Coordinate: Get Your Geek On

Glasses : Claire's | Sweater : H&M | Pants : Zara | Sandals : Lamoda

Let's talk frankly today, fashion can be such a pain in the ass sometimes. The super tight dresses that you can hardly even breathe in and the Jeffrey Campbell Heels that, if you fall, you'll probably break your neck thanks to them. But who said fashion has to be only that?
It doesn't always have to be high and tight. I for myself decided that it can actually be so comfortable and casual, too, especially now as we're gradually moving closer to winter, this is honestly more of an indoors look but I did wear it out already, too. If the weather is too cold to wear Sandals, I just like to swap them with my trusty Nike Air sneakers. It's so simple, minimal and oh, the Mohair material of this H&M sweater is just sooo comfortable!
I loved the Glasses in addition to give me an overall geekier look - it's kinda of funny to play around with rather unusual accessories like that sometimes. 

This sweater had indeed made it to my top 3 favorite Sweaters the moment I had it!
It's a little baggy but as I'm a devoted fan of the oversized look anyways, I just had to fall in love with it. In fact, 2 of my 3 favorite sweaters are oversized & very casual, so I would say that this is probably my favorite style for sweaters, especially those thicker knits! :)

What is your favorite style for sweaters? 

xx ♡ Micky 

Perfection is OVERRATED

Perfectionism can be an amazing advantage but it can also be your downfall.

I used to want to be perfect. I used to look at celebrities and hate myself because I didn't look like them, because I wasn't as talented or simply because my life wasn't like theirs. 
I'm sure you can guess that I was very miserable. So miserable that it eventually ended up in an eating disorder that I'm still struggling with even today.
 
I won't go into long details, but I felt compelled to write this blog post as encouragement to anyone out there that might be feeling like they're not good enough. Too often do we pick ourselves apart and over criticize ourselves. Society has set its standards so high that they're pretty much unattainable.
 
Everyone has flaws. Those flaws are what help to add to our uniqueness. In fact, it's often that what we think our biggest flaw is, may be the thing that someone else really adores about us. That's why embracing them is important. Another important thing to realize is that not everyone's definition and interpretation of perfection is going to be the same. Which makes it even harder to be exactly that; perfect. 

I'm not saying that perfection is a bad thing. I just feel like instead of striving to be something that is pretty much impossible, we should strive to the best that we can be. Your most perfect self, if you want. People will probably disagree, but I think that striving for perfection in any aspect is basically setting ourselves up for failure. There are SO many people out there that are damn near to killing themselves to look like a distorted image of a celebrity that we see on TV. Kids getting bullied because they don't have the top name brand clothes or just don't fit into the other children's closed-minded idea of what's "normal".
 
At the end of the day, no one is perfect because perfection is an illusion. So if you feel like you need to be perfect, do it on your own terms. Be your own version of it. Not what someone else tells you it is. Be who you are. Own your flaws. Flaunt them. Don't apologize for being yourself. And don't ever be ashamed to be you because guess what? There's no one else on the planet that can do it better!

xx ♡ Micky 

Coordinate: Lavender & Night Out In Lace

Those two looks were basically my haul from YOINS - A super cool & cheap (!) online shop. I have to admit, I was really positively surprised when I received the package as the clothes really looked just like in the pictures! I love them.<3 The shipping took a while but it was definitely worth the wait!

So here's the looks: 

Lavender

Dress : YOINS

I actually really love this off-shoulder dress. I mean, I love stripes, I love dresses, I love simplicity, so what's not to love about this? Admittedly, it's not really suitable for the season but as I'm planning on going to Australia in December anyways this is definitely a piece that is gonna have a place in my luggage case! It just seems so great for a casual day out in the sunny Melbourne! :)

You can shop the dress here!

The rings are YOINS, too!

Night Out In Lace

Two piece : YOINS | Clutch Bag : YOINS 

If you'd ask me to pick a favourite, it would probably be this one. 

I just love how this look is so elegant and.. kinda sexy but in a classy way (..you get me, right?).

It's just the perfect look for a night out! I actually wore this outfit last Friday night and received more compliments than ever so that really convinced me for good. 

You can shop this look here!

What do you like to wear on a night out? :)

xx ♡ Micky 

Skin care with Coffee!

“What's a rainy daywithout some deliciouscoffee-flavoured loneliness?” ― Sanober Khan, Turquoise Silence

Coffee! Who doesn't love & rely on it as an energy-booster, especially on those gloomy autumn-mornings?! Be it a creamy chocolate-macchiato, a caramel cappuccino or a Starbucks pumpkin spiced latte - coffee is something many of us would count as an essential in their daily diets. 
But did you know that it can also have real positive effects on our skin?
Here's what good coffee can do for your beauty! 

#1 Fight those puffy eyes
if you apply coffee on the skin below your eyes this can significantly constrict the blood vessels hence reduce eye puffiness & swelling! Of course you can also use an actual skin creme containing caffeine for this. 

#2 Baby-smooth 
Caffeine exfoliates your skin, in fact, coffee grounds make the perfect peeling for your skin as they effectively remove dead skin cells and leave your skin feeling baby smooth! 
So instead of just throwing those old coffee grounds away, why not repurpose them? 

#3 Tight & Bright
Coffee is known as a diuretic and hence can used efficiently in the treatment or prevention of cellulite - combine coffee grounds with coconut oil for the best results! The dark grinds of coffee can also be used to brighten up your skin & make it look more vital! 

#4 Forever young! 
Okay.. maybe not forever. But the antioxidants contained in coffee are real fighters against free radicals, which are known to cause premature skin ageing (e.g. wrinkles, loss of skin elasticity, etc.). You'll find many day- & night-cremes containing caffeine but I personally prefer to apply the raw coffee grounds to my skin & follow this peeling with some coconut oil. It works real wonders! 

#5 So soothing
Coffee contains anti-inflammatory properties that can effectively reduce inflammation and redness on your skin. Using caffeine or products containing caffeine can significantly reduce the risk for - or even help you to prevent inflammation and redness. 

Coffee peelings are amazing! 

Who would have thought Coffee can actually be such a miracle-beauty weapon?! 
I for my part, am fairly certain I will rely on Coffee as far more than just a mood-maker in the future. :)

xx ♡ Micky

Coordinate: Marble Obsessions

Hat : Chanel | Blouse : Japan | Pants : River Island | Shoes : Lamoda | Bag : MK 

This is a rather elegant and, surprise surprise, monochrome look, probably most suitable for some mild autumn afternoons in the city.
I kinda fell in love with these pants so I've basically tried to make the whole outfit evolve around them, although I feel like I kinda failed in that mission, I just love how the cut of those pants gives me some 'curves' - finally it looks like I actually have hips *yay*! 
Also, I'm not sure if you've noticed but I started editing the backgrounds of my looks and I feel that, with each new look, my skills are slightly improving - it's still obvious that it's edited but I don't really actually mind that if I'm honest. I like the way this looks, it kind of reminds me of an editorial straight out of the Dazed-Magazine. 

Overall, I'm actually quite satisfied with the outcome of this look, although I feel like I'm way overusing this Michael Kors bag.. I really like the Michael Kors Designs but the quality is really not that good compared to brands of a similar or slightly higher price category such as Kate Spade or Tory Burch, so I decided to not buy MK-products in the future but rather invest a little more into a better product. 

On a personal level I'm finally getting the 'good vibes' and really started to get stuff done. 
The probably most exciting news are: I have successfully managed to book a work & travel trip to Melbourne, Australia! I'm so looking forward it, although it will be later in December, I'm finally getting to see a part of the world I've never been to before and I'm in the firm believe that it is going to be awesome.. Just hoping it won't be too hot as it will be enough of a climate shock for me to get from winterly Europe to summerly Australia ahah. 

Do you have any upcoming events that you are especially looking forward to?

xx ♡ Micky 

Breast cancer awareness month & #thinkpink

(No comments on my handwriting ok.. ^^;)

I thought about whether or not to write this post for quite a while if I'm honest but since October is officially breast cancer awareness month I finally managed to get myself together and write about this topic...
It is a topic that concerns us all since it can literally happen to all of us. One of the typical things that you live in awareness of but in the firm belief that it will never happen to you. You never think about it, blend it out until you wake up one day with a lump in your breast and get the fatal diagnose. 

Breast cancer is in fact one of the most common types of cancer with more than 3 million cases in the US alone! 
1 out of 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime and that is a scary high number! Out of the 220.000 women diagnosed with breast cancer in the US annually, more 40.000 will die of the consequences. 
And although this is something that, yes, majorly affects women, men can develop breast cancer as well so the sole fact that you're a male human being won't exclude you from the possibilities of getting this type of cancer. 
Cancer cells can literally develop out of nowhere and often without us even noticing it in the early stages so an early diagnose thanks to the right precaution can dramatically increase the chances of a successful treatment and your survival! That's why it's important that we, especially us women, check ourselves for potential symptoms of breast cancer once in a while. 
The most common symptoms of this type of cancer are: cancer-related-fatigue, swollen lymph-nodes, unexplained weight loss, discomfort in your breast, sore nipple and especially lumps in your breast so make sure you feel your breasts for potential lumps here and then. 
The best thing you can do to make sure you're fine are mammograms as they have been proven to reduce the number of deaths by 30-40% especially among women ages 40-70 so don't only make sure that you yourself aren't affected by breast cancer but also insure that your mom gets herself checked regularly, if she doesn't already do so, since the risks for older women to develop breast cancer are even higher. 

Having had a grandmother who fought breast cancer half her life, I really can't emphasise how important this precaution is, especially as we get older. We only have this one body and probably only this one life, so we should make sure we get to see it all.  Don't give cancer a chance!

xx ♡ Micky 

P.S. find out more about this matter here.

Daily skin care routine

So Angelina from Angelina-Is just recently 'inspired' me to do this post on my daily (but admittedly not actually so daily) skin care routine because she thinks my skin is so nice (*≧∀≦*).
To be fair, I was always one of the lucky ones that didn't ever actually have pimples or even acne. Well, I had to be spared from at least one of the 'horrible'-genes.. but I still do take good care of my skin in the hope of keeping it radiant and youthful at least until I reach my thirties.
So here's the things I do, maybe not all of them daily but each of them at least once a week, to keep my skin smooth & clean:

#1 Makeup removal
This is SO important if you wanna keep your skin healthy and clean, did you notice the emphasis on the 'so'? But seriously, makeup, mainly foundation can clog your pores and prevent your skin from breathing. This can make it very easy for skin-impurities like blackheads or pimples to develop. It can dry out your skin and mess up it's sebum-production which can make your skin more oily especially around the T-zone.
Just one more reason to not wear foundation at all for me but if you can't resist, make sure to not only remove your foundation but also to remove it properly! Pay attention when you buy a makeup remover. Does it contain any chemicals or strong substances such as alcohol? Does it fit to your skin type (eg. don't use make-up remover for dry skin if your skin is oily)?
As a person with a mix-skin (oily and dry parts), I have found any oil-free make-up remover to go quite well with my skin but most of all I love the Estée Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover.

#2 Peelings & Masks
This is important to deep-clean your skin and refreshen the blood circulation to keep it look bright and youthful. Make sure though, that you find a good balance to use these products, don't use them too often since they can also irritate and dry out your skin. I do a peeling followed by a face mask once week only and I've found that to be enough for me personally.
My favourite products to use for this are the peeling by Clean & Clear Morning Energy Scrub, Neutrogena Visibly Clear Mask and the Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Daily Cleansing Gel
My favourite masks are those of My Beauty Diary - an asian brand which I really started to love thanks to those refreshing & convenient facial masks <3 

#3 Facial Water
You just gotta love that refreshing feeling of a cool, disinfecting facial water right before you go to bed. It's the best first measure you can take for your skin to stay clean and bright. I use the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Anti Blackhead facial water. 
You might have noticed I really love Neutrogena products but that is certainly for a reason, they are my number 1 trusted brand for face-cleansing products since they literally never failed to deliver what they promised! ;)

#4 Cremes & Moisturisers
Surprisingly the only product I really constantly use for moisturising is the good old, classic: Nivea Creme, it's one of the very few skin care products that I'm using since my childhood and it never, not even once, let me down. I've also been brave here a few weeks ago and decided to try out a new facial creme by Olaz which has turned out to be surprisingly good whenever you want an even softer touch to your skin. 

So that's pretty much all the products I usually use for my facial skin care. I know they appear to be a lot but considering that I really only use about 50% of them on an actual daily basis it really does appear to be more than it is. 

"Take care that the face that looks out from the mirror in the morning is a pleasant face. You may not see it again during the day, but others will."

xx ♡ Micky 

FALL for me

Jumper : H&M Studio | Overalls : Japan | Shoes : Jeffrey Campbell

Here's my latest, autumn-inspired look featuring a gorgeous H&M Studio sweater and a denim overall. I was really positively surprised by this season's Studio collection of H&M, the quality of the fabrics and the edginess of some of the designs were so atypical compared to the usual H&M mainstream stuff. I definitely don't regret checking this collection out because I actually managed to find and buy what might become one of my favourite autumn/winter sweaters ever there! The warm colours, the oversized cut and the cozy wool material just makes this jumper so comfortable, no matter if you wear it as a pullover or directly on your skin. It keeps you warm while looking stylish, and honestly, what more could you ask for in a piece of clothing?

Ring : Antique-shop | Bag : Tory Burch

I'm actually still trying to figure out whether double buns suit me or not but I thought they'd definitely look cute with this look so 'why not?'
Anyways, sorry for the 'perfect sweater'-rave on here but you just gotta love this cozy jumper, I'm so happy I've found it! <3

How important is the perfect autumn sweater for you?

xx ♡ Micky