top fashion bloggers part 2

Negin is a world-famous fashion blogger, who has collaboraed with many brands, such as Dior, L’Oreal, D&G and Lancôme, etc. As well as that, she gets to see Fashion Week from the first row of many shows in the fashion capitals. As far as her style is concerned, I can’t really describe it with one word only, apart from maybe … versatile. Even though at first sight they are are feminine and elegant, they are never the same, as you can see in the collage above. She always surprises me with her outfits. One thing I really love about her is the make-up looks she adopts – they are always on the nude/natural side, which makes her look really fresh and young.

I have been following Inga for probably more than year now, so not as long as the others, but she quickly became a favourite of mine. Her style is very feminine and elegant, and even though it is not my style, I love all of her outfits. She has an adorable son, who is also featured in her blog quite frequently. Right now she’s blogging from Estonia, where she’s originally from. However, until summer 2015, she lived in London for a few years, and there are plenty of London posts on her blog, which I absolutely love. Her photos are always amazing, but I’m not surprised as she has taken a photography course. Now this is called dedication …

Christine from Hello Fashion Blog is maybe the only American blogger I follow, so it’s always nice for me to see the non-European things she posts, be it food, stores, etc. She has an amazing family and they can be seen on her blog almost on a daily basis. Her style is very clean (?) colour wise – most of her outfits are in white/nude/light pink or blue. She has an equal amount of casual and more elegant looks on her blog. One of the things I absolutely love is that she gives a link for every single item, so that her followers could buy them too. She features a lot of budget friendly alternatives to her more expensive or designer clothes/bags/shoes, too, which I think is really thoughtful of her. There is a wide range of different lifestyle, interior design, travel posts as well. Also, her photos are always beautifully taken!

This was the second part of my top favourite (fashion) bloggers. I hope you’ve enjoyed both this post and the first part, and maybe you’ve found some inspiration and are now following these bloggers, too? Let me know in the comments below 🙂 Of course, I do follow other bloggers too, however, these 6 ladies made it into my favourites list. Hopefully, there will soon be others, who will join them, in which case, I’ll make sure I update you. Have a lovely Friday!

xo Vennie

some positivity tips

Keep a diary
I think this is a crucial part when trying to get a hold of your life. However, I don’t mean just a regular diary, as in an agenda or a planner. I mean, a diary, where you write about your feelings and thoughts. You don’t need to write a lot. You can just write a small page, saying what made you happy today or what you’re grateful for, and believe me, this will make a great change in your life!
Another plus side: It always feels good to have something nice to read, when you’re feeling down. However, when it’s something you’ve experienced yourself, you get to re-live that happy moment, which could be a great positivity booster.
Tip: Pick a notebook you actually like, and which makes you want to write inside!

Meditate (or at least try to)
I KNOW, it is not easy! Especially in the beginning. When you’re new to this and your thoughts keep going everywhere, and your brain just refuses to obey when you try not to think, and you feel like you’re not doing it right and it’s impossible for you to ever focus. This is how you know you’re doing it right. Because you are making the effort, you are trying! It won’t be long until you’ll be able to just close your eyes and silence your mind, disconnect from the world and it’ll feel like the easiest thing to do, but believe me, it takes practice! Just like every other thing you want to be good at.
Tip: Instead of taking 3,5,10 deep breaths before starting … take as much as you need! Take 20 if you need to! Do it until you feel good and ready to silence your mind.
Tip 2: Initially, listen to music, if you’re really struggling with concentration. There are plenty of playlists, for example on Spotify, with meditation music!

Work (it) out
It’s been proven that physical activities help with stress relief (read more here or here), so what is stopping you from getting moving or going for a walk/run? I know it may be hard at first when you go to the gym, but after only a few minutes you’ll get in full workout mode and you’ll forget about your worries. On the other hand, there are people who find it helpful when having to deal with some situation/making a decision, etc.
Another plus side: you’ll look great, if you make working out part of your daily life.
Tip: Instead of thinking about how much you don’t want to work out, think about the feeling after the workout. Let it motivate you 😉

Distract yourself
Last, but not least … in fact it’s a pretty important one – don’t let bad/negative thoughts get to you, distract yourself! The mind is pretty hard to control and all kinds of thoughts cross it, but this doesn’t mean that one should let them affect their mood/emotional state. Watch a film, listen to your favourite song(s), call a friend, browse through Pinterest, clean your place, cook – these are just some of many things you could do to distract yourself from the bad thoughts. Remember, we all have days when we’ve taken off the rose-coloured glasses and everything seems awful, but on days like those you just need to hang in there, because tomorrow is a new day, a fresh start, and everything will be alright!
Another plus side: you might end up with some really inspiring ideas, in case your browsing through Pinterest or similar website, or some cake in the fridge, if you decide to cook.

I hope you enjoyed this post and the tips I’ve given you. Of course, they’re not going to solve major global issues, but maybe they’ll help YOU, in moments when the world seems like a bad place.

 xo Vennie

Disclaimer: All of the photos featured are from Pinterest. 

top fashion bloggers PART 1

Kenza is definitely my favourite fashion blogger. In my opinion, she is a fashion chameleon and can adopt every style – formal, casual, sports wear; sexy, edgy, more natural looks. Apart from her style, she stands out from the rest because she is really open and honest with her readers, approaching even more sensitive/personal topics. She is very inspiring for a bunch of reasons, including the fact that she started from nothing, as in, her blog was her hobby and just a personal space on the internet where she’d share stuff, however, now it has become her full-time job and helped her develop her other business, which is the online clothing store Ivy Revel. Nevertheless, her success hasn’t changed her. She is just as genuine, as she used to be before.

Angelica blogs from lovely Stockholm (just like Kenza) and offers her readers not only outfit posts but a lot of travel related ones. She travels all around the world, so on her blog you can find a lot of pictures from different beautiful places, and get inspired to book a vacation. Her style, I’d say, is more laid-back with a little touch up, which could be either something edgy, a designer bag or a fur coat. In my opinion, she is the queen when it comes to spicing up a casual outfit, making it look not as plain. I do find her style similar to another Swedish blogger’s, Fanny Lyckman, and I also think they look alike a lot, however Fanny’s style, compared to Angelica’s, is even more laid-back, almost sporty. The other side of Fanny’s is edgy, absolutely edgy. Whereas Angelica balances two styles in one outfit, Fanny (usually) goes with just one of them.

Marianna is more on the classy/casual side; you won’t see her adding pulling edgy outfits or experimenting with new hair colours, etc. From her blog, you can get a lot of interior design inspiration, as well. Along with fashion, she blogs about everyday lifestyle, travelling and beauty. She has everything on her blog, even though the main focus is on fashion/outfits. I think my favourite thing to see on her blog is her cute dog, Minnie.

This is only part 1. I’m currently working on part 2 and it should follow shortly, so stay tuned. I hope you’ve enjoyed this post.

xo Vennie

Disclaimer: All of the photos featured are from the bloggers’ websites, which I’ve given links to. 

RHW’s off-duty style

Jeans / Bag / Tee / Shoes / Sunglasses
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has always been a great inspiration for me! I’ve always liked her as a model, however, I think she also has a genuinely lovely personality, which makes her stand out from the rest of the girls in the modeling industry. Nevertheless, as usual, the first thing you notice about someone, is their outer appearance, and Rosie’s style definitely catches one’s eye!

She’s usually seen either sporting activewear, or looking really well in a casual/classy combo. You rarely see her wearing jeans and sneakers, for example. In my opinion, she has a very balanced style as in she’d (most of the time) wear jeans with high heels/high heeled boots/sandals, just so that her outfit doesn’t look too casual. Or if she was going out with some fancy designer bag, she’d also put on a rather plain shirt (as in the picture above).

I decided to do this post for every girl out there who fancies a similar style. Above, you can find the links to the items (similar to Rosie’s) from the picture. I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and the picks I made.

xo Vennie

affordable fashion for students

As a student, unless you have a full-time job (which is quite unlikely, especially for full-time students), you can’t really afford to spend lots of money on clothes. However, there are a bunch of stores, including online stores, where you have student discounts. I’m going to list some of the stores below, along with a few fashion suggestions from me. There are also two other options you have, which allow you to treat yourself with something you want for less money. I’m talking about the NUS card and the UniDays website. Definitely go on their websites and check what kind of discounts they offer, and get yourself a card or register an account. You won’t regret it, I guarantee you this! Now, let’s go back to the online stores I mentioned above. Here they are:
ASOS

Trench Coat / Nike’s / Jeans / T-shirt
I’m really looking forward to spring, so my choices here were influenced by my excitement. Spring always feels like a fresh start, in fact, I prefer to think of spring as the beginning of the year, rather than January 1st … but we’ll talk about this some other time. In my opinion, there’s nothing better than kicking off the new beginning (?) with something fresh. And let’s be honest, what is more fresh than a pair of white Nike’s, which go so well with … anything?! Same goes for the light beige trench coat -you can style it both in a casual and more formal way. A pair of new jeans never hurt nobody right? I don’t know about you, but personally, I could never have too many pairs of jeans 😉 And an ‘easy’ t-shirt, because you want to feel free while enjoying the long-expected arrival of spring. And even if you think the colour is more suitable for fall, I really like it because it contrasts the rest of the items, and it definitely catches the eye.

MISSGUIDED

Top / Joggers / Jacket / Dress
I have always been a fan of the khaki colour, and whenever I see something in ths colour, it doesn’t matter what it is, it doesn’t matter what the weather’s like, I want the khaki thing! So understandably, I couldn’t stay away from it, when i was picking these pieces from Missguided. The top looks really comfy, as it is quite loose and it’s perfect for spring time with its shorter sleeves. A pair of joggers, I think, is something everyone needs to have! They’re the comfiest! The khaki ones that you see above, however, don’t look like typical sweatpants (it’s the colour, right?!). Personally, I’d wear them to uni, on a more casual day, when I’m in a hurry or I know I’ll have a long day and I want to be comfortable. The jacket is a killer! It’s fake suede, so basically you’ll look amazing, you’re saving money, and no lambs/calves have been killed for your jacket! If this doesn’t make you happy, I don’t know what will. Maybe the white, simple dress? I wouldn’t go for the over-the-knee boots tho, maybe nude high heels, if you’re going out? I know there are people who think white is not an easy colour to pull off or it’s really hard to keep it clean and you have to be careful throughout the day/night, but sometimes you just have to go for it … Get out of your comfort zone!

BOOHOO

Sweatshirt / Espadrilles / Top / Bag
The items I’ve picked from Boohoo are on the nude/peachy side, which is what a lot of women go for in spring time. I mean after months of wearing dark colours throughout winter, who wouldn’t want a bit of a change? Here you have a white/peachy long-slee sweatshirt, which will probably go really well with the jeans from above. A quite simple nude/pink top that I absolutely loved because of the high neck! A pair of espadrilles, which kind of remind of the famous Chanel espadrilles … but these ones are only £20, and we’re aiming for affordable style, right? And finally you have the pink/peachy cross-body bag that is perfect for adding a bit of colour to your everydayday outfit! Whether you’re dress all black, nude or white, this little bag will definitely grab the attention, and it’s also perfect if you don’t want to carry a big handbag, while running your errands.

And now this goes to all the minimalism lovers – I’d advise you to check out the online store Nobody’s child as well. They have really good-looking pieces that are not expensive at all! If crazy prints or cuts are not your thing, you prefer to keep it simple and not go wild, this store has a lot to offer you!

*Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored. All of this is 100% my opinion and I was not paid by any of the brands mentioned to write any of it!

Happy IWD 2016

(Pictures from Tumblr)
Happy International Women’s Day 2016 to every person who identifies as a woman! I hope you’re all surrounded by happiness, positivity, lots of good vibes … and maybe a few bouquets of flowers? Let’s continue to support and celebrate each other! Let’s treat each other with the kindness and love we all deserve! After all if we want to be respected by men, we have to respect ourselves in the first place! Have a beautiful day, ladies!

xo Vennie

gigi hadid’s gym style

(Similar) Print leggings
(Similar) Cropped Print sweatshirt
(Similar) Light blue trainers / Light grey trainers
(Similar) White frame sunglasses / Light beige frame sunglasses

Gigi Hadid is no doubt one of the most talked about models at the moment! She’s got the body, she’s got the face … but mostly she’s got style! The California born beauty definitely knows how to put her outfits together, even if it’s her gym attire we’re talking about. So here you have a few suggestions, which are quite similar to the clothes Gigi is wearing in the photo above. I hope you like them! There are more posts like this one to follow … stay tuned!

xo Vennie

my coffee-drinking-journey

I started drinking coffee when I was 14 (I think). However, I’ve always known that one day I’d drink coffee and I’d be loving it. You know, some people drink coffee simply because they need their daily dose of caffeine, but in my case it’s different. I may be full of energy, and I’ll still have coffee – I love the smell, the bitter taste, the way it tastes when you add milk. I remember when I was little, whenever my mum bought a pack of freshly ground coffee, I’d go grab the pack and open it and simply take deep breaths with my nose down the pack LOL I probably looked like an addict but I didn’t realise it back then. My mum would always tell me to stop because it was bad but I just simply loved the smell of coffee (I still do). I didn’t start drinking double espressos right away. In fact, it took my quite a while to grow to love the taste of espresso coffee. So here you have my 6 year (and counting) long journey of drinking coffee, which also includes my favourite drinks.

(Picture from MssNaturalBeauty)
At first, I used to drink a shot of espresso (we had an espresso machine at home, as my mum and dad drink espressos only) with lots of milk. I remember my mum used to tell me all the time (in a joking manner) that even though I thought I was drinking coffee, I was actually drinking milk … with some coffee. However, at that time, it felt okay. Unlike my dad, I can’t add sugar to my coffee – it just tastes awful, in fact, I used to think that having sugar is worse than not having it (like my mum who drinks her coffee unsweetened). So milk was my alternative.

(Picture from c.debus on Instagram)
One day when I was out with friends at a café, I found out that a latte is actually what I was having at home, so whenever I went out, I’d always order a latte. I still do, even though for health reasons, I always ask if I can have it with soy milk. I absolutely love the way some baristas make your latte. In fact, I think it’s an actual form of art! Check out this post, if you’re still not convinced about it.

(Picture from captain-espresso on Tumblr)
Espressos are another coffee drink I love, however, as I mentioned above, it took me quite a while to get used to the taste. But now … I am absolutely addicted! All of my friends find it weird that I drink my espressos just like that – no sugar, no milk, no anything! This is how I like it, I guess you could just say I’m my mother’s daughter! On a morning when I need extra push I go for a double espresso, and that is when I wake up for real haha

When it comes to cappuccinos and mochas, for example, it’s not that I don’t like them, but I’m just simply not a big fan of having a huge amount of foam in my cup instead of actual coffee (like ?!?!), as well as any kind of syrup or chocolate that would make my coffee sweet.

If you want to learn some more about the different kinds of coffee drinks there are, then definitely check out this coffee definitions post! Good luck and happy coffee drinking!

xo Vennie

the coffee and fashion blog

Welcome to my personal space on the Internet! This blog will mainly include the two things I’m most passionate about – coffee & fashion! As a regular coffee drinker and an avid fashion follower, I hope I manage to blend these two well here, on my blog and make your stay worth!

xo Vennie