SickChick: December 2014

Wednesday, 31 December 2014

Resolutions TAG 2015!

Hello my lovelies,
I hope you're enjoying the last day of 2014. Can't wait for the fireworks to start tonight and the champagne bottles to pop.
Last year I did the Resolutions TAG, so why not do it this year again?

1. Name 3 things you did this year you're proud of.

First of all I'm proud of finishing high school and earning my VWO-diploma. Because of my CFS this was something nearly impossible for me, but I managed to do it, so I'm very proud of myself for surprising everyone, including myself, and showing I could do this.
Another thing I'm proud of is deciding to finsih this year of my eduction to become a primary school teacher, even though I won't get enough points to continue next year. Because of my CFS I can't fulfill my internship, which means I have to stop and do a different education next year. I could have said to stop right now, but I decided to continue, because I simply can't do nothing for half a year. I'm thinking about studying speech-language pathology next year, but I'm not complety sure yet.
I find the third thing quite hard to think of. I'm happy I moved out and really enjoy my life in my appartment with my two flatmates, but it's not something I would say I'm proud of.
I think I'm proud for accepting the fact I need help from someone proffesional with my CFS, because I find it gets worse in stressfull periods. I would love to learn how to chill and relax and not be snappy and annoying in stressfull periods. Next year I'm hoping I can see someone to help me with this. Admitting I need help is a pretty difficult thing for me, since I'm quite an independent person and want to do everything myself, solve every problem myself and finish every project myself.

2. Name one thing you wish you had done differently.

I wish I had admitted my health was going downhill earlier, because I get really snappy and annoying and unhappy when I feel sick, which is difficult not only for me, but especially for the people who are close to me. I hate being like this and hurting the people whom I love with nasty comments, so if I had rested earlier, I would have prevented this from happening.

3. What was your biggest highlight this year?

Moving out. I've been wanting to move out for so long. I love my parents and sister a lot. But having my own place and living in the city is just something I've been dreaming of for such a long time. I am so happy to have a beautiful room and nice and sweet flatmates, the rent might be a bit much, but it's definately worth it.

4. What was your favourite beauty product this year?

My Catrice Liquid Eyeliner in Dating Joe Black, which is funny, because last year my beauty resolution was to wear more eyeliner in 2014.
But I'm also in love with my L'Oréal Privée Lipsticks.

5. What was your least favourite beauty product this year?

I had to think really hard about this one. I remember buying a nude lipstick this year, tried it on after having it in my drawer for a month, and threw it away immediately after. It was way too light for me. Most nudes just don't suit me. I can't really remember which lipstick it was. I believe it was from Rimmel, but I may be wrong.

6. Who do you want to thank for being amazing this year?

My family and my boyfriend for sticking with me, even when I'm snappy and not myself. They are such good people.

7. What are the make up/beauty resolutions you have for next year?

Moisturise. Last couple of months I haven't been using moisturiser like I should, every morning and every night, more like 3 times a week. You can imagine my skin feels and looks like a desert.

8. What are your fashion resolutions for next year?

Don't spend so much money on clothes..... Oops.

9. What are your personal resolutions for next year?

I just really want to enjoy this year and hope to learn how to deal with stress.

10. Name one thing you want to check of your bucket list next year.

I would love to book a last minute this autumn, preferebly to Rome, but most places will be fine for me.

That's it. Tag done. Just like 2014. Hope you have an amazing 2015. May everything good happen to you. Enjoy the fireworks and champagne (but not too much) and feel free to do this tag if you like, because you're tagged.

PS Do you like my way over edited fire works picture? I got bored and let myself go.

~Xx

Thursday, 25 December 2014

Christmas TAG

Merry Christmas my loves.
My family has gone to bed and I'm not very sleepy yet, so I thought I'd kill some time and do the Christmas TAG.
Before I start I'd just like to say that I don't celebrate Christmas with presents. In the Netherlands this is quite common since we celebrate Sinterklaas on the 5th of December, this is where we give eachother (or Sinterklaas gives us) loads of presents. Let's just say Sinterklaas is our Saint Nick.
Another reason is my family and I celebrate Christmas because of the birth of Jesus and my parents don't really like the idea of Santa or Father Christmas, because it has nothing to do with the orignal Christmas celebrations. I'm not saying anything with this, I just wanted to let you know how I celebrate Christmas, because it might influence the TAG a bit. We do have a Christmas tree and Christmas decorations and eat a delicious dinner with the family and play loads of boardgames. I don't mind people who give presents on Christmas day, and don't mind Saint Nick at all. It's just the way I've always celebrated Christmas. Personally I'm always interested in different cultures, so for those of you who share this interest, there you go (:
Let's start with the questions now.

1. What is your favourite Christmas movie?

This question is really funny, because two days ago I remembered a Christmas movie I loved as a kid. I didn't remember the name of it and we no longer have it because it was on a VCR. I searched the internet and found out it was called "Betoverende Kerstsprookjes". The english title is Christmas in Cartoontown. I just ordered it online and can't wait to watch it again after 10 years.

2. What are your favourite Christmas colours?

Deep dark red. Can't recist the classic.

3. Do you like to stay in your PJs or dress up for Christmas?

I start my day in PJs for brunch and after brunch I'd usually go and dress up. So both. But if I had to choose, I would pick dressing up for Christmas. Perfect excuse to make yourself look pretty and go all out with make up, hair and fashion.

4. If you could only buy one person a present this year, who would it be?

If I were to give presents for Christmas, but could only give them to one person it would probably be to my boyfriend, or my sister. And I would pick something small and personal.

5. Do you open your presents on Christmas eve or Christmas morning?

Not (:
But I would prefer to open presents in the evening, because you'll see the pile of Christmas presents under the tree the entire day and get all excited.

6. Have you ever built a gingerbread house?

Yes, and massively failed so just ate the entire thing before it was finished. Oops.

7. What do you like to do on your Christmas break?

Spend time with friends and family and have nice relaxing evenings in front of the fire in my PJs with a good hot chocolate. And go shopping, twice... Christmas outfit shopping and Christmas sale shopping. Can you tell I'm addicted to shopping?

8. Any Christmas wishes?

Snow! Or temperatures to drop so we can go ice skating on the canal in front of my parent's house.
Not both though, because it ruins the ice. So one at the time please (:

9. Favourite Chirstmas smell?

Burning wood in the fireplace and of course the Christmas tree. Better not combine the two, will probably smell amazing though.

10. Favourite Christmas meal or treat?

The desserts are the best part of Christmas dinner, so those. No matter how full I am from all the delicious foods, I can always add a dessert or two, three. Maybe five. Seven max.

And those were the questions and answers from the Christmas TAG.
Feel free to do this TAG as well. I'd love to see your answers.
For now, have a nice Christmas, eat loads of delicious foods and enjoy spending time with your loved ones.

~Xx

Wednesday, 24 December 2014

YT: Christmas Lookbook

Hello my loves.
I just wanted to let you know that I posted a video on YouTube containing some nice outfits you could wear for Christmas or New Year's Eve.
If you like you can give it a watch, and if you enjoy the video, please let me know.
I'm new to this whole YouTube thing, so if anyone has got any tips, they're welcome.
For now. Have an amazing Christmas my dears.

~Xx

Monday, 15 December 2014

Review: M.A.C Lipstick in Retro

Recently picked up this gorgeous lipstick. Isn't it just perfect for autumn and winter? This Mac Lipstick in Retro is a gorgeous teracotta/rusty red colour. It's not an in the face red, but almost a muted red, due to it's brown and peachy tones and pink undertones, making it perfect for every day wear.
It is one of Mac's satin formulas which means great and even pigmentation, non-drying on the lips and a semi-matte finish. It is creamy to apply and I would suggest using a lipliner. I picked up Mac's lip pencil in Chicory to go with this. It's just a tint lighter creating a soft gradient, ombre effect.
It is a lipstick not very popular in the blogging world, but it's my favourite. This colour will suit a lot of skintones and hair colours, so honestly, why not?

~Xx

Sunday, 14 December 2014

DIY: Cute Table Decorations made by my Sister

My sweet little sis made me these cute decorations for my room. I really loved them and they go perfect with the style of my room. Thanks sis!
They are really easy to make, in fact, I think it speaks for itself.
All you need is a pretty glass, a white rose and some dried transparant leaves, but you can of course change this to your own liking.
I just thought it was sweet of my sis to make these for me, and wanted to share this cute idea with you. I mean, don't these just look so pretty on my dressing table?
Happy Sunday.

~Xx

Saturday, 13 December 2014

SickTip #4

Source: Tumblr.com

With an illness like CFS it is important we listen to our bodies. They tell us what we can and what we can't do. Which is, to be honest, the most annoying thing to be told. So people tend to ignore it. Because we do not only have a body, we have a heart, a soul, a desire to fulfill our dreams and that's our health. It's the most important thing in our lives and we should keep it that way. Even though our bodies might tell us differently, we must fight to fulfill our dreams, because life will mean nothing if we don't try.
No matter how great any of this sounds, it's not easy. However, this doesn't mean it's impossible. When you're ill, mind and body are at war. They won't cooperate and want to take each other down. You alone can call for a cease fire and make the two work together. This takes time and a lot of practice, but you'll get there.
Being ill is difficult, the dreams you once had feel further away than they have ever felt. This might be true. Being sick and exhausted makes it more difficult, I'm not going to lie nor sugar coat it, but it will be hard, tough and you'll need help reaching your goals. You might not even reach them at all, but if we don't try, we'll never know. In the end, the journey makes us stonger, forms us into the person we were supposed to become, teaches us lessons essential in life. We, as people who are sick, need this, maybe even more than anyone else.
We should indeed listen to our bodies, rest when we need to, so we have a change to recover. But when our bodies allow us to travel one step closer to our dreams, we should take that step, even if there are thousands of steps more needed to reach our destination. So make it count. Good luck.

~Xx

Before following my advice read my Disclaimer

Friday, 12 December 2014

Dressing up for Christmas

1. HERE 2. HERE 3. HERE 4. HERE 5. HERE 6. HERE 7. HERE 8. HERE 9. HERE 10. HERE

Last minute online Christmas dress shopping has begun. Take your change and have a look. Above are some dresses available on Nelly.com which are perfect for a Christmas or a New Year's Eve party.

I love a classic red dress like number 8 for Christmas and number 5 is a gorgous two piece I would love to wear to a party.

Number 2 reminds me a lot of The Great Gatsby, which is my favourite movie. Which reminds me to buy the book to read in front of the fire with a mug of hot coco. Can't wait! Let me know which dress you will you be wearing.

~Xx

Monday, 8 December 2014

November Favourites

November is over and gone, but before we delve into the red lipsticks, winged liner and glittery eye shadows for this festive month we call December, I'm sharing with you the products I have been loving the previous month.

L - R: Julianne | Laetitia | Eva

Lately I have started wearing lipstick on a daily basis. So it is no surprise there are quite a lot of lipsticks in this monthly favourites. They're all from L'Oréal Paris and I've reviewed them on my blog, so you can read more about them in this and this post.

The lipstick on the left and right are from the L'Oréal Privee collection and are the most perfect nude lipsticks for every day wear, but when I wanted to go for something a bit more daring I picked the lipstick in the middle from L'Oréal's Exclusive collection, which is a gorgeous dark berry red.
These lipsticks last a good time on the lips and are moisturizing. I would advice however to wear a lipliner with Laetitia's Pure Red lipstick, to make it look flawless, because it's a bit tricky to apply.

L - R: 04 Sweet Cherry | 115 RedBlack

Other than lipstick I've also been loving this cream blush by Bourjois. It's a gorgeous colour for winter and because it's a cream blush it works well with my dry skin. I apply this using my finger and blend it out with my foundation brush for a natural effect. This product has a creamy formula but once applied it goes to powdery, which looks beautiful on the cheecks and makes you look like you've taken a walk outside.

Lastly I've got my current favourite nail polish which is dark (obviously). It's by Barry M in a gorgeous dark, almost black, red colour. I love wearing this in the winter and it goes with a lot of outfits. It takes 5 to 7 days for the nail polish to start chipping, which I find perfect.

Those are my favourites from November. Which products have you been liking? Let me know in the comments below.

~Xx

Sunday, 7 December 2014

Gift Idea for your Boyfriend

Hello lovelies.

I'm holding on to my uploading schedule quite well, if I say so myself.
Today is Sunday, which on this blog means a DIY post will pop up.

Since Christmas is getting closer I know some of you are stressing to find that perfect gift for your boyfriend. I don't celebrate Christmas with gifts, but 2 days ago I celebrated Sinterklaas with my family and boyfriend, which is were we give each other presents. I made him this little gift, and I think he loved it.

My boyfriend and I love travelling and have until now been on three trips. Paris, London and Germany where we visited Hamburg. I searched through my photographs of those travels and chose three I liked. I googled some nostalgic looking maps of those cities and combined the two playing with the transparency.

It's pretty simple if you've got some basic knowledge in photo editing, but even if you've never edited photo's before it will probably work out, it just might take a little longer.

I ended up with this result and thought it looked really nice, which made me want to share it with you guys.

What do you think of this DIY? Will you be doing this? Let me know in the comments below!

~Xx

Saturday, 6 December 2014

SickTip #3

Source: Wattpad.com

It's been to long since I did one of these, but like I said in my previous post, I wan't to change my uploading schedule drastically. Which means that from now on, every Saturday you'll find a new SickTip on my blog, calling this day SickTip Saturday.

Today I'll be talking about telling people how you feel. I know this has been a problem I struggled with a lot when I was ill. I always thought no one would understand how I felt, but how could I ever expect them to, if I din't even try to explain?

For a long time I walked around with feeling cropped up in my body. Making it feel like I had a massive weight on my shoulders. Every day the weight on my shoulders felt heavier and heavier, which made having CFS a lot harder. After probably a year I finally sat down and talked with my parents about every single thing, the big things but also the little things. I got to know how they felt and thought about everything and so did they about me. We probably talked for hours, but every minute the weight on my shoulders decreased. It felt so good to let those tears I've been holding back roll over my cheeks. That was also the moment I came to notice it was not only a hard time for me, but also for my parents. Never before I thought about how painful it must have been for them to see me so ill. It opened up my eyes.

What I want to tell with this story is: tell someone how you feel. Don't crop up your feelings like I did, and if you did, tell someone. Please do, because it's so important. Tell someone who's close to you, like your parents, brother or sister, good friend or boyfriend/girlfriend. It feels so good, trust me.

Even if you think they won't understand, the least thing you can do is try. Pleaso do, because it's so important.

Also, know you're not the only one. There are so many people on this earth feeling the same way you do. Wouldn't it be great if in some way, we could speak with each other. For now we can do this in the comment section, or feel free to email me if you want to have somebody to talk to.

I wish you all the strength you need.

~Xx

Before following my advice read my Disclaimer

Denim Chic

I've been wanting to change my uploading schedule, since it's pretty crappy.

I decided I want to put up at least 5 posts a week starting with Fashion Friday.

Even though it's Saturday right now, but yesterday my internet wouldn't allow me to post this for some reason.

I am loving this outfit right now. The combination of dark blue denim and chic black really works well. Especially combined with a pretty statement necklace and some high heels.

See you guys tomorrow with another post!

~Xx

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