Jewelry Wish List

I love a nice piece of jewelry. Especially gold vermeil, which is usually quite durable and reasonable prices. Here are a few rings and earrings I'm eyeing at the moment.

-Raemi Cleo ring

-Raemi Ellesa Earrings

-Anäu Isora ring

-Anaü Paris ring

-Good After Nine Melody ring

-Ana & Cha Marinette necklace

-Natkina Fine Rainbow silver ring

3 Holiday Drinks Recipes

There's nothing like warm, spicy (and alcoholic) drinks to make you feel cozy during the holiday season. Here are 3 recipes that will make you feel cheerful (and make your home smell amazing) in just a few minutes.

1) Mulled Wine:

-1 liter of red wine

-60 cl. of water

-120 g. of sugar

-1 orange

-1 star anise

-1 cinnamon stick

-3-4 cloves

-a pinch of nutmeg

Put everything a in large bot and boil for 15 to 20 minutes.

2) Hot Apple Cider:

-1.5 litter of apple cider

-5 cl. of maple syrup

-2 cinnamon sticks

-5 cloves

-The peel of 1 orange

-The peel of 1 lemon

-1 star anise

Put everything a in large bot and boil for 15 to 20 minutes.

3) Early Grey Hot Toddy 8recipe from a Coop magazine):

Serves 4 cups

-10 cl. of whisky

-5 cl. of lemon juice

-4 tbsp of maple syrup

-60 cl. of water

-Earl grey 

-4 cinnamon sticks

-4 lemon slices

Mix the whisky, maple syrup and lemon juice. Set aside.

Make the tea.

Divide the whisky mixture in the 4 cups and top with very hot tea (reheat it if necessary).

Stir with a cinnamon stick and and a slice of lemon to decorate the mug.

What is your favorite warm drink?

My Favorite Glitter Shadows

During the holidays, we want to look sparkly but are often too busy cooking or picking out the right outfit to mess around with loose glitter and glitter glue. Here are three liquid glitter that are super easy to use and will make you look  festive in no time.

- The Nyx Glitter Goals Liquid Eyeshadow will give you a more subtle sparkle with a colored base. I love the shades Polished Pin Up and Metropical. However, the Glitter Goals Cream formula (the one that comes in a pan) is just pure glitter in a sheer base. It comes in really pretty quads or a full palette. 

- The Stila Glitter and Glow Liquid Eyeshadow is an iconic product that comes in a lot of different shades. The glitter is contained in a tinted base. I have the shade Kitten Karma and I use it a lot.

- The Pixi Liquid Fairy Lights are also a great liquid glitter. The base is very pigmented so you can use it one its own or layer for extreme shine. I have the shade Bare Brilliance which is a nice silver glitter in a bronze base. So pretty!

What is your go-to eyeshadow during the holiday?

Christmas Workouts to Try

Exercising in winter can be so hard, but there's nothing wrong with adding a little Christmas cheer to your workouts to motivate yourself. Here are 3 Christmas workouts and a 7 days holiday pilates challenge to try! 

- Moving Mango 7 days pilates challenge for the holidays

- Lucile Woodward Christmas workout

- MadFit Christmas dance workout

- Blogilates Christmas cardio workout

My Tartan Wish List A.K.A My I'm-living-my-best-life-in-a-scottish-castle Dream Wardrobe

Tartan is the pattern that seems most festive to me. However, I own very little tartan clothing. Here are a few pieces that I wouldn't mind adding to my winter wardrobe.

• A dress: As seen on the amazing Rach Martino, this red tartan dress is a holiday dream. Unfortunately, the website that sells it doesn't ship worldwide. 
• A headband to channel my inner Blair Waldorf. This Monki one looks nice.
• A tartan coat can look so chic. This J. Crew number is on my list.
• A suit: nothing says Christmas Fever like a tartan suit. J. Crew release one every year and I'm tempted.
• Pants: J. Crew are just killing it with tartan this year! I'm eyeing these pants that I also saw on Rach Martino (She's the queen of tartan!)
• Heels: These are so cute. I'll let you guess where they're from. ;-)

So I'm basically going to spend the next few weeks on the J. Crew site waiting for a sale! And I'm also going to watch A Castle for Christmas on repeat! BRB

Festive Drugstore Red Lips

The festive season is upon us and with it come parties and family gatherings. At Christmas, I feel like nothing complements an outfit better than a red lip. Whether it a sparkly dress, a satin blouse or a suit, put on bit of gold on the eyes and a bold lip and you're good to go. Plus, if you've spent all your money on gifts and you don't have much left to spend on makeup, here are five drugstore lipsticks that will get you feeling extra glamorous without breaking the bank.

Nyx Powder Puff Lippie in Group Love:

A powder texture for velvety lips. I love this formula because you get the effect of a liquid lipstick, but it's actually easy to touch up. Group Love is a blue toned red, so perfect for Christmas parties.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Red-volution:

A moussy, buildable formula that can be applied sheer or layered for more intensity.

L'Oréal Rouge Signature in I am worth it:

A true liquid lipstick (almost like a lip stain). The texture is very thin and easy to reapply. 

L'Oréal Color Riche Matte in Julianne's Red:

I'm not sure this shade is available anymore, the the Color Riche matte range offers several shades of red in a long lasting matte formula (I think Scarlett silhouette looks quite similar).

Maybelline Superstar Matte Ink in Pioneer:

These liquid lipsticks are super long lasting, so great for a party. I would recommend using a lip liner to define the shape of your lips before applying as the product dries quite quickly.

My Christmas Reading List

My love for Christmas and my love for books collide at this time of the year and I find myself reading nothing but Christmas themed stories. Here is my selection:

 

Books I loved:

The 12 Days of Dash & Lily by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

I loved the Netflix show and was so happy to discover it was actually adapted from the first volume of a trilogy written by David Levithan (one of my favorite authors) and Rachel Cohn. I haven’t read the first volume, since have just rewatched the series (twice!) and was afraid it might just be too similar (I’m saving it for next year), so I read the second volume The 12 Days of Dash & Lily and I really enjoyed it. Dash and Lily are such a cute couple and the New York at Christmas setting is so inviting!

 

A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig

Nobody does Christmas stories like Matt Haig. There’s adventure, courage, love and cuteness. Plus, his narratives are really inspiring. They always contain a sliver of hope to take with you as you close the book. I read A Boy Called Christmaslast year and loved it. It is now a movie that I’m dying to watch, but it seems like it’s not available in Switzerland. 

 

The Girl Who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig

The second volume in Matt Haig’s Christmas trilogy, The Girl Who Saved Christmas is the book I’m currently reading. So far it’s been a really comforting book to dive into at the end of a long day. I also love the illustrations by Chris Mould.

 

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

I tried to read it years ago but couldn’t finish it. I almost gave it away and I’m glad I didn’t since this time I finished it in just a couple of days. It’s composed of three short stories that are all set in the same town and I later discovered that it was adapted on screen by Netflix (I much preferred the book though). A nice and entertaining festive read.

 

 

On my to-read list:

 

One day in December by Josie Silver

I think this was selected for Reese Witherspoon’s book club so I have big expectations for it. I love a nice romance, so we’ll see how this one goes.

 

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss

It says on the cover that it is recommended for people who loved One Day in December so, again, my expectations are high. :-)

 

Letters from Father Christmas by J. R. R. Tolkien

I love Tolkien so I had to pick this up. It’s a series of letters and stories that Tolkien sent to his children as Father Christmas. The letters contain stories of the North Pole and tell the adventures of Father Christmas and his helpers.

What's on your reading list? Let me know!

My Coat Wish List

 

Winter is here and with it comes the urge to expand my coat collection. Here are four numbers I'm eyeing right now.

This pink tartan one from J. Crew looks for festive and would be perfect for the holiday season. The price tag is pretty hefty, so I'm waiting for a sale or for my savings to go up. By the way, there are so many beautiful coats on their website right now!

The Make My Lemonade Octave coat has been on my wishlist since last year. I actually ordered it last winter but had to return it because it was way too big. It is made to be worn on top of chunky sweaters and cardigans and that it always a big struggle for me in colder months. I love wearing oversized knits but the sleeves don't fit in most of my coats. 

The frilly collar is what drew me to this Ba&sh coat. It's such a unique detail on a coat and would also make it a great holiday party coat. Add a sparkly dress, heels and a clutch and you're good to go.

I love patterned coats as they tend to add a nice touch to plain jeans and sweater looks (my uniform for work in Winer). This one from French brand Des Petits Hauts looks really cosy and it seems like the sleeves are wide enough to fit a big sweater underneath. I might order it if it gets discounted some day.

What is on your wishlist? I'd love to know!

My Favorite Christmas Movies

Watching Christmas films and decorating the flat are the only things keeping me afloat during the last few weeks of the year, where the lack of light and tight work deadlines go hand in hand to make you tired AF and on the verge of seasonal depression. Here are my favourite Christmas movies of all time (the ones that feel like a warm blanket):

 

1)  The Holiday: I fell in love with Nancy Meyers movie from my first viewing of the Parent Trap. The Holiday has all the Meyers essential, a heart-warming story, love, friendship, beautiful houses and a killer soundtrack. It’s by far my favourite movie to watch and rewatch during the holiday season.

2) Love Actually: The sheer perfection that is the cast, the intertwined stories, the soundtrack, Hugh Grant as Prime Minister (dancing to the Pointer Sisters), in love baby Thomas Sangster… Do I need to say more?

3)  The Beauty and the Beast 2: A childhood favourite that I actually watched more than the first film. I loved following Belle as she decorated the castle with her friends, looked for the perfect gift for the Beast and tried to make him love Christmas, despite his traumatic past.

4)  The Princess Switch: I’ve loved a good switch ever since I saw the Parent Trap back in 1998, but honestly, I think the only reason I watch it on repeat is Sam Palladio’s smile. There! I said it! All I want for Christmas is to go horse-riding, play piano, waltz in a gazebo and bake cookies with an oh so British prince!

5)  Dash & Lily: Another absolute favourite. I love this show so much I watched it twice last December and I’ve already rewatched it this year. This contains everything you need to escape your reality and daydream for a little while: Christmas in New York, a game of dares through the best places in the city, romance, literary references, notebooks, DIY Christmas clothes and accessories… Midori Francis is a fantastic Lily and I found it quite inspiring to see her get out there and face her fears, while learning to be proud of her quirks. I recently read that the show hadn’t been renewed for another season and I cannot understand why! 

6)  A Castle for Christmas: A recent discovery, A Castle for Christmas had me longing for a trip to the Scottish countryside (I’m also dreaming of owning a castle, but that’s far less likely to happen). Again, all the essentials are here: cozy interiors, an unlikely love story, walks/rides in the snow, friendship… It’s also a nice change to see “older” actors portraying the main characters. All in all, a great Christmas movie that is entertaining and not too mushy. 

My Christmas 2021 Bucket List

 

I love the Christmas season, but I often find myself caught up in work and before I know it's December 23rd and I've yet to do all the fun seasonal stuff. This year I started early and have been enjoying Christmas movies and music, as well as slowly decorating my flat since mid-November. 

Since there are 12 days left until Christmas, I'm also using the occasion to cross one item on my "21 things to do in 2021" list which is blog and post on IG more often. So there will be a new reel on my Instagram account and a new blog post here every day until December 24th.

We're starting off with my "Christmas Bucket List". I've already crossed a few things, like go ice skating, read Christmas books (reading list coming soon) and watch Christmas films. I have made mulled wine and hot apple cider, but I haven't attempted egg nog yet. Actually making egg nog and pudding has been on my to do list for years. Same with posting Christmas content. In other words, my free time in the next 12 days will consist mostly of baking, filming and editing!