My Essentials

Hi Babes, 

Sorry for being absent for a while but I haven't been feeling the *fashion vibe* for a while. I'm starting to 'recover' from this indifference and I will show you my essentials even when I'm totally 'out of everything fashion'.

Kitten Booties:  Even if I am slacking it, you will never see me in Uggs, sneakers (only holidays) or any other 'slumpy shoe'. I just pick up a sleek bootie with a walkable heel. These babes are from & Other Stories and I believe they give Givenchy & their likes a run for their money.

Primer for Foundation: I almost never face the world without 'tinted moisturizer', concealer or some foundation. That needs a primer and Laura Mercier makes a reasonable one.

Laura Mercier Brow Powder in Deep Blonde: Not always, but when I want to look stronger and more polished I add a natural but more defined brow. Otherwise I'd look like Lara Stone's uglier sister (-> no eyebrows, not that pretty and still Dutch).

Mirror Mirror: I never asked this question when younger so no wicked stepmother associations. But it's more when I drank coffee and I do not want to have 'extra dark shadows' around my mouth' etc.

Powder Foundation: I'm a bit of a snob  so I love to pick up my Givenchy powder foundation. It's a good powder foundation too for topping up on the road.

B.A.G: Yes, you know me...Even when totally 'out of it', I'd still have a good bag. It doesn't have to be expensive as this & Other Stories one was under $100. But it has to be a statement one.

Cream Blush: I am a blush-addict and I have more than 50! It's often 'youth potion' or it brings some life to your cheeks. This one is my Bobbi Brown Pale pink. A cream blush works differently and more natural than a powder.

Powder blush: I use a powder blush when I want a 'statement face' or a more 'make up' look: some people want to see you "made an effort" so it shows a bit more. This one is NARS Deep Throat, still natural but more visible with a heavier hand.

MAC Patina: This is such a classic eyeshadow: I think everyone has this neutral. I love it on days when I do not want to think too much about makeup, but still be polished.

Foundation Brush: I often skip the brushes/foam pads in foundation compacts and bring a professional brush along with me. This one is from Adesign and totally perfect for a flawless application. L♥ve it!

For the rest, I love to make fashionphotos again but this time my excuse is that I gained weight (3 kg)! I have been really healthy lately so I blame the excess of advocados blended in my umpteenth smoothies. I know there are more normal sized fashiongirls on the block but I don't like people to giggle and think "ahh, good...MlleWanderlust gained weight...!". Not everyone is so nice as the comments I get. Although I love most of my commenters a lot ♥♥

Friday's Instas

1. I'm such a typical Dutch, so another bouquet
2. More red lips for the holiday season
3. The umpteenth time of bra-shopping
4. Food: I eat...and good stuff too!
5. 'Fashion is instant language'
6. Diptyques: shopping for holiday presents
7. At the hairdresser's
8. My own tomato relish!
9. Wardrobe fitting of Hudson jeans

 December, I'm not sure if I like the month or not but it keeps you busy. 

I'm not too fond about the cold so I don't wanna make fashion-pics right now. Also, I need a photographer-cum-hairdresser to make me look as perfect as the rest of the fashion-posse on the blogs. Easy? I wish!

  ❄  

But I like the act of giving and receiving presents is fun too. And sparkly dresses, shoes and too much make-up  

❄ 

Vanity Friday: My Current Faves

1. I have owned the Clarisonic MIA for about 2 years: The motorized brush is aimed to prevent the face from ageing and diminishes the sizes of your pores. Nice.

2. My first Unearthed Cuff in monochrome Snakeskin.

3. Intelligent Nutrients Harmony Shampoo: I've lost my intelligence so I try to shampoo some new in my scalp again. I wish, but I prefer a natural shampoo as my scalp is sensitive and it's perfect for all those highlights that need softness.

4. Highlighter powder: this one is Goddess from Rouge Bunny Rouge. Or...Brush on, & I'm gonna channel my inner Giselle with my created (cough) 'natural' cheekbones.

5. Michell & Peach Shower Gel: I love fresh & natural scent when showering. This bottle is so minimalistically pretty as well.

6. Balenciaga obsession: this one is from last year's collection in Cassis.

7. YSL Belle de Jour wallet also from last year...Coins, lipstick & other tiny elements to tote around in my bag.

8. YSL Le Rouge Vernis. Longlasting lipcolour with a glow: perfect for plumping my smaller lips so I do not have to do those scary lipfillers (yikes)

9. Too many nailpolishes: my faves are from Essie and Dutch brand Herome

10. Armani Cosmetics Maestro Fusion Foundation: I like to look like I have really good skin instead of a foundation-face.

11. Prada Infusion de Tuberose. Tuberose looks like such a dainty, white flower. In fact it's quite heady and seductive. Prada perfumes make some excellent blends without going too expensive.

10 reasons I don't look like an old bat [yet]...

-Vanity talk-

MlleW old batt-iness dissected. Imagery: here

The thing about fashionblogging is that it sometimes makes me feel older because I actually am older than most of you. There are some women around of similar agegroup, but not that much. However, I probably do not look that old yet for European standards.

 1. Sunblock

My dear mum was all about [healthy] tan so she took me along to a tanning bed when younger, but NEVER do that. I think I would even look like 20-something if I hadn't, but a 'beach'-tanned look gave me some credits in highschool. Moreover, fake tan was really orange tango when I was 16 so faking was not the most believable option.
Deal is, I use high protection since my mid 20s and it shows when you compare me against my tantastic peers.

2. Smoke

None...I am that old that people were allowed to smoke in airplanes, so I co-smoked without smoking myself: I hated it ever since so that put me off for life.

3. Nice parents

You might think otherwise from the stories above, but mine were the hedonistic kind but they knew how to enjoy the moment between working really hard: better a shorter life fullfilled than a boring longer one! (So having fun keeps you young).

4. Stuff on my face:

"do not disturb: youth in progress"

I mean sheetmasks...And claymasks, and jelly masks...sometimes Venetian masks too.

5. Stuff off your face

Remove the makeup at night: if you still wanna keep up appearances: do it when he sleeps and do a "Bridesmaids" in the morning! But be honest at a certain time because he probably knew women before in their real appearance (If he didn't: how young is this dude??)

6. Working out:

Keeping the body tight makes you look younger and the cells get more oxygen so you look younger as well.

It has its limits: without good sleep I look like a frumpled bag, and not the cute Miu Miu matelasse.

In that case:

same h&m shorts as here| bikini: Havaianas for Oysho

Other bloggers have even better photoshop, but I am a bit too honest to go all enhanced.

Doing a Cousin It (aka hiding behind the hair) helps too:

Actually, I'm planning to write something about my insecurity about my face in a post called "women without faces".  I'm accepting mine somewhat lately, but it's not that I'm always happy about it.

7. Pizza

 "pizza on the beach"?

Actually I meant to say orgasms, but like they say "Just like pizza, there's no such thing as a bad orgasm". I got this debate on twitter if this saying was either orgasms or sex, and the dude answered both options were similar: That's the typical male response because women know the two aren't always included.

8. A silk Pillowcase:

I love a silk kimono to sleep in as well.

9. Dressing

Fashion: I don't like to dress up too old. Worse is to dress up too young so you actually look really old and midlife-crise-y. So the Romwe leggings are for running only, really!

I disagree upon some fashionrules: no leather jacket after 30? Geez, I got my first when I was 31! I think women of all ages can look amazing in leather jacket: Check Carine Roitfelt working hers or browse some of the Balenciaga versions on purseforum (here).

10. Food

All that Wheatgrass talk I did here, I still do that: I added Baobab powder, Udo's Choice oils and so much stuff I drink. Plus loads of water! I always need a toilet close to me.

all the stuff I have to drink...

I also eat ice cream and steak every now and then: Because Gwyneth might be chosen most beautiful woman by People's Magazine, but skipping meat hasn't really give her perfect dress-taste during last Met Ball:

Gwynneth dress was all the sugar she needed

So what have you skipped wearing [already] that you did earlier? And what do you consider too mature right now?

Vanity photobooth faces

So, am I the only one making weird faces in the mirror while I'm at my vanity feminitity routines?

 

top left: smoking the eyeliner? I do not think so.

top right: My previous boyfriends feared my teeth...I wonder why?

bottom left: tonging tonging the redhead into perfection

bottom right: Coy face after the hair-eyeliner-etcetcetc

Also, I tried the "white-wall-fashionblogger" thingy and it failed miserably:

graffiti tights & white wall? Meh, graffiti wall & white tights suits me better

left: could I look any snobbier? yes, I actually can.

right: could I look any moodier? Yes, I actually can.  

It works on others, but I need locations to make my outfits come alive...

Ps: I've been quite absent on a personal level on this blog. I'm not sure if I will continue, or start up a new blog where I can "be myself" a bit more. Or can I be myself on this blog? (<-not a retorical question)

"she's doesn't wear makeup"-makeup

 Clockwise: Diorskin Nude 023 ][ Bobbi Brown Cheekpot Cabo Coral (love it) ][ MAC lipgloss Nymphette ][ Christian Dior eyeshadows in Couture Gold ][ Guerlain Precious light rejuvinating Illuminator ][ On top: Chanel lip definer Rose Cuivre ][ Cinema secrets concealer palette in kit no 2 

(not featured: Benefit they're Real mascara and some Benefit Badgirl kohl pencil and some Anastasia Of Beverly Hills perfect brow powder in brunette to strenghten my natural blonde brows)

Stuff I put on my face to make people think I don't wear makeup.

Fashion Experimantalism vs Being (my boring) Self

 I think everybody has had some criticism in her/his life and one of the greatest myths that older people will tell you is "it will get better when you get older". Basically, it doesn't! but it will change into a more subtle form instead of your 4-year-old friend declaring bluntly to you "I don't like your lunchbox".

Being more mature (doesn't have to do with age, 'cause some oldies are still not mature at all)  will basically give you more grips into saying "I don't care about your opinion because I've tried the things you suggested 10 years ago and I didn't like it".

left: "is it a bird?..no, it's superman". Right: "hiya, I'm literally on the fence"

Clothes and Fashion-experimentalism:
I did left a lot for the blog...Wearing the most colourful stuff. But basically I prefer to dress up like right: still colourful but a bit more classic.

Hair and experimentation:
Left shows the wig I bought for the blog. Wonderfully red and a bob with heaps of volume. It looks cool, fashionable and fun, but I don't really think it suits me.
Right: 'boring' me with natural and longer hair. Yes, people have given me flack about my hair being too long (some people my age), not having highlights (I had blonde when twentysomething and disliked it at a certain moments), or not being cool-girl enough (cool girls-squad). But I just don't like chemicals in my hair and I don't think the bob on the left really suits me.

Being experimentational in fashion/hair is wonderful when being younger and also fab when being more mature and feeling like it. Finding your own style is something else and can bring out respect too.

At least, it should when the hair is taken care for and is clean and fresh.
As for fashion? It's clothes you can take on and off. But it has symbolism these days so we like to play with it, right?
As for bodies: I don't think an eating disorder is worth it when it's not your job (neither with models, btw, or actrices, but at least they get paid to work out in the gym and be totally obsessed with their looks).

Duh, I'm getting to floaty, guru-talk today....Must be the Yoga..."Namaste" :-D

Five Random Thingies about me

I'm not really new into this vanity thingy that I like to talk about myself. So I will answer myself some questions and I'll answer myself too.

re-veil?

1. Have you actually been veiled before?

I have been to Marrakeh, Morroco as a single female traveller a couple of years ago. There's a large French community in Marrakech that dresses up Western. However, I was alone so I went for a slouchy kaftan dress that reached my feet and I veiled my head as much as I can: hiding my redhead hair.  Only my eyes gave away I was Western (I've got really light eyes)  and they have sunglasses for that too. At least, I adjusted myself to the surroundings and wouldn't feel ok if I would walk around in my warmer-summer clothes I wear around here being alone.


2. Why does Rihanna grab her crotch and would you do that too in public (found here)?

Huh? I cannot tell that much about Rihanna but I have seen her life in Arnhem in 2010. It was an exhilirating experience and probably my most memorable concert to date. I even fainted and was carried to the first aid: unfortunately, the best place in front of the stage was a place I couldn't reach anymore. Lucky guess, Rihanna likes attention and is much about auto-erotism. It worked for Madonna and gives out a message of: "here I am and my (not going to type the C word)...". As for Rihanna, I loved her Rated R album which is both dark and gritty (e.g. G4L) as postive and sensual (e.g Rude Boy). Her latest album is, IMO, sexual only..and her voice is too edited to have that Rihanna imperfect uniqueness I used to love.
Would I do the crotch-grap in public: I don't need the attention as she does and I don't have any STD's that makes me reach for it her so I'll leave her alone in public.

3. Starsign:

Leo, female lions are the ones that do all the hunting of the pride...My birthday is up soon so I can add another "something" to my "thirty"-status.

4. Weirdest food you ever ate:

I visited my second grandma's village in Thailand close to Laos (my granddad got remarried) and some of the women were harvesting silk-worms. One gave me one to eat and she totally giggled afterwards: probably because that funny, blue-eyed tourist had no clue nobody in that area eats those things. Anyway, I have loved silk blouses a lot since then.

5. What means love to you?

Oh dear, should I really answer this one and in a couple of sentences? I was actually checking out some Louboutins lately because I don't have them yet and I think they are the standard of sensual shoes. So Christian L names his shoes in "not too original names"  (although I was quite shocked of how this name reminded me of an disorder). He has a Love-shoe and a Sex-Shoe: I was totally surprised that the Love-shoe was cheaper!

Brings me back to JLo's song "Love don't cost a thing", but we are still talking Louboutins so they'll cost!

Anyway, to link any personal symbolism to this: IMO you can walk the extra mile in the Love shoes and they still look sensual. The Sex shoes will give you more attention but you have to step out of them before you'll get blisters.

Yup, I'm one of those apocalyptic romantics: I know it's not going to happen in 2012 (neither apocalypse nor love) but I think it will happen.

Activity

The last snippest of photos that featured me were quite lazy daisy, but reality is that I'm an active chick and I bike around a lot.

I don't go for the conventional Dutch bike, but take the mountainbike when I need to work on my health and vanity. Yes vanity, my legs are the archilles heel of my body and seeing too many "good-legs-girls" in my blogroll gets me cycling for, somewhat, strong and healthy toned ones.

I always say I'm not a tomboy but it's more done by men than women around here. But my hips always give away I am a woman so nobody confuses me when cycling, even when I wear my funny pink cap.. The most famous mountainbikeress in our country is Marianne Vos. She's won several world titles as well and is studying at University: thus, multitalented.

The Travel 'Child'

I'm often the big-little-girl on holiday and somewhat skip the last bit of constricted adultness I have to fake in normal life. Ok ok, I have lots of travel experience from a young age so the dealing with travel papers and the likes are easy piecy for me. And about being connected to my inner child, I was quite a wise kid in the first place: it's good to be connected to your intuitive child every now and then

Anyway, I was blessed enough to fly to different places when being really young thanks to my wanderlust, bohemian parent. Most Dutch people would go to the South of France with the car as the Dutch thing to do, but my parents took me to Spain, Canary Island, Florida, Thailand and more before I even got to the age of 12.

Time to bring out the REALLY vintagy pictures (not with any filter)

The girl in the pink dress is tiny me. The picture is quite old because, blatantly (compared to my followers), I am quite old. I like the dress I'm wearing: my talented mum made me that! Even better, stylish little me is going on a holiday and that combines the two things I kept loving in my life: travel and cute clothes.