GREY MIDI SKIRT COMBO

When I braced myself for the summer sales I had one thing in mind.. What could I wear and bring over into autumn? I was kind of after midi skirts but either they were a little too long or just a little too short for my liking. Then I found this one in H&M! I fell in love with it straight away because once it wasn't something black. I can't say the same about the sweater though. I was spending a few days in Leuven getting things set up in my new apartment when I decided to pop into Pull and Bear as we don't have one back in Luxembourg. I picked this up along with a few other things but told myself that I should limit myself to two buys only... but hoorah it turned out to be only 8 euros so I thought it couldn't hurt. Right? Isn't that what we all tell ourselves? Hahaha. The reptile-like texture is perfect making your casual everyday black sweater look that tad bit more interesting! (yes I'm still internally justifying my purchase. Guilty)

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COMFY TRAVEL OUTFIT

So... I graduated from the University of Surrey last week and it feels utterly amazing! I woke up super early to put on my kimono with the help of my mother and graduated with some of my best friends (photo here). My university's grad ball had put on a funfair along with a Great Gatsby themed ball - I was so impressed with it all! It was strictly black tie but I managed to get away with wearing sneakers the whole night. It was such a busy and fun weekend but of course it all had to come to an end. We all said our see-you-soon's.

As soon as I was back, I had to start packing again but this time from Japan - a long awaited trip with my boyfriend and his family. It has been a while since I've spent a hot summer in Japan as in the previous years, I have taken advantage of my inter-semester break around February. I cannot wait for all the food and festivals!

I'm actually writing to you from Schiphol Airport waiting for our connection to Kansai International wearing my comfy new slip on sandals that I found in the sale at the Mano store in Auchan. They are from a brand called Blink Shoes which are also available on ASOS (similar style here)! I didn't fall in love with this style of shoe when it first hit the trend radar but I'm glad I waited out on buying a pair because I adore the jewelled design on this one!

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Bag - Zara

Shoes - Blink

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BLUE MARC B BAG

When Luxembourg was hit with that intense heat wave, all I wanted to wear were short or loosely fitted clothes. I came across this random store on the Avenue de la Liberté down by Luxembourg City's central train station one day and while some things were far from what I would usually having hanging in my wardrobe (think leopard print and rhinestones. Combined) I found this gorgeous printed top that reminded me of the Alhambra which the boyfriend and I saw during our trip around Andalusia (see the post here). I love it when clothes spark a memory even if it does turn you into a perpetual clothes hoarder... but that's a whole other story. I decided to steer away from dark colours and opted for blues in different shades and textures which seem to work quite well together! I'm not sure why I'm so surprised but I wasn't expecting the Bershka denim shorts to fit that well with the top. But HOORAY!

I tend to prefer cross body or over the shoulder bags because of the problems with my elbows. I'm not sure if I've addressed this on the blog before, but basically I can't fully extend my arms. They are always a little bit bent, which you can see in the first of the side-by-side photos below. Yup - that's as far as they will extend. So if I am not careful, I can sometimes look like I'm standing with an invisible bicycle pump which cracks both Christine and I up. This is why I love strappy bags like this one from marc b and multiple compartments/pockets are ALWAYS a winner for me. I like be able to access little things like eye drops and lip balm without having to zip open my valuables as well. I also prefer having the bag over my left shoulder as well as having the zips face forward when closed so this one is a win-win-win! Does anyone else have these weird little criteria when picking a new bag? 

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Bag - Marc b

Sunglasses - Quay Australia

Shorts - Bershka

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MARC JACOBS DAISY SORBET

I suppose it was the hand-luggage-traveller in me that was initially put off by this perfume. I hadn't even tried it and the bottle looked like it would take up unnecessary space in my zip lock bag that I would use for other liquids like contact lens solution and eye drops. However, when I went took my flight back from Dubai, I had a few spare moments in DXB to have sneaky look around the perfume section. I saw that Marc Jacobs had brought out a new daisy sorbet scent so I thought "Why the hell not? I love sorbet!" and after chit chatting with the sales assistant I decided to go for it. I've never been a fan of heavy perfume so this delicately fresh scent is perfect for my taste.

Notes:

Pink Grapefruit, Pear, Passion Fruit, Wisteria, Jasmine Petals, Violet Wood, Cedarwood, Sheer Musks.

I have never been able to settle down on one single perfume either but perhaps that's because it's in my name (Kaori in Japanese means fragrance). What are your favourite perfumes? Do have one that you stick to?

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CASUAL OUTFIT - DENIM JACKET

HELLO FROM ENGLAND! Yes, I am finally back and it feels weird. I cannot believe I am about to start my final year already. So far I have not really done much besides settling in, shopping and bumping into familiar faces. Unpacking was such a chore but I have to say that it is such a relief to have everything in its place. I also rediscovered some clothes I thought I had lost like this grey top! I had absolutely no idea where it had gone and then TA-DA, turns out I had packed it and it was in the bottom of one of my many, many, many bags.

I love the low scoop on this H&M vest as it is such a lovely way to show off some skin without it being too revealing up front/"booby". You could easily where it on a night out with a sleek blazer and a chunky necklace or a long dainty one - a design which I have been starting to fall in love with.

Jacket, top & boots - H&M

Bag - Missguided

HELLO FROM ENGLAND! Eh ben oui, je suis de retour et ça me fait bizarre. Je n’arrive pas à croire que la dernière année de mes études commence déjà. Jusqu’ici je n’ai pas fait grand-chose: je me suis installée, j’ai fait des courses et j’ai retrouvé des visages connus. Le travail de tout ranger était une vraie corvée mais je suis tellement contente que chaque chose est maintenant à sa place. J’ai même découvert des vêtements que je croyais perdus, par exemple ce top gris. J’en avais perdu toute trace et tout d’un coup: voilà, il apparaît que je l’avais mis au fond d’un des nombreux sacs qui m’ont accompagnée.

J’aime bien l’encolure dégagée et arrondie de ce top H&M. Elle montre de la peau mais n’est pas trop révélatrice. Lors d’une sortie nocturne on peut porter ce top avec un blazer élégant et un gros collier, ou même un collier délicat. C’est un style que j’aime de plus en plus

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ALL BLACK & OFF THE SHOULDER

Oh boy, the end of my Summer is approaching and I still have so many things I would like to do on top of the things I must do. I now have just a few days left in Luxembourg and so being on the internet, behind this computer screen is one of the last things on my mind. I had planned to have a multitude of blog posts featuring outfits from Tunisia but I unfortunately got really sick while I was away. I am pretty sure it was down to my already weakened immune system from when I went to e-lake festival  (Luxembourg) with Christine where it rained like crazy. I managed to enjoy the first couple of days in the sun, though - we even went sand buggy-ing one day! (photo here).

This is actually the outfit I wore to e-lake: something incredibly simple and oh so comfy. I found this slouchy sweater in H&M and I bought these black super stretchy trousers in River Island. I cannot remember what the name of the style was but do go try out the trousers in RI as I have been living in these ever since I bought them, along with an acid wash pair as well. Now I cannot rave enough about this white Missguided bag... Holy moley it has hands down been my favourite summer bag. I still cannot get over all the little compartments it has! It seems to have gone down by 3 GBP which may not be a huge difference, but you can get it here.

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L’été touche à sa fin et il y a encore tant de choses que je voudrais faire - à part toutes les chose que je dois faire! Il ne me reste que quelques jours au Luxembourg, et rester assise devant l’écran de mon ordi n’est pas une priorité! J’avais l’intention d’ajouter une série de blogposts concernant des tenues que j’avais portées en Tunisie, mais malheureusement je suis tombée malade là-bas. La cause était probablement un système immunitaire affaibli par ma visite avec Christine au Festival e-lake au Luxembourg, où la pluie est tombée sans cesse. J’ai réussi quand même à profiter du soleil pendant les premiers jours en Tunisie – un jour nous avons fait une sortie en buggy (voir photo ici).

L’image d’aujourd’hui montre la tenue que portais au Festival. Elle était très simple mais tellement confortable. J’ai trouvé ce pull souple chez H&M et j’ai acheté ce pantalon en stretch chez River Island. Je ne me souviens plus comment il s’appelle, en ce qui concerne le style, mais je vous conseille d’aller donner un coup d’œil chez River Island, car je porte ce pantalon et un autre délavé à l’acide depuis que je les ai achetés. Et le sac blanc de Missguided: comment puis-je le vanter encore plus!? Pendant toute l’été ce sac a été mon préféré - le numéro de petits compartiments m’étonne toujours. On a apparemment réduit le prix de 3 livres, ce qui n’est pas grand-chose, mais s’il vous intéresse vous pouvez l’acheter ici.

CASUAL OOTD

The Sunday after I finished work for the summer I flew out to Edinburgh to see my older brother graduate and to spend a much needed couple of days with my family at our favourite cottage in Scotland. We took a trip out to Carlisle, which is just over the border in England, for a little bit of shopping and I picked up this beautiful long light-weight blazer from New Look and a pair of acid wash jeggings from River Island. I had been itching to find a new pair since I have had a love/hate relationship with the Dr Denim Kissy and the Topshop Leigh ones. I do love them but they discoloured so quickly that the money was not quite worth it.

I love how these River Island ones fit and they are so incredibly comfortable to travel in! Trust me, the multiple 3h journeys between Brussels and Luxembourg have provided me with enough proof of that fact. I usually stick to leggings for long journeys but these are most definitely a winner.

Jeggings – River Island
Top & jacket – New Look
Bag – Marc by Marc Jacobs
Shoes - Converse

Le dimanche après la fin de mon stage j’ai pris l’avion pour Edimbourg afin de voir mon frère recevoir son diplôme de maîtrise et de passer quelques jours précieux avec mes proches dans notre chalet préféré en Ecosse. Un jour nous avons fait une échappée à Carlisle, juste audelà de la frontière anglaise, où en parcourant les magasins j’ai retrouvé chez New Look ce très beau blazer long léger et chez River Island un jegging délavé à l’acide. Je cherchais d’une façon désespérée un nouveau jegging depuis que j’ai un rapport d’amour-haine – je t’aime, moi non plus! – avec mes jeggings Dr Denim Kissy et Topshop Leigh. Je les aime bien, mais ils se sont rapidement décolorés et ils ne valent pas le prix que j’ai payé.

Ce jegging de River Island colle bien au corps et offre un confort incroyable pour les voyages. Croyez-moi, les trajets répétés de trois heures entre Bruxelles et Luxembourg en ont fait la preuve. D’habitude je porte des leggings pour les longs parcours, mais ce jegging de River Island est le meilleur.

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BLUE FLORALS & ZARA SALE FINDS

Having a capital city as small as the one we have in Luxembourg means that Christine and I are often very limited in places to shoot outfits whilst we are in the city centre. One of our favourite places to go is the Place Guillaume if there aren't too many people milling around. Another favourite is on the Rue de l'Eau. On this particularly sunny day we decided to wander down closer to the Montée de Clausen to shoot this outfit. The small square in front of the MNHA (Musée National d'Histoire et d'Art) also has a cute little cafe which Christine and I have yet to check out. We have a little list of places we have never been to in Luxembourg City but would like to try - including restaurants. We have already ticked off Brasserie LOL on rue Chimay, a couple of doors up from Golden Bean.

This top that I am wearing here was one that I found in Zara whilst in London a while back. I fell in love with the print as well as the blue and white combination of colours and how this top is semi-backless. The two bits of fabric at the back hang loosely which is great for those really, really hot days but not so great when there is a gust of wind! During the same shopping trip I also found this grey textured skater skirt and I of course had to pair the whole look with my favourite bag.

French coming soon... 

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LOUIZALAAN

I met up with Claude earlier this week on my lunch break to do a spot of shopping and grab some food. Of course, we ended up browsing so much that we kinda lost track of time and I ended up buying a sandwich to go and eating it at my desk haha - priorities. This is the kind of outfit I would wear to work on a good day. A good day being if I wake up early enough or if I have just done washing the night before and found some time to set aside an outfit. Along with the black fluffy jumper, I also got one in pink. I just could not resist it. I feel like a giant marshmallow! It certainly does keep me warm and I cannot wait to get more wear out of it. Pastel colours like this are such a great way to bring colour to an otherwise dull outfit so I am really loving all the pink items that are in store right now!

EYE SPY

I placed a large order on Topshop recently and bought this black cropped fluffy jumper. It is so insanely snug and cozy. The only down side is that it is very cropped so I feel a tad uncomfortable wearing it with trousers. It could work but I am not too keen on having my love handles on show. I wore this outfit when I went shopping with Mama in the recently renovated Belle Etoile. My dad was away that weekend so we could get up to some mischievous girly shopping. It is starting to get a bit too chilly to be wearing short skirts but the mall is a great place for all the skirt and shorts lovers out there as you do not have to worry about that bitterly cold wind when going from shop to shop.

PS, sorry if this is incredibly brief. My parents are here for the weekend and they have brought my little dog up too! Mama and I will definitely be watching Beauty and the Beast tonight - a little tradition of ours

ABOUT TOWN

I have been itching to show you guys this coat for so long. There is this store on the Rue Haute, close to where I work, where you can buy clothes by weight (15 EUR/kg) which is where I found this beauty for only 16 EUR - it was such a find! It is the perfect coat to wear over a simple monochrome outfit on a cold and windy day. I am visiting the Manfriend in Köln on Thursday so I will most likely be taking this with me. I cannot for the life of me remember where I bought my bracelet but I have a feeling that it is either from Accessorize or from some store in Japan. I wore this outfit for a grand day out of shopping on Saturday and towards the end of the day, I stumbled across the Kenzo store near Namespoort metro station - I will most certainly be trekking back there again to have an extra long browse!

XX.X.MMXIII

I found the perfect midi skirts when I went shopping on Friday! I had been on the hunt for a specific style because all the others I have come across were too thin, too long, too this, too that... All of them were just a little bit "off" for my liking. But then I wandered into H&M and saw this one hanging. I pounced. I do think this outfit would have looked better with a short jumper - perhaps a cropped one - but I am not a major fan of my belly jelly so I opted for this Zara monochrome jumper (see better photos of it in this post). If you are pear-shaped like me, I would love to know how you style your midi skirts and dresses so do leave a comment and/or leave a link to a recent outfit or look you have put together.

Skirt - H&M

Top, shoes & jacket - Zara

Bag - Pimkie

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SHOPPING WITH THE SWALLOWS

I met up with Claude yesterday and we did a spot of shopping at a nearby mall. I have to say it was quite a successful one as I finally found a new leather jacket! It was 80 EUR but considering that the ones I had come across until yesterday were peaking at prices such as 120-140 EUR I thought it was a pretty damn good purchase. I also bought a few basics in H&M which I will definitely be featuring in future outfit posts. I managed to hunt down the perfect midi skirts so expect a few looks with them soon!

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NEW BAG

I came back to Luxembourg again this weekend and I popped into a store yesterday which I used to shop at when I was younger. I have not bought anything from Pimkie for about 8 years but when I went in yesterday I found this little beauty. When I first picked it up I did not think it was that great but when I unzipped the bag it was as if I was unzipping to the Hallelujah Chorus. There are so many sections and side pockets! I also love that the outer zip secures everything. There is a long strap to wear cross-body as well as a short one for when the bag is to be used as a clutch. I mentioned Pimkie in this post back in April, but I never thought I would buy anything from Pimkie again. I think I will have to pop back in regularly!

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