s.Oliver: Spring-Summer 2011

Looking at these new images from s.Oliver for the upcoming spring and summer makes me so happy. They have such a summery feeling that I just can't get out of my head. Why can't the good weather start now already?

I must admit that I wasn't a big s.Oliver fan, but the outfits I'm seeing here are worth making a trip to s.Oliver is you ask me.

What do you guys think? See anything you like?
Love,
Imelda

News From Rituals

I guess the die-hard Rituals fans (like myself) already noticed some new products in the shops. Don't worry if you didn't see these products yet, because I'll be showing them to you today.

The first in line is the 'Eau d'Hammam'. This is a light body perfume with the scent of fresh fig, which makes this a vitalising fragrance. According to Rituals the scent takes you to the summer evenings in the Far East. It's designed to give your skin a refreshing feeling.

Of course I've already tried this body perfume, but unfortunately the scent isn't really my cup of tea. I'm more into the Cherry Blossom body perfume. If you're a fan of the Hammam line I'm really advising you to go and check out the Eau d'Hammam, I'm sure you'll love it.

Another product that I like are the frangrance sticks by Rituals. I always have one of these in my living room, because I simply love the delicate scent they spread.
Rituals now has 7 frangrances to choose from, the newest being Vanilla Orchid. This woody yet at the same time floral scent takes away tensions and calms your mind. In combination with myrrh (a classic in the Arabic world) this calming and elegant scent has a relaxing effect on your senses.
Sounds very promissing if you ask me.

Did you already try one of these products?
Love,
Imelda

I ♥ Buying New Things

Last tuesday I went shopping in Brussels. Those who follow me on twitter already read that I've had a good day and I came home with a few great buys. Funny, last week I was claiming that I hardly find great things during the sales period and now things have totally changed. 

Oh and please forgive me for the pictures that don't look too good. I've been trying to make pictures all day, but I just don't seem to have any luck today!

This loose dark blue t-shirt is from COS. Sometimes I want to buy everything at COS and sometimes I just leave the store disappointed. I was lukcy this time and found 2 pieces, both at 70% off!

I think this piece is great for summer, since it's so loose. I fell in love with the shoulder details.

This black longsleeved blouse is the second piece I bought at COS. I've been on a search for a dress/blouse with sleeves like this for a long time now. But the pieces I've tried before really didn't suit me and weren't as soft as this one.

I promise I'll show these 2 pieces in an outfitshot, since the pictures don't do them justice.

I finally bought myself a satchel bag! I've been wanting one for so so so long and I've finally found my match. It was available in black and brown. I choose the black one, because I simply have too many brown bags already. But I think I might end up getting the brown one aswell, since it was so cheap at New Look.

And last but not least, meet my new pair of boots I got at New Look. I was too late to buy the ones with the fur collar, but these are even better (since they have no fur and are suitable for more occasions).

Oh and I also ordered a similar pair in black. I'll show them on the blog when my sister gives them to me. Shoe-aholic, me?!

So I hope you guys enjoyed this post (even with these pictures). 

Do you guys like my new buys? Did you buy anything lately?

Love,

Imelda

Running Behind

I know you guys might not expect a runway look from FW 2010 on this blog right now (it's so last season, right?). But this Fendi silhouette makes me long for summer even more.

Everything about this look is perfect and I wouldn't mind having it all in my closet! Even the color combination is great. So I'll keep my eyes open for similar things on my next shopping trip.

And how about that hairdo? Too bad I'm not that good to make my hair look that stunning!

What do you guys think about this look? Do you see yourself walking around like this next summer?

Love,

Imelda

Source: style.com

Review: Lush Valentine's Day

Last thurday I already wrote about the limited edition products Lush has in stores right now for Valentine's Day. Today I'll be sharing my opinion with you guys about a few products that I've tested.

Love Birds Soap: This is a great soap, like all other soaps from Lush. The soap smelled different than I expected, I don't smell any vanilla and only a little hint of jasmin. I would discribe it more as the typical soap-scent we all know, but nonetheless a great smell. I'm keeping my soap in a soapdish and everytime I enter my bathroom I get welcomed by the delicious scent (love that)! And I must say that the smell of jasmin is getting stronger everything I use the soap.

I've only tried it to wash my hands, because I don't like the feeling I get when I wash my body with soapbars. The Love Birds Soap leaves my hands hydrated and smelling really good!

The Frog Prince Bath Ballistic: At first I was feeling a bit skeptical about my frog prince. The fragrance of jasmin, neroli and rosewood was very overpowering when I took the bath ballistic out of his packaging. But everything to give my opinion on this blog, so I bravely took it to the bathroom. 

When I placed him in the water the smell became less powerfull and pleasant. And my skin was feeling so soft, so I would really recommend this bath ballistic if you enjoy relaxing in your tub and love soft skin.

Here you can see my frog bubbling in the water. The water in the tub turned out bright green, very funny. Don't you just feel like kissing those red lips? In the left you can also see my prince charming turning up, it was prince Brahim.

That's something I really like about these Lush products. They're not the typical Valentine's Day products but have more funny approach. I guess we all love things that make us smile!

It's Raining Men Shower Gel: If there is anything that everybody should buy from this collection, it's this shower gel. I'm in love (so I guess that's why this shower gel is in the Valentine's Day collection)!

I've only used a little drop on my bath lily and the shower gel became very foamy. The scent of tropical flowers and honey fills your bathroom and leaves you smelling so good (I really couldn't stop smelling). Unfortunately I have very dry skin, so I had to use a bodylotion after my shower. Too bad they don't have a similar bodylotion in the collection.

Did you guys already try some of these products? What are your favorites?

Love,

Imelda

Gifts

It's already the end of january and I still haven't shown you guys the Christmas and New Year presents I received this year. So this calls for a post filled with lovely presents.

Before we get to the pictures I want to say that there are some things that I didn't photograph for the blog, like the facial I got from my parents, money and the ring I'm getting from my boyfriend. When I get my ring I'll show it here, I promise.

This gorgeous round box is a gift from my sister. Isn't it beautiful??! She always buys me the best gifts!

I really love the colors, the flowers (which are painted on) and the details on the lid. And it's very big, so it's perfect to put lots of my stuff in.

My sister also got me 2 little plates from Oil & Vinegar. So pretty and summery :) 

The cd 'Sur mes gardes' by Joyce Jonathan is a gift from my boyfriend. When I was in France last summer I really loved hearing her song 'Je ne sais pas' on the radio. When I got home I regretted me not buying her cd and I couldn't find it here in Belgium. So when he was in Paris he brought it home for me as an early Christmas present.

The boyfriend and I spended New Year's eve together with my sister & her boyfriend, my niece & her boyfriend and a friend in my niece her new house. It was a fun evening with delicous food, singstar and band hero games, ... and every year we have to buy a little gift for someone in the group. Our friend Jolien had to buy me a gift and she gave me an Ayurveda giftset from Rituals. And you guys know I'm a Rituals lover, so she couldn't have picked a better gift. The box contained Himalaya Clay, Yogi Flow Foaming Shower Gel, Brilliant Bliss Shampoo and Honey Touch Body Cream. Smells so good!

At the end of december I entered the giveaway at Eva's Beautyblog for the first anniversary of her blog. I really wanted to win the Ayurveda giftbox she was giving away (I'm an addict!) and it turned out I was the happy winner. Ok, technically this isn't a Christmas present, but for me it is :)

This box contained Himalaya Clay, Shanti Shower Gel and Honey Touch Body Cream. Thanks again Eva for the great giveaway!

What a coincidence that I won this box and a friend gave me almost the same box as a gift, don't you think?

To end this long post I'm posting this video, it's one of my favorite songs from my Joyce Jonathan cd: 'Pas besoin de toi'. Hope you enjoy it!

Do you guys like all the things I got? What did you get for Christmas?

Love, 

Imelda

New Pants

It doesn't happen that often that I buy some new pants, but last weekend I did buy some very cool pants at H&M. 

The boyfriend and I were on a search for a new coat for him. When we were at H&M I just had to look at all the things on sale and I saw these pants that I've been wanting for some time. I just never felt like trying them on or I needed my money for other things. Now they were only 10 euros and I knew I would regret it if I didn't take them home with me. 

This is actually the first piece of clothing I bought during this sales period. I'm going shopping next week, so I might end up with some more discounted pieces. Although I usually buy pieces from the new collection instead.

And I promise that an outfitshot will follow soon!

Do you guys like my new pants?
Love,
Imelda

Lush Valentine's Day

I have to admit that my boyfriend and I don't participate with all the Valentine's Day craziness. However, that doesn't mean that I can't treat myself with these new and limited edition Lush products.

I'm sure that, after reading this post, you'll be wanting all these products (gifted by your lover or by yourself).

New products

It's Raining Men Shower Gel: A devine showergel with the smell of Lush's best selling soap 'Honey I Washed The Kids'. When you wash yourself with this luxurious honey and tropical flower gel you'll smell like a delicious crème brûlée and your skin will be extremely soft.

Love Birds Soap: This soap is a creamy cake of jasmin and vanilla loveliness that everyone should try without hesitation. Scented with our sweet 'Keep It Fluffy' perfume. Makes your skin soft and hydrated, and delicately perfumed.

The Frog Prince Bath Ballistic: Kiss this cute frog on his bright red lips, drop him in the tub and wait for your prince to reveal himself (or in this case one of the employees from the Lush factory). Fills your bathroom with the fragrance of jasmine, neroli and rosewood.

Back again this year

Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar: the magic mushroom has 2 distinct scents. In the red cap, there's the nostalgic fragrance of our 'Yummy Yummy Yummy shower gel'. In the white bit, we've use our signature creamy vanilla scent. Together, it blends to give you bubbles that smell like a bowl of fresh strawberries covered in cream.

Ex Factor Bath Ballistic: A cute little guy for everyone who's feeling blue on Valentine's Day. In a warm tub he dissolves into a cloud of ylang ylang and vanilla scent and he gives you his pink candy heart. In this mix of essential oils you might recognize our 'Butterbal Bath Ballistic'. It will leave you relaxed and happy, ready to meet someone else.

New Gift Boxes

P.S. I Love You: say what you've been meaning to say for ages and say it with Lush. This cute little present contains 4 of our most romantic products for your little love bird: Joy of Jelly Shower Jelly, Sex in the Shower Emotibomb, Love Birds Soap and Strawberry Feels Forever Massage Bar.

Be Mine: A sexy selection of 6 products to treat your loved ones with on Valentine's Day. Inspire someone to melt into a marshmallow bath and let it rain men (or women) in the shower. When you give your lover this reusable box, he'll know how much you love him. Contains: Melting Marshmellow Moment Bath Melt, The Frog Prince Bath Ballistic, It's Raining Men Shower Gel, Sex Bomb Bath Ballistic, Sugar Babe Sugar Scrub, Soft Coeur Massage Bar and Lush Perfume Stick.

Reviews will be posted next week, so stay tuned.

Do you guys buy Valentine's Day gifts? What would you like out of these Lush products?

Love, Imelda

Source: Lush

The Belle(s) Of The Ball

Olivia Wilde looked amazing last weekend at the Golden Globe Awards. This is actually the prettiest dress I've ever seen and one of the best red carpet looks too. I love that she kept her hair simple like that.

And here are the other dresses that made it to my list of favorites.

 Angelina Jolie

 Carrie Underwood

Scarlett Johansson

What do you guys think of these dresses? Did you like other outfits more?

Love,

Imelda

Pictures: Bloggin'Beauties

My Favorite Beauty Brands: Lush

I really hope you guys aren't getting tired of me posting about my favorite beauty brands, because I have another brand that I want to talk about today: Lush.

I have a feeling that this brand is already known by all of you. And I'm sure it's so popular because it's a very eco-conscious company with lovely products.

The first Lush shop opened the doors in 1994, but the team behind it was already working together since the 1970s. Today they have more than 500 shops around the world.

Why I love this company so much:

 * Lush doesn't use many machines to make the products, they prefer to let people do the job (to save energy).

 * Lush tries to use as less packaging as possible, so lot's of Lush products have no packaging at all. And the products that do need packaging are placed in packaging that is for 90% recycled.

 * The products are delivered to the shops directly from the factory. So there's no need for huge stocks and lot's of driving around.

 * Lush is a vegetarian company and more than 70% of the products are suited for vegans.

 * Of course Lush doesn't test their products or the ingredients on animals.

 * You can see who made your product (stickers with employees) and when. And of course there's an expiration date on the product.

 * When you buy the Charity Pot, 100% of the profit (except VAT) is donated to a charity concerning animal welfare.

I strongly advise you to check out the Lush website if you want to know more about this company. I've only picked out a few important things this company does, because I simply cannot copy the complete website on my blog (although, I wish I could).

Picking favorites is again out of the question, but I will say that I really like my Bubblegum Lipscrub, the Shampoobars and the Snow Fairy Showergel. Oh and expect some more news from Lush on this blog very soon.

Do you like Lush? What are your favorite products?

Love, Imelda

Source: Lush

Oh Boy!

I took lots of study breaks today, simply because being sick and studying literature isn't such a great combination. Lying on my couch and looking at all the beautiful pieces on sale at the net-a-porter online shop was a better thing to do.

When I stumbled upon these Isabel Marant Amely Suede & Leather Ankle Boots my heart skipped a beat. These are gorgeous (and 50% off). Too bad my size isn't avaible anymore...

What do you guys think of these shoes?

Love, Imelda

Source: net-a-porter

Shopping @ Rituals

I know this is another beauty related post today, but I just really want to share the things I bought on my last visit to the Rituals shop. I can tell you guys that I really love sales at Rituals. I guess we all do, right?

 I bought these 2 conditioners, both were discounted 50%.

* Shikakai Secret: a nourishing ultra-shine conditioner based on Indian Rose and Shikakai. This conditioner has a moisturising effect that ensure beautiful, healthy and shiny hair.

* It's A Wrap: an ultra-light conditioner for frizzy hair, leaving it smooth, nourished and shiny. Organic rice milk nourishes your hair, while cherry blossom provides a unique frangrance experience.

The handlotion was 50% discounted and the daycream was 30% off.

* Imagine Hand Lotion: Massage in this rich lotion to moisturise hands and keep them soft. Nourishing rice milk and allantoin leave hands silky soft, while cherry blossom provides a unique fragrance experience.

* Awareness Day Cream (Normal - Dry skin): This moisturising face treatment minimises fine lines and fatigue marks. Natural Venuceance stimulates the production of ceramides and restores your skin's moisture balance from the inside out.

I took the description of the products from the Rituals website, because I haven't tried these products just yet. But I'm so happy with my purchases that I really wanted to share them with you guys already. So expect some reviews coming up in the next months.

What do you guys think of my buys? Have you already tried one of these products?

Love, Imelda

Source: Rituals

My Favorite Beauty Brands: Rituals

Yet another brand to add to my list of favorites, my list just keeps on getter bigger.

I must admit that Rituals is one of my newest loves in beauty and honestly I really don't know why I've waited so long to buy some products by Rituals. Everytime I'm at a Rituals shop I have to make sure I don't leave with the entire store in my shoppingbag, because I really want everything they sell (and that's the truth).

"Rituals was founded in 2000 and they develop high quality products for body and soul. The Rituals philosophy is simple: happiness can be found in the smallest of things. It is our passion to transform your everyday routines into meaningful rituals.

All products are inspired by authentic Eastern rituals. Inspired by nature Rituals is designed for discerning customers who have high standards when it comes to personal care, and who also take a caring attitude towards others and the environment. At Rituals we only use natural, renewable and organic ingredients for our products; we use safe alternatives for anything nature cannot provide.

Rituals supports "Proefdiervrij", the Dutch Society for Replacement of Animal Testing. Our products are not tested on animals but instead are tested by enthusiastic human volunteers. Our full product line is suitable for vegetarians."

I'm not even going to try to pick my favorites, because I know this list would be endless. I can already tell you guys that I've done some sale shopping at the Rituals store here in Leuven. I'm not telling you guys anything just yet, but I'll post my buys later.

Oh and I'm very curious to try the Awareness line for facial care, I can't wait to try it out.

Do you guys like Rituals? What are your favorite Rituals products?

Love, Imelda

Source: Rituals

30/12/2010

As promised: the outfit I wore at my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary party. 

The party was so much fun and dinner was delicious. Although I was feeling sad that my dad couldn't be there.

It was lovely to see my grandparents so happy and I wish them so much more years to come!

Dress: Zara

Bolero: Mango (Barcelona)

Bracelet: H&M

Clutch: Vintage

Shoes: Mango (gift from boyfriend)

Too bad I don't have a picture from my grandparents. I know lots of people took pictures, so I'll ask around.
Do you guys like my outfit?
Love, Imelda

Good news, my dad phoned me this morning and he can finally come home from the hospital. I'm so happy!

Happy New Year

I wish all of my readers a very happy new year and may all your dreams come true!

I'm really sorry for my absence the past days! My dad got hospitalised a week ago, but everything is okay right now. I'm hoping that he'll be back home really soon.

I'll be back posting regularly tomorrow or wednesday.

Love, Imelda