featuring:
jeans from DIESEL
sweater from NEW YORKER
coat from MAX&CO.
hat from NEW YORKER
watch from DANIEL WELLINGTON
boots from UGG
SONY HX90 camera
photo: Katarina Veselič
featuring:
jeans from DIESEL
sweater from NEW YORKER
coat from MAX&CO.
hat from NEW YORKER
watch from DANIEL WELLINGTON
boots from UGG
SONY HX90 camera
photo: Katarina Veselič
I have been regularly writing my blog since October 2012 and I haven’t made a monthly favourites post. Not ever. It may be somewhat hard to believe, since these kind of posts are actually some of the most popular ones, especially on beauty blogs. The reason is simple – I like doing things thoroughly and monthly favourites seem to me like something, you should do each month without exception. With this post I commit to (or at least I will try to) doing it every month, starting with some things I’ve stumbled across in the past four weeks.
In terms of beauty, the month of October started with rather historic event for Slovenian beauty blogger community – the first beauty bloggers conference Beautiful Bloggers Meet Up in Ljubljana. One of our blogger colleges, Nika Veger decided to sacrifice a lot of free time (and nerves) to organize an event that she can really be proud of today. The conference was held in the Grand Hotel Union and was a nice mixture of over 50 girls chatting about beauty, educational lectures, yummy food and drinks and strolling around the stands of sponsors presenting their brands. I was a part of it not only as participant, but also as lecturer – together with photographer Domen Blenkuš we shared some photo-related tips and tricks. I came home with an insane amount of products in my goodie bag, a mind full of ideas and inspiration. The accreditation in form of a (mirror) medal with my blog’s name on it got a place on my vanity to remind of this event.
New kid skincare brand in town, Noemie. It’s a French brand, I (admit) haven’t expected much from, since I’ve never heard about it before. The minimalistic design and carefully selected ingredients convinced me to give some products a go and I must say, I am not regretting my decision. A combo of Extra Firming Serum for face and neck and Regeneration Nourishing Cream is a perfect choice of those with dry skin type and occasional dehydration, it works amazing for my skin. Two other products I would highly suggest you check out are the Purifying Cleansing Gel and Gentle Exfoliating Cream, both suitable for all skin types.
New kid makeup brand in town, Bell HYPOAllergenic. A brand full of affordable makeup products and with the help of the stunning ambassador – Tjaša Kokalj, has drawn a lot of attention in the past month here in Slovenia. Four of their products caught my eye as well. Their BB Mousse Make-up (shade 01) convinced me with a natural finish that lasts the whole day. Every contouring-and-highlighting-geek will love their Bronze Powder (shade 01) and the Face&Body Illumination Powder. These might be one of my favourite finds this year, not only in October. The Skin Adapting Make-up foundation (shade 01) is waiting for me to be tested and since the other three products set the bar high, it better not disappoint .
Mascara of the month is the Bourjois Push Up Volume Glamour in Ultra Black Edition. It gives my eyelashes the right amount of volume, it lengthens them while keeping them nice and relatively separated. I am not the biggest fan of regular mascara wands, I much more prefer the silicony ones, but this one actually works for my lashes quite well. It’s a bit bigger than usual, which might cause some application problems on the lower lashes, however the final effect can be impressive. P.S. There’s a waterproof and brown version available as well, if you fancy those.
A shampoo that targets hairloss: Vichy Dercos Energising Shampoo. Last year around this time, I experienced the true hair horror nightmare (at least I saw it in that way). My hair was falling off like leaves from the trees in autumn, everytime I went through my hair I ended up with a full hand of hair. My hairdresser reassured me the process is completely normal, many people notice high hair loss ration during autumn and every few years it can even be worse. To help accelerate the natural growth phase of the hair cycle, I decided to add the Vichy Dercos Energising Shampoo to my haircare regime this year. It’s enriched with the patented molecule Aminexil, vitamins PP, B5 and B6, designed to reduce the rate of hair loss and maintain the density of thinning hair. It worked great in combination with some additional nourishing products (conditioner, spray, oil etc.), left my hair feeling revitalized, while my scalp wasn’t irritated. I am not sure about its efficiency of reducing hair loss, but hey you never know – it might be the life hair savoir you’ve been looking for.
Our last and final stop on Bali was The Leaf Jimbaran private resort on the ridges of high ground above Jimbaran Bay. After driving through the highly populated city ended in arid surroundings of southern peninsula, known as Bukit (meaning “hill” in Mahasa Indonesia). Our “nest” for the end of our trip was the open-space Spearmint villa with glass walls offering the most amazing view and a true connection to the surrounding nature and garden. Even the bathroom had a direct passage to the swimming pool, which divided the kitchen-dining area apart from the sleeping-living area. The villa offered us a true sense of privacy, allowing us to relax while exploring the Bukit peninsula. The first thing on our »to see list« was the Pura Luhur Uluwatu, a Balinese sea temple located at the edge of a 70m cliff above the sea. Jan had a close encounter with a monkey, which wanted to get into the camera bag by any means, which was a rather fun experience given the outcome that could have resulted in having a camera lens stolen. We watched the sunset as well, which was, like many before on Bali, stunning. The second day, after a vitalizing breakfast we hopped on a motorbike we rented and explored a few of the many »hidden beaches« nearby – like Bingin, Suluban and Padang Padang. Many of these are true hidden gems, some of them more touristy than others, but they all have one thing in common – being one of the best surfing spots in the world. We ended our day visiting the Jimbaran beach and the famous Ayana Rock Bar, and relaxing in our villa. In the morning I had a reflexology massage in The Leaf Jimbaran’s Thyme Spa, which prepared me for the upcoming long flight home. Bali definitely won my heart with its rich culture, delicious food, kind and welcoming people, vivid landscape and exhilarating adventures. I am sure I will be coming back one day for more (and maybe I’ll take you with me once again).
»Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.«
Our next stop was Villa Mathis, a boutique hotel with four villas in quiet surroundings of the small rural village of Umalas. It was a perfect place to discover the Seminyak and Petitenget area as well as being close to the Canggu, where we stayed before. We decided to have a stroll around the city and beach of Seminyak, while also coming back to Canggu, we checked out the famous Echo beach with it’s every-surfers-dream-waves but came back to the Batu Bolong beach to do some surfing for the first time. I even caught some waves, as well got overpowered by some big ones (as you can see on the photo). Villa Mathis on the other hand provided us shelter with beautiful tropical gardens spreading over 10,000m², swimming pool and a lovely room with an open bathroom furnished in traditional materials. Although you can have breakfast in your room, we decided to have it in their restaurant with its lovely surroundings. The property itself is stretched and thoughtfully arranged with (hidden) paths all over. It’s easy to get lost, but every additional step you take, is worth it.
The thing I love about Bali is the fact that you find hidden gems everywhere you go. One of them being The Gangsa private villa, an exclusive retreat of the Kayumanis group that is significantly reminiscent of a rustic, local village. Named after the keyed instruments that play the resonant melodies in a traditional orchestra, therefore truly introducing you to the harmonious serenade of life. One of the eleven spacious villas, named Gender (after the gamelan instrument played at the most sacred Bali Hindu rituals) was our next sanctuary. The day of our arrival, we wanted to relax in our traditional Balinese layout villa and later explore the area. After a swim in our own private pool, we decided to take the hotel shuttle to the Sanur beach to have an evening walk. I couldn’t help myself and took a swim in the pool before sleep as well. Our next morning started with an early, delicious breakfast in our open-space dining area, later we visited the Jimbaran market and attended a traditional Balinese cooking class with The Gangsa’s kitchen chef. You can read all about our experience in my previous blog post (here). We ended our day at their private beach and again returned there next day early morning to experience a breakfast at sunrise, which was definitely one of the highlight of our stay. The last hours of our tropical paradise stay, we enjoyed the holistic Rebab Spa, where we had a wonderful foot bath with aromatic oils, salt and flowers and a relaxing massage. The therapists did an amazing job relaxing the tension and our minds with the selective mixture of oils. Ending our stay there, we already knew, we would come back one day.
»A private local village charm that will help restore your inner peace, replenish your life energy and bring harmony into your life.«