Festive season - Hair inspiration

Hello!

It's incredible how fast the past few months have gone by, it's almost Christmas time again! What's not to love about the festive season: family gatherings, giving back to charity, presents (I'm not gonna lie!), loads of delicious food and all that good stuff. I love getting completely dressed up on Christmas eve and take some me-time while getting ready.

I've been looking around for hairstyles lately and I've picked my top 4 (good thing I have at least 5 parties to go to). Curious to find out? Keep on scrolling!

1. Bunpower

The bun is not only for ballerinas anymore, they're totally in trend and very versatile. Messy, with braids, on the very top of your head,...I love the way it looks in combination with a great dress and high heels, so sophisticated! Unfortunately I have very thin hair so I haven't been successful in creating a bun yet, but I keep on trying!

2. Curls, curls, curls! 

By far, my favourite style of all time. If I had a personal hairdresser, that would be my daily look. But my hair isn't a curl-fan, they won't stay in for longer than 4 hours, not even if a professional does it. It looks great when I just finished, but from the moment I get in the car it's ruined. I'll probably do another attempt anyway (I always do), but already mentally preparing for disappointment.

3. High Ponytail

 
NOT the Ariana Grande ponytail, that's too Disney-Channel-ish, but the above girls look so chique! A bit messy and wavy creates the perfect beach girl look, Blake Lively is a big fan and you can't get any more stylish and classy than her. I say, yay for ponytail!

4. Braids

I used to hate braids, they reminded me of Heidi in Tirol. The last few years however, the braid has made a comeback like never before. And it looks nothing like Heidi anymore! I would personally only braid a part of my hair, not everything (that's so limited).Apart from fancy as f*ck, it's also easy: you put it up and don't have to worry about your hair for the rest of the evening (so you can focus on the food), win-win situation!

What will your festive hairstyle be? One of the above, or something entirely different? Leave a comment below, I'm eager for more inspiration!

Xoxo

Good morning!

Every once in a while I fall in love with fashion looks I come across on the internet or in magazines. I'm not a follower of trends, my style has been pretty consistent over the years and I like that. I mostly get my inspiration from Pinterest where I scroll through amazing looks and get inspired.

The last few months I have been obsessing over one piece of clothing in particular: The Tutu Skirt. I'm a massive fan of tule, always have been, but apart from my wedding I never expected to wear it in daily life. Until I stumbled upon some amazing, sophisticated looks of women wearing tutus. With the right top and high heels, you get a statement look that guarantees heads turning.

The only problem is... I live in a small city where bold clothing choices are not really appreciated. I can already imagine the stupid ballerina jokes when going out in a tutu skirt. Luckily I do work in fashion and you can't really be overdressed in the office, so I could at least wear it to work. Have a look at the girls below looking like strong & confident .... princesses ;)

Living in Belgium is not an advantage when you want to hop on this special fashion items train. I couldn't find it in the highstreet shops and even webshops are a challenge. After a long search I found 2 beauties:

I prefer the Nelly.com one because it's a little shorter and more playful, with a long tulle skirt you are in risk of looking like a prima ballerina.

Which one do you prefer? Would you wear it?

Let me know! xoxo

Hello!

Christmas is slowly coming closer and so it's time to start buying gifts for your loved ones! Need some inspiration? Check out my ultimate Gift Guide for him and her below!

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Which Christmas gifts will you buy for the important people in your life? Leave it below!

Happy Shopping! xoxo

How to be more assertive (in the office)

Hi !

Looking at my professional career, I went from being a silent, shy mouse to a strong, independant collaegue in only 4 months. I'm in the world of digital marketing and when my manager left the company I had to go from executing assistant to full team manager practically instantly.

The great thing about this is, that I had to step out of my comfort zone and generate results. I became more expressive about my knowledge & opinion and finally had the chance to grow as a marketeer and as a person. Hence this article to share my experience and share some tips on becoming more assertive in the office.

1. Know your strengths, skills & expertise

After being in a company for a few years, you have gained a lot of knowledge in your area and you can make your own decisions based upon own experience. Make sure you know your field and keep on analyzing and learning to obtain relevant insights.Take tests to know what your strenghts are and where you need some extra training.

2. Make yourself an important and almost essential part of the team

You have to make sure that you have skills that are unique to the team. If you only execute tasks that everyone can do, you're replaceable and won't get the respect you want. If team members notice that the whole business machine gets disturbed when you're not in the office, it will quickly become clear that they have to keep you happy and then you can slowly start working towards a promotion/more responsibilities.

3. Express your thoughts & opinions, but do it respectfully

You have every right to say what you think, especially if you know what you're talking about. BUT, always make sure you maintain a respectful attitude and tone of voice. Don't shout, think about your body language and build your opinion: use numbers and argumentation to prove your point. Don't forget to do your research upfront and be fully prepared before going into a meeting.

4. Set your own calendar, set priorities and don't be afraid to say no

Time management is one of the most important skills to have. You have make up your own calendar, set your priorities, block time frames to complete tasks and you can't always help others. If you say "yes" to every single question, you will find yourself doing the annoying, time-absorbing jobs no one wants to do. You have your own job and don't be afraid to say no (again, respectfully) if you can't do something. Be transparent and tell the other person why you can't help: no time, you don't know how, it has nothing to do with your department,...

5. Ask, ask, ASK & be very clear and specific in your expectations

Your dream job will not be handed to you on a silver platter. You will have to work for it and, more importantly, ask for it. Directors and managers on high levels will not give you a promotion on their own initiative. When you have reached a certain level of expertise, you can inform your manager about your growing ambitions. Prepare a summary of the goals you have fulfilled, the results you have achieved and your personal growth into a professional role. Be very specific about what you want, "I want to grow in the company" is too broad and open for interpretation.

Make sure you're on the same level as your manager and listen to his/her opinion and tips. Maybe your observations are completely opposite and you have to try even harder. If this is the case, trust on your gut to make a decision, maybe you don't get the respect you deserve and it's simply time to go. Or you were a bit overconfident and have to face the reality, utilize your manager's advice and tips!

All the above can help, but is no guarantee to success, nothing really is. Don't lose your ambition and bring yourself down when you don't immediately get what you want. It's a tough world and the road to success is never easy. Just make sure that if you fall 100 times, you get up 101 times and keep on going!

I hope this was interesting and it can help all you officepeople to feel better in your role!

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Xoxo

Wanted for Fall/Winter

Ciao Bella!

Sad news from the weather lady on the news today: Summer is over. Not surprising if you think about how early it started, I remember sunny days in April! Even though I love the long summer nights and sunshine, I can't wait for Fall (and most importantly: winter!) to come along. I definitely prefer Fall shopping over Summer shopping, sweaters, coats, boots, scarves,... You have more items and choices to create your look! This post is about my must-have items for Fall/Winter, last year I almost didn't buy anything and that won't happen again!

Let's start with bags, when I was younger, I bought a new hand bag every week fro H&M, New Look, Primark,... At the moment I'm getting sick of the cheap purses that don't last long and look cheap. So the goal is to buy a decent, qualitative, durable, timeless, leather hand bag. A simple one that's not based on a trend but stays "in-fashion".

My eye has been set on the below Michael Kors for a while now. It's just so simple, yet gorgeous. Unfortunately this bag costs €395,95 and I'm not willing to pay that for an accessory... Maybe I'll change my mind later, but at the moment it would fysically hurt to spend 1/4 of my wage on a bag.. But I still love looking at it ;) 

The next option was this DKNY one, not that expensive, but still too much at €239,95. I do think you see that the bag is that expensive, the kind of leather, the details, the  craftmanship,...

So here's the one I'm probably gonna go for before I buy a "real" designer hand bag. This one's from Benetton, clearly a Michael Kors-copy, and is priced at €69,95. I love the shape and colour of it, but what's holding me back at the moment is the fact that it's not leather. However, I can't find another bag that I like (I searched the entire internet) so I'll probably see this as a good interim solution.

Over to shoes! I always, always have problems with heels: the little rubbers from the actual heel always wear off very quickly. I've had this issue with literally every heel I ever owned, even a €140 pair had to be fixed after 1.5 month. I don't know if it's just me, but I don't want to get every shoe fixed after a month, they at least have to last half a year... Hopefully, the shoes I picked below last longer, if you have a solution for this issue or know a brand that lasts very long, let me know!

The list for this season is not that long:

- Black leather ankle boots: Didn't find the perfect boots last year so the quest starts again! I'm loving the ones from 3 Suisses (only €59!), great detailing. However the Buffalo's (€99,95) look awesome too, clean and simple, I'm generally not a fan of too much extra additions. No zippers, studs, bows,... please!
- Brown boots (heels): Same issue, didn't find them last year. If I wear heels, they have to be high enough. I hate low heels, to me it's very black and white: Or you want to wear heels and it's 9cm or up, or you don't wear heels and it's flat. Nothing in between!  These from 3 Suisses (€159) would be perfect for work and they're in leather!

- Nude, patent leather pumps. I saw a lady wearing these 3 years ago and have been looking for the ultimate pair ever since. I've had a pair from H&M but lost the rubbers along the way (and H&M doesn't do reserve rubbers) so now it's time for the real deal! These Buffalo ones are €89,95, they're in leather and the height is perfect (soo sexy ;) )!

- Proper leather pumps in brown and/or black. I work in fashion and am at the office the whole day and easy, leather, classy pumps are a must to me, you can never go wrong with a beautiful pair of pumps. I'm in love with these Zara ones at only €59,95 but in serious dilemma about the colour! I tend to go for the brown, but black goes with everything and is an essential... Which one would you go for?

Over to actual clothing. I caught myself wearing a lot of "jeans+top+blazer" outfits lately. I've run out of dresses and the easiest and safest choice in the morning is bottom+top and go. I definitely want more dresses in my Fall wardrobe. I used to wear them all the time and acually prefer it over a jeans because it's more comfortable and gives me an instant confidence boost!

The LBD, an essential for every woman no matter her size, weight or body type. I love the little sleeves on the above one from H&M (€29,99). Finish it with heels, a blazer and a statement necklace and you can conquer the world!

- Normally I only wear pencil skirts, but am head over heels for this metallic look. It's high-waisted (cover that tummy up!) and combined with a blouse and heels is a perfect work outfit. Loving the price as well: €24,99 at H&M.

- I've already bought 2 dresses of a similar type as the one above at H&M, with both dresses, the back seem (on the bottom) ripped open when I wanted to play with my dog. Now I'm going for number 3, it's a great dress for every occasion and I wear it for work a lot! Just have to be a bit more careful with the seem, no wild business!

Last but not least, my favourite item: The coat. I practically live in my coat when it's Fall/Winter and my currents coats are the only apparel in my closet that have lasted me several years already. I already have the essentials: Black, navy blue and grey. So this year I want something different!

 

Both the Only (€59,95) and H&M (€69,99) coat have a lovely, light pink colour. I saw this last year already, but it was March already so I couldn't find one anymore. This year I'm definitely going to look pretty in pink! 

A trenchcoat is a must every season. I already have 2 summer ones, but I want to continue the look in the winter and this Kiomi coat (€119,95) is absolutely fabulous!

I tend to play it very safe when it comes to colours for winter coats, even though I love bright colours in summer. However, looking at this bright pink item, why should we all wear grey? Let's bring a little pop into the cold, dark days and go for colour. Pink for me of course, from New Look at only €64,95. 

At the moment I only have wollen coats, but I also want a parka-like one for a more edgy look. As always, Zara comes with a €159 solution, how cute are the little straps? I do think it's a bit expensive, but I have spent more on winter coats before. I can't figure out whether the fur is fake, the site really isn't clear. If it turns out to be fur, I of course will not buy it, not even consider it. Let me know in the comments if you know the answer!

That was my Fall/Winter wishlist! I won't be able to purchase eveything, but I'm definitely gonna save up for some of them, I think I deserve it ;)

What's on your wishlist? Share share share!

Xoxo