ByCelina.com – Makeup, fashion and life!

50 Shades of BLUE

I’m having a little thing for blue at the moment – all shades from greens to blues really. And yellow!! Maybe I’m just missing spring? Although saying that, London has been really sunny since I got back from Monaco. I’ve been wearing a leather jacket and even sunglasses several times which I never thought I would be able to do until at least April. I do feel like switching out the black leather jacket for a more fun version though, and maybe some new spring sunnies to go with it too….

T – shirt here // Top sunnies here // Bottom sunnies here // Blue metallic leather jacket here
Blue dress here // White leather skirt here // Nude and yellow top here

Truth be told I’m completely broke after I accidentally stumbled in to Hermès at the airport and got presented with the most beautiful thing I’ve been wanting for the longest time. It’s so gorgeous that I haven’t been able to take it out of its box yet, partly also because I totally could not afford it right now so I feel bad and subconsciously save it for when I actually do deserve it, if I ever will. My precious. I’ve been eating Houmous and fruit from Sainsbury’s at £1.20 and £2 to make up for it, except one lunch at The Wolseley but that was for social reasons – highly recommend it though. It’s located in Piccadilly, just a few steps away from The Ritz, great for breakfast and lunch.

Anyway, the jacket will have to wait and so will that gorgeous white structured leather skirt and sunnies… 9 days until next salary, I’m counting the days.

Anything you like? :)

{ 28 comments }

DIY: How to fix a shrunken wool garment

Shrunk your boyfriends jumper? Or your own favourite? Don’t worry, I’ve found a solution.

Remember this new beautiful top I got from Missoni? Worn for the first time in Monaco the other day…

YES, I did….

This morning I was running late to an appointment and without thinking I just shoved all the dirty laundry in the machine and slithered out the door feeling like a true domestic Goddess. When I got back I was aghast to see my new favourite turtleneck amongst the clothes, now barely 1/3 of its original size (shared a photo on Instagram straight away of course).

Not much of a domestic Goddess after all, miss C.

Yes, crop tops are trending but.. they’re just not for me, so I was pretty devastated to say the least. If anything, I could maybe sew a pillow out of it but I was just not ready to give up on it yet so I threw myself at the computer and frantically googled tips on how to save a shrunken wool garment.

Fortunately I found several tips on how to save it and came up with my own little version based on what I had in my cupboards. To be honest I had very little faith in it working so I didn’t take any photos during the rescue but it’s pretty straight forward anyway. Here goes:

Soak the garment in tepid water and mix in some fabric softener or hair conditioner – anything that may soften the fibers will do. I used Phillip Kingsley conditioner.
Leave the garment in the water for at least 30 minutes, start stretching it gently to expand the fibres and leave it to soak for another 30 minutes while occasionally stretching it gently.
Gently squeeze out the excess water and step up the stretching. You want to stretch it like a real bad ass now!
Roll some towels together to create the same size and shape as it originally had and stuff the jumper. The towels should absorb water as well.
Bang it around and let the weight of the towels help stretch the fabric. I probably banged it around for a good 15 minutes, swapping sides now and then of course. You should start to see the fabric look more like it was by now.
Pop a hanger inside and hang it to dry, still with the towels inside. Et voilà, that is how you save a shrunken wool garment :D

Have you ever shrunk anything?

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Monthly Beauty Awards – February

background Monthly Beauty Awards February

The last two days has gone by in a whim! It was wonderful to come home and see my dog again, but just as we stepped foot at home in London being all reunited my boyfriend took off for Dubai so now it’s just me and little Linus the talented pomeranian. These two days I’ve been busy unpacking and being domestic, as well as running between appointments and being social. It was nice to have a bit of sunshine in Monaco, but it feels really good to be back in London – I’m much more of a city person! Anyway, it sounded like you wanted me to keep summing up my favourite beauty products of each month, so here is February favourites for you. Better late than never, right? ;)

Makeup

1. YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation.

Still my favourite! My skin is very sensitive and I break out very easily, however, this has proven to be safe. It provides medium coverage, feels and looks like skin and gives the most beautiful dewy glow. I use shade B30. Get it here.

2. Laura Mercier Primer

I’ve been meaning to get this for the longest time, and finally I got it when I was at the airport. I really like it as it smooths out the skin and makes the foundation look better and stay on for longer. I also love that it’s oil free! Get it here.

3. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser

A long time favourite which is also safe for sensitive skin, at least for mine. I use this on areas without blemishes and scars, and use the foundation (mentioned above) only on the areas where I need coverage – it gives a natural appearance which I like. It gives the skin a beautiful healthy look without making the skin look oily. I use shade Sand. I also just got the oil free one which seems to be pretty similar, only al little thicker in consistency. You can get it here.

4. Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara and Art Liner

I’m a big fan of Lancome’s mascaras and have been for years! Normally I use the Hypnose previous cells but a friend convinced me to try this and it really is amazing! The brush is wide on one side and flat on the other making it easy to reach the roots of your lashes and the shorter hairs, making your lashes look fuller. The art liner has the perfect tip to line the lash line, it’s easy to make both a thin line and a thicker line. Get the mascara here and the liner here.

5. Mac Pinch Me Blush

I have two favourite blushes, that is Mac Pinch Me and Nars Dolce Vita, they are my go to blushes. Last month and this month I’ve been using Pinch me simply because it happend to end up in my makeup bag. I barely dot the brush in the pan (I like to use this brush for blushes btw) and lightly dust in onto my cheeks. Little by little :) Get Mac Pinch Me here, and Nars Dolce Vita here.

6. Mac Blotpowder

My t-zone sometimes get a bit oily, so normally I just use blotting paper to get rid of the shine. However, when I came across the blotpowder by Mac I was intrigued as it doesn’t have any colour – it just takes the shine away which is exactly what I want. Get it here.

7. Mac Studio Sculpt concealer

I had a bit of breakouts around that time of the month and this concealer really is the best for covering! I use a small tapered brush to apply it and use a bit of Mac blotpowder to make it stay put. It’s sold out now, but you can normally get it here or here, or at Mac counters.

8. Mac Subculture

Probably the product you ask about the most, even James commented he likes it and he rarely comments my makeup. I use it to fill in my lips and it gives a great matte nude lip! I highly recommend it :) Get it here.

Skin care

1. Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser

I love this so much!! If you read my blog this week you’ve probably already read my review, if not you can check it out here. This cleanser is especially great for sensitive skin, it removes makeup easily whilst still not stripping the skin for moisture. And the smell… my god.. it’s heavenly! ♥ Multi award winning for a reason I guess he he. Get it here.

2. Ole Henriksen Herbal Day Creme with spf 15

This moisturiser transformed my skin from moderate acne to almost free of blemishes in only days! I have never seen anything like it before and I’m so thankful I found this. It’s for normal/combination skin and moisturises while still letting the skin breathe. The spf is for both UVA and UVB rays, meaning it protects from both aging and burning rays. You can read more about it in my review, here. Get it here.

3. Ole Henriksen Truth Collagen Booster

Another multi award winning product. This serum is packed with c-vitamins and antioxidants which helps rebuild the skin tissue, and this is a must have if you’re looking to slow down the aging process or even out the skin tone. Read more about it in my review here. Get it here.

4. Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation

This is actually used to prep the skin of celebrities and models before they hit the red carpet and I totally get why – it’s like a skin brightening treatment in a jar! Love this! I use this overnight and it feels wonderful to wake up to a bright and awake face. I didn’t expect it to, but it has actually brightened some of my scars and evened out my skin tone since I started using it. Get it here.

5. Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub

YUM! This stuff smells so good! I use this once-twice a week to get rid of old skin cells and clean pores thoroughly to avoid black heads. A must have! Get it here.

6. Ole Henriksen Visual Truth Eye Creme

I hate to admit it but I’ve started seeing lines around my eyes, the kind of lines that doesn’t go away when you stop smiling :/ I doubt I have less lines now that I’ve started using this, but I haven’t noticed an increase at least and it seems to depuff my eyes which is good in the morning! Get it here.

Hair care

1. Phillip Kingsley Body Building Volume Shampoo

I love Phillip Kingsley’s treatments and conditioners so I wanted to try a shampoo too and this one has quickly become my new fav volume shampoo! It makes the hair light without stripping off moisture, LOVE! Get it here.

2. Phillip Kinglsey Conditioner Moisture Balance

It’s unbelievable how soft it makes my hair, almost like a hair mask only you get much more product for your money :) Get it here.

3. Kerastase Forcintense

I’ve used this for probably about 7 years or so now and it’s still my favourite for when my hair really needs that bit of extra attention, which normally is proteins. The treatment is divided in two, first step is to nurture the hair follicle and second is to lock in the proteins. This is some serious hair salon stuff and I always feel like I’m spoling my hair whenever I use it. I can’t recommend it enough! Get it here.

4. Kerastase Ciment Thermique

Heat protectant and heat activating hair mask in one! It smells really good, makes my hair soft and easy managable and protects against heat – what’s not to love? Get it here.

5. Kérastase Nutritive masqueintense

A great mask for when moisture is needed! I only use it in the ends of my hair and so it lasts forever despite the fact that I use it almost every time I wash my hair. Both this and the Kerastase Forcintense mentioned above are must haves if you don’t want the hair dresser to cut off your locks! Get it here.

6. John Masters Organics deep scalp follicle treament and volumiser

I’ve written a review about this one too, you can read it here if you missed it. The photos in the review tells better than any words, my hair started growing insanely faster after I started using this. To be honest it doesn’t provide that much volume, but the health of the sclap and the growth of the hair is tremendous! Definitely a must have if you’re saving for long hair! Get it here.

7. Diva hot air styler

I’ve written a review on this not too long ago, if you missed it you can read it here. It’s a salon blow dry at home basically! Really easy to use, easier on the hair than curling irons and good value for the money. Get it here.

8. Clip in hair extension

I’d prefer to keep this to my self as it’s one of those things you like to pretend to be real, but I do sometimes cheat when it comes to my hair. I find clip ins the perfect solution for me as it both looks and feels perfectly real and is easy and quick to apply, yet I don’t have to sleep with it or work out with i. I use the shade 60/24 – Sandy Blonde, a full set + quad clip, get it here.

9. Moroccan Oil

I have been using Moroccan oil a lot as well, amazing stuff, but I’m sure you’ve heard all about it so I won’t bore you with that ;) Get it here.

A lot is very similar to last month which I guess is a good thing – true favourites tend to stick around, right? I would also LOVE to hear your favourites, maybe you know of products that are better than some of these? Tell me, tell me!! ♥ xx

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What’s in my Chanel shopping bag?

Yesterday we planned on going shopping hard as prices are much better in France than in London, especially French brands, but we ended up just going to Chanel and then enjoying the nice weather instead. We’ll come back soon anyway :) I’m super happy about my purchase as I’ve actually looked everywhere in London with no luck.

*Drumroll*

Yes, it’s a box! :D

It’s the Chanel espadrilles in black leather!! It’s really insane how fast they’ve sold out in London. Funny enough, Monaco seem to always have a great stock – it was the same thing about my nude coloured Céline luggage tote. The bag was just standing there waiting in the middle of the shop. People are still stopping me on the street asking me where I found it, even in Hermès the SA asked me. Chanel in Monaco have all three leather espadrilles in stock, but they don’t have all sizes. I was planning on getting a pair in nude/black as well, but they were sold out in my size. Speaking of, they run small in size so you need to take the next one up if you’re thinking of buying them online – I’ve seen some on Ebay ;)

They are some of the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. The lambskin feels butter soft against skin. The SA in Chanel and I quickly decided they must be the best shoes to go shopping in and I can’t wait to try them out :D

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Outfit Saturday in Monaco

Hi sweets!

Yesterday was such a great day, I’ve missed seeing palm trees so much :D Last night we had big plans for going out but ended up just ordering in, it’s so nice to be able to just chill on a sofa watching tv as it’s something we haven’t been able to do for the last 2 months as we still don’t have either a sofa or tv in London. There is progress though, we’ve found a brand we really like and are in the process of picking furniture now. The brand is Turri – beautiful stuff! I didn’t get to show you the photos we took yesterday, so here they are:

Top – Missoni (scored on sale here)
Leather trousers – Zara (should probably have gone for a size smaller)
Shoes – Christian Louboutin Pigalle 100 kid
Bag – Hermès
Bracelet – Chloé

IMG 38561 Outfit Saturday in Monaco

Possibly the most embarrassing outfit pictures I’ve ever done, but we felt like being a bit of tourists as we’ve actually never done photos on that platform before. It’s fun bring silly sometimes! ;)

IMG 3879 Outfit Saturday in Monaco

My first walk in my new black Louboutins ❤ Don’t you just love the palm trees and the blue sky in the background? :D

The Pigalles can be hard to find nowaday as they get sold out pretty quickly. You can try Barneys, Neiman Marcus, Browns, Saks, Matches, MyTheresa and Bergdorf Goodman if you’re looking for a pair – they all stock Christian Louboutin.

IMG 3888 Outfit Saturday in Monaco

Now I need to start packing again. I have decided to leave all my summer clothes in Monaco and try to bring the rest to London. Sigh.. It’s definitely a luxury problem, I totally get that, but it’s hard choosing what things to bring. You’ve probably noticed I’ve been buying more high quality clothes lately, I’ve decided to focus more on few but high quality clothes instead of a big quantity of less good clothes. It just makes it easier to have fewer things to drag along.

But before I start packing, I need to snap some shots of my new purchase from Chanel, who wants to see what I got?? :D I hope you’re all having a fantastic Sunday! xx

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Today through Instagram

Hi everyone!

First of all, thank you so much for all your wonderful comments on the previous post. You really are the best readers and if it wasn’t for you I would never have this blog! ❤

Today has been a wonderful day so far, the rays of sunshine have been really good for us! As I walked around the streets today with sunshine in my face, a good warm and comforting hand holding mine and a view of the deep blue sea for as far as the eye can see I realised how incredibly fortunate we are to be able to come to Monaco whenever we feel like it. Don’t get me wrong, I was thrilled about it when we got our second home in London and we talked about how we would jump back and forth, but I don’t think it’s really sunk in until now as it’s just felt so unreal. But NOW, 2 months later when my feet are back on Monegasque ground, my brain finally gets it he he..

Anyway, here are some snapshots of my day through Instagram:

We had a chilled morning enjoying being back in our much loved bed, and then we went for a little shopping around the Casino gardens where I picked up a little something from Chanel (which I’ll show you later). We then sat down at the Cafe de Paris for lunch which is located opposite Hotel de Paris. Apparently they’re redoing Hotel de Paris completely as soon as the Grand Prix is over. I’ve seen some pictures and it’s going to be amazing with an open roof in the middle. It’s estimated to be finished in about 4 years time.

But back to Cafe de Paris. Cafe de Paris is a must visit when you’re in Monaco as you get a wonderful view of the Casino where the male(s) in your company can drool over cars and you (and other females in your company) can drool over amazing outfits and handbags walking around. I have no idea what cars went by, but I spotted my dream bag of all time on the table next to me – a black Hermès Birkin in crocodile. By the table on the other side I spotted a Chanel handbag thrown on the floor and I can’t help but think that the bag deserves to be with someone else that knows how to treat it, right? :/

We finished off with one of the Cafe de Paris signature giant ice creams and strolled back home. As you can see I did a quick shoe swap on the way back despite it’s only five minutes home from the Casino, but why suffer when it’s so easy to swap shoes when you can hide little Yosies in the bag? A must have for any heel obsessed girl, you can read more about them here. Proper outfit pictures will come as soon as I’ve edited them :D

Now we’re going to chill in front of the tv for a little while and then we’ll see where we end up tonight! Hope you’ve enjoyed your day just as much as I have, sweetest readers!! xx

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Introducing: Shoe candy

Squeal!!!! I’ve been awaiting the morning to come like an anticipated child on Christmas day and I’m almost falling off my chair of excitement as I write to you! Last night I could’t sleep because I unshamedly slept a few hours during the day, and I did what I always do when I can’t sleep – surfed the internet. I discovered a new brand, or at least new to me and I’m completely head over heels (excuse the pun).

Sophia Webster, note her name! No, seriously, write it down. Sophia used to work as a designer for Nicholas Kirkwood who we all know produce brilliant shoe candy. Sophia Webster launched her own shoe line last year, and it’s hands down one of the best collections I’ve ever seen. I WANT it all. The website isn’t up running yet, but you can put your name on the emailing list and be notified when it opens here. Some shoes can also be found on Net-a-porter, and in stores like Browns and Dover Street Market (more about Dover Street Market here).

It’s really hard to pick a favourite, but the bottom left would both look amazing with my new impulse buy dress from Issa. I feel a bright hot pink dress with cleavage worn by a blonde girl screams a lot of things I don’t want to be associated with, so I’m thinking a fun pair of outrageous shoes would make it look better. I also adore the first pair in black (Mila), how gorgeous are they on tanned summer legs? Sigh..

What do you think of the Sophia Webster brand?

PS. This is, as always, my honest opinion and I have not been payed to write this post. I actually write this blog because it’s a great place for me to let my passion for fashion and all things pretty run freely without killing my relationships to friends, family and boyfriend who I know would go nuts in the end if I didn’t channel my obsession elsewhere. Some of the links are affiliate links which means I get a small (and by small I really mean small) procentage if someone buys anything. I think anyone in their right mind would include affiliate links if they could, it would be stupid not to right? Point is, the post is not written for the links, but the links are included because I had already written the post. There. Just wanted to clear up any confusion anyone might have as I’m a totally ridiculously honest person even if it doesn’t always benefit me. Seriously, you should see my face when I try to lie.. he he :) And while we’re at it, I’ve been approached by numerous companies wanting to pay me if I blog from their platforms and let them smother the blog in ads, but I decline because keeping it real is important to me. I’ve built this on my own and I want to keep it just like you and I want it to be. Contrary to popular belief, money doesn’t mean a thing to me. What matters to me is having real people around me, living an honest life doing something I love and I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to do so.

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Outfits of February

Hi!

Sorry for the late update today, we left London at 05 this morning and I’ve been completely knackered all day! Despite sleep walking all through the airport I managed to find the most beautiful dress by Issa :D I have a picture of the dress on my instagram (bycelina).

Again we’ve suddenly reached the end of the month, and winter is almost over :) I went through my outfits and chose my three favourite outfits of the month, which one is your favourite?

IMG 30221 Outfits of February

We’ve ordered a big feast of all the French food we’ve been missing so tonight we’re just going to endulge in the sofa while watching tv – something we haven’t done for months so I’m jumping up and down of excitement :D

Hope you’re having a great Thursday!! Xx

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The epitome of cool and laidback

One of the things I’ve noticed Londoners do differently to the people of Monaco is the way of dressing. Obviously this has a lot to do with the weather, but Londoners have a whole different approach to styling. The street style of London is so much more cool and laid back while still looking stylish, and I think AllSaints captures this style beautifully. Here are a few snapshots of items from AllSaints from Fashion week in London:

Some of my favourite items by AllSaints are the leathers. I know I have said this before, but a good find can never be mentioned often enough especially seeing as leather will be big this spring and summer.

Trousers here // Short skirt here // Pencil skirt here
Black open toe boot here // Grey open toe boot here

No one else does a great pair of high quality leather trousers to an affordable price like AllSaints, I promise, I’ve looked everywhere! I’m also loving the boots with the open toe!! That’s a great spring boot!

Aaaaah, I can’t wait for spring to come!! Is anyone else as excited as I am?? :D

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The Corner reveal

I found a new online store in the beginning of February, The Corner, and fortunately they have an amazing sale going on. It’s clear not many people know about this shop because there are still so many treasures left! I browsed through and found so many great things, but since I’ve never ordered from the shop before I wanted to just get something little and decided for the most beautiful Missoni turtle neck top. The package arrived in just a few days which I consider really quickly seeing as it’s shipped from Italy with a standard shipping option. Fast shipping is always good!

It was James who signed for it and placed it on my wardrobe shelf for me to open. Isn’t that one beautiful sight to wake up to??

thecorner The Corner reveal

I’m a big sucker for packaging, so bad that if the packaging isn’t nice I won’t buy there again as I’d rather buy from a place with attention to details. I once read a study on how Apple was one of the first to focus on packaging as both women and men appreciate the little extra, and packaging has now become part of the product. Obviously I could’t agree more! Anyway, The Corner definitely ticks my box for stylish packaging with its shiny stylish shopping bag with discrete logo, perfect silk ribbon and soft silk paper lining.

After having unashamedly ripped the paper apart I found my new perfect spring turtle neck top from Missoni ♥ I’m going back home to Monaco on Thursday and I’m crossing my fingers for sunny weather so I can wear this on the beach while sipping on something delicious :D

missoni The Corner reveal

Isn’t it beautiful?? You have mentioned you want to see me in more colours again ;)

Some of you have been asking about the nude pair of Louboutins I got yesterday, so I thought I’d include those too. This pair is also Pigalle 100s, only in patent leather. My third pair of Pigalles :D I got the black ones from Selfridges and ordered the nude ones from Net-a-Porter, but sold out now. Happens every time, they are very popular.

You can try Barneys, Neiman Marcus, Browns, Saks, Matches, MyTheresa and Bergdorf Goodman if you’re looking for a pair – they all stock Christian Louboutin.

Now we’re going for dinner, and then I need to start packing for Monaco which will be incredibly hard. I still have lots of things in Monaco I’d like to bring here, but at the same time we’ll be heading back in not too long and there are for sure many things here I’d like to bring with me :/ Any tips?

Hope you’re having a great evening! xx

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