Concerning my vanity case, an another article about my Summer makeup look will be online in a week or so!

Now that my suitcase is ready, I cannot wait to leave and enjoy a beautiful holiday!

xo

Amy

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Superga: the Summer Sneaker

I recently told you about my Summer love for slide shoes. However, I also told you that I was a real sneakers girl, and I could not live without them. This is also accurate for Summer, even though sometimes this type of shoes are hard to stand in the heat. Nevertheless, when I'll go on holiday in Italy and in Spain - really soon! Keep your eyes pealed for some city guides! - I will walk all day, be the perfect tourist, and spend a lot of time standing on my explorers' feet. Hence the utility of a good pair of sneakers. And my perfect ones are the Superga. 

This Italian brand has been a favorite of mine for several years already, but every Winter I forget about them to fall in love again during Spring. This style of shoes is extremely versatile, and can go with my beloved gingham trousers, a pair of jeans, denim or tailored shorts, and even dresses and skirts of every length. There is no limit to the possibilities of associations. But more than their amazing style, those shoes are also the comfiest. I wear mine barefoot and I never had any blister or pain. Their fabric composition also makes out of them breathable numbers, sneakers that won't keep your feet from living their comfy life. 

In other words, the Superga is a comfy chameleon shoe, a little number that you must have in your wardrobe!

xo

Amy

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Le Musée Yves Saint Laurent, Paris

Fashion museums are becoming more and more popular and more and more numerous. The universe of fashion has always fascinated, and interested, no matter the gender or the age. Fashion makes us dream. And figures such as Yves Saint Laurent only participated in the construction of this myth. Hence why, as a fashion lover, I am also loving the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, in Paris. 

This museum is more than a space to show the French designer's models and methods, it is he orignal spot where he built his brand, the apartment where he got inspired, met his clients, designed his dresses. We then have the chance to see the fabrics, the tables where he cut them, the drawings hang on the walls, here to guid every of his employees gestures. More than simply showing the public Saint Laurent's atelier, this museum perfectly matches the dreams of all fashion lovers. The Parisian style, in this Haussmanian apartment, only nourishes this ideal we have of the fashion sphere. The dream meets the reality. More than a museum, it is an open door to the wonderful universe of Monsieur Yves Saint Laurent, na the Parisian haute couture world. A museum you won't forget, and that will leave you with sparkles in the eyes and dreams on your mind.

xo

Amy

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