Books Reviews: 'The Enchanted April' & 'A Room With a View'

This Summer I have been a real book worm. I read a heavy lot of books, I don't know why, I just enjoyed doing that outside in the nice weather while eating snacks, and I felt in a reading mood. Since I have started my studies in Amsterdam I really want to spend more time reading, to discover new authors, new books, to tell those amazing stories that I read to my friends, to recommend books, to lend them, to talk about them insatiably. I read a good bunch of novels this past year, and I shared a lot with you, but after all of the amazing reads I had this Summer it was hard for me to pick up only one for today's review, that is why I am here presenting you two of my favorite novels of this Summer, both related to the same topic in a sense, being happiness. 

The first book I want to talk about is The Enchanted April by Elizabeth van Arnim. This is for sure a classic of the British literature, and while reading it I instantly understood why. The story takes place in the 1920s England, four women, all of them terribly sad with the life they are living, and willing to breath in some fresh air, decide to go together to Italy, renting a house, even though they don't know each others. They leave their husbands, families and friends behind them and head there for a month, some willing to make the most of Italy, some others only willing to be by themselves in this peaceful and beautiful place surrounded by wisterias. The plot of this book looks really flat, and let me say that there is not a lot of action in here, but it is definitely not the aim of the author. This book is about happiness. How you loose it and how you can get it back just by simple things you can do in life. This book was beautiful in the sense that it does give hope, delight, and spread happiness to the reader as well. To be the witness of those four women finding felicity again was definitely a unique experience. A classic, and now I do know why. 

The second book I picked up here is A Room With a View by E. M. Forster. This book is another one from the English classic literature, and treats of a rather similar subject as the precedent novel I presented. A Room With a View is a coming-of-age type of book, a young British girl goes to Italy - it seems to definitely be the place to go if you are British - and meet a young British gentleman. The story only takes place for half of the book in Italy, then everybody goes back to the UK, but it doesn't matter, in Italy the magic had enough time to happen, and happiness is at the key. Once again, a female character as the principal actor of this book goes to the promised South of Europe and discover happiness and love in a way she wouldn't have guessed. This story is all about embracing happiness and accepting things that come to you, going for your destiny almost. A Room With a View will put a smile on your face and hope in your heart. But what really does come out of this two novels is that happiness is to be found in Italy!

xo

Amy

Read more »

Blogger Style: Camila Coelho

If you want to get inspired, looking at only one model, only one style, won't be enough. At some point, your style will always stay the same and never will have the opportunity to evolve, and to change according to the occasion or your mood. I tend to present on here bloggers who have a different style, but who still belong to the same vibe, but I thought this time I will look in another direction and show you a selection of my favorite looks from a Brazilian blogger, Camila Coelho. 

This blogger is far from what I tend to get inspired from. She is girly, glamour, really feminine and not afraid to be sexy or to dress like a real woman, which is maybe an inspiration I tend to left on the side, myself feeling like a girl still. But Camila has a lot to learn us. She knows how to associate clothes and to look smart and feminine without going on the 'too girly' road. So here is a selection of my favorite looks of her, a mix of everything a woman should get inspired from.

Feminine & Glamorous

Chic & Elegant

Casual & Sophisticated

xo

Amy

Read more »

My Dreamt Apartment V

My quest for the perfect accommodation for my second year in Amsterdam let me dream again of beautiful places that we only see on Tumblr and never meet in real life. I dream of massive space, big places full of room for beautiful furnitures, pretty colors, bookshelves and art works. I dream of a flat that will be the perfect one to study, but also to create and let the imagination works. They are just dreams of course, but they help forget the ugly reality that takes place before my eyes. So here is my new dreamy place. 

xo

Amy

Read more »

Back to School

This time of the year is never the easiest for students. After a sunny Summer at home, relaxing, spending time with family and friends, forgetting all about university, it is hard to go back. Especially when university is far from home. Today, I went back to Amsterdam. I arrived few hours ago, and let me say that to come back was a really hard moment. The flight was depressing and the road from the station to the flat just too much. Yet I choose this life, going away for my studies, being far from home, being a little bit lost and depressed to leave was part of the deal I guess, even if I didn't think about it at first. Anyway, I can complain, but it won't change anything, tomorrow classes start again, a new and fresh year before me. 

My anxiety issues made it even harder to leave home. After a good start of Summer all of my stress came back and just before leaving, a week and a half ago, I had some really hard times. To leave home is of course a good way to fight those anxious thoughts, but still, home is always better when you don't feel good. This new year starts with a bitter taste then, a lot of stress with a pinch of sadness.  The other day I thought, in this universe my life doesn't mean anything, I am so little against all of it, yet it still feels hard, it stays complicated. Maybe to put things back in their place can help a little, maybe to remember what really does matter is a good way to fight of those feels. Let's try to think like that. Now time to go back to school. 

xo

Amy

Read more »

British Beauty: Bagsy

To love beauty and makeup is to always will to discover new things, and never stick to only one brand, one product. That is why when I saw this new stand in one of the shop I go for my makeup refuel, I decided to give a go to Bagsy Beauty, a British makeup brand. Sometimes I am disappointed with what I try, but not this time. This time, I fell in love with the two products that I bought first. There was the lemon lip balm and a lipstick, in the shade 'Happy Days', and those two products totally convinced me that this brand was worth it, and that I should definitely put my hand on more products. 

Some days after my first Bagsy purchase, I ran back to the store and bought the 'Wander Wand' stick, a concealing and illuminating duo, which is just an amazing product, a duo that works really well to at the same time hide what you don't want others to see, and highlight what you want people to see! The formulae feels really nice on the skin, and is rather long lasting.

I also bought the eyeshadow pencil in 'Caffeine Fix', perfect for my blue eyes, and really easy to apply and blur, another good formulae. If I had to pick up three favorites, I would for sure go for their  cream blush in 'Velvet Rose', their 'Wander Wand' stick I mentioned above, and the Rasperry lip balm, slightly tinted. 

This brand has got a really small range, but actually condenses everything that you need in your makeup bag, every essentials from the blush to the eyeliner and lipgloss. Behind their lovely packaging there is also a beautiful ethic, all of their products are cruelty free, which means that they are not tested on animals, something quite rare in the makeup industry and that we tend to forget about. Pretty, efficient and conscious, what else could a beauty addict ask for?

xo

Amy

Read more »