2010 Fall/Winter Fashion Trend: Socks

Normally a humble accessory that most women hide, SOCKS turned out to be very popular on the Fall/Winter 2010 runways. However, it goes without saying that not all socks are all off a sudden fashionable ;)  

To compliment your 2010 wardrobe condiser investing in some of the following styles:

♥ Knee high socks

♥ Over the knee socks

♥ Thigh high socks

This season, socks can be the ideal way to winterize your favourite skirts, dresses or shorts. Over the knee socks are just as good casual as they are dressy. Perfect with your favourite boots and shorts, skirts or baggy dresses or even more perfect when the night comes with towering heels and fitted dresses.

Here are some simple pointers to get the thigh high socks and knee high socks fashion trend right:
♥ Wear your knee-high or over-the-knee socks under tall boots, adding extra warmth and a little color flair to the top of your boot. It is okay for socks to stick up over the top rim of the boot, just make sure the color or pattern of your socks coordinates with the rest of your outfit.
♥ Wear knee-high and over-the-knee socks with short dresses, shorts, and skirts. However make sure your clothing doesn't overpower the socks, creating a large cluster of fabric. The hem of your clothing piece should also not go below the middle of your thigh.
♥ Wear knee high and over-the-knee socks with heels or boots. Taller boots whether UGG style or leather look trendy with socks underneath. Closed toe heels or open-toe heels can be worn carefully, giving the trend a more polished and girly look.
♥ Don't wear short or bulky socks. Bulky socks were in style in 2007 and styles seldom repeat themselves quickly. Go for tight-fitting socks.
♥ Try and experiment knee-high or over-the-knee socks with leggings. Leggings that are sheer and/or patterned can add warmth and a whole new look.
♥ Don't go for the school-girl look!! Avoid pairing socks with plaid skirts :p

♥ Whether you have big or small legs, knee-high and over-the-knee socks can compliment your bone structure. People with bigger thighs should wear socks just below the knee for a smaller-thigh look, while those with smaller thighs can wear over-the-knee socks to highlight their small thighs. Try both styles on to see what you like best!

What do you think of this trend? I love it :) I picked up some woolen knit over the knee socks when I was in London so thought I'd share a quick OOTD of how I wore my over the knee socks yesterday :)

♥ Navy sweater by ZARA (also available in red or camel online here)

♥ Demin Skirt by GAP (current collection - buy online here)

♥ Woolen grey over the knee socks by H&M

Later that I went into the city and was just blown away by all the lovely Autumn colours!

So just had to get my camera out to take some photo's:

Beautiful right? :) Are all the trees in autumn colours where you live? xoxo

Baking: Dutch Speculaas Chunks

Being quite the typical girlie girl, I love cooking and baking! While on my job 'hiatus' I have loved cooking dinner for my parents every night and with the recent colder weather; I have really gotten into the baking spirit! On a dark, cold and rainy day nothing can beat  home baked goodies right? Yummmm.

In the anticipation of winter and St Nicolas here in The Netherlands the shops are filled with lots of lovely wintery 'Speculaas' goodies! Speculaas is a type of distinctively spiced flavoured shortcrust biscuit, traditionally baked for consumption on St Nicholas' Eve in the Netherlands (December 5). However, in recent decades it has become available all year round. Speculaas are thin, very crunchy, slightly browned and, most significantly, have some image or figure stamped on the front side before baking. Overseas speculaas is often sold as Dutch Windmill cookies! Beside the famous Windmill cookies there are various types of Speculaas treats available ranging from cakes, muffins to biscuits in many shapes and sizes. Because I am a HUGE fan of anything Speculaas I wanted to try my hand at baking some myself! 

So today I present to you: Speculaas Chunks! Don't they look amazing? 

Ingredients:

200g self raising flour

100g butter

125g soft brown sugar

a pinch of salt

2 tbsp milk

5 tsp speculaas spice mix (see below)

handful of sliced or halved almonds (optional)

(click image to enlarge)

Next? Time to start baking!! 

1. Cut the butter into pieces, add the self raising flour & cut the butter into smaller pieces using 2 knives.

2. Add the sugar, salt, milk and spice mix.

3. Knead the mixture together with your hands until it forms a nice dough.

4. Make a ball of the dough & wrap this in plastic foil & leave to rest in the fridge for 1-2 hours (this will develop the delicious flavour)

5. Preheat the oven to 170°C (338°F). Take the dough out of the fridge and roll out the on baking paper to create a slab of around 1 cm thickness. 

6. Brush the slab with a little bit more milk (this will give it a nice coating once baked)

7. Optional - Lightly press sliced or halved almonds into the dough

Now place into the oven and bake at 170°C for about 30 minutes.

Leave the Speculaas to cool on a rack. Once cold, break into chunks and ENJOY!

These biscuits are seriously delicious with a cup of hot chocolate/coffee or tea. I introduced some of my friends in NZ to Speculaas & they absolutely loved it! But this posts comes with a small warning: these chunks can be very additive haha! Once I have one bite, I find it hard to restrain myself :p Nom Nom....

Let me know if you try making these, would love to know your thoughts :)

Hope you've all had a great Hump Day! xoxo

I finally got NAKED >

Ever since the HUGE praise started in the blogosphere about the Urban Decay NAKED palette months ago, I knew this palette was something I just HAD to get my hands on! One little problem, it wasn't available in The Netherlands :( So I waited and waited...but as soon as I was in London and saw it calling my name at Debenhams, I was sold! So I know this is a little late and there's already a million other reviews out there about this palette, but just thought I'd quickly put in my two pennies worth :)

The NAKED Palette in its full glory! (hehe can you spot me in the mirror?)

What does Urban Decay say:

"These neutrals won't leave you naked. THIS is how Urban Decay does neutral: Far from a group of boring beige shadows, this long, lean, seductive case is packed with TWELVE gorgeous neutrals. Shades range from delicate champagnes to dark, gritty gunmetal. This is a shadow palette that everyone will want, everyone can use, and everyone will buy. Experiment with office-appropriate neutrals, summertime bronzy looks, or sultry smokiness (achieve golden, brownie, or grey-hued shade combos). With all this at your fingertips…you'll hardly need clothes at all."

The palette is packaged in a beautiful velvet chocolate brown case and contains 12 full sized eyeshadows, a double-ended version of the award-winning 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero (black) and Whisky (a warm brown shade without sparkle) and a miniature bottle of Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

The palette contains 7 existing shades and 5 brand new ones. You'll get:

Permanent collection shades:

♥ Gunmetal (gray with silver sparkle)

♥ Half Baked (subtle, lustrous bronze)

♥ Naked (matte buff nude)

♥ Sidecar (cocoa with golden sparkle sheen)

♥ Sin (champagne shimmer)

♥ Smog (coppery chocolate bronze)

♥ Toasted (rich copper)

Brand new shades:

♥ Buck (matte nutmeg)

♥ Creep (onyx with golden sparkle)

♥ Darkhorse (bronze patina)

♥ Hustle (plum bronze satin)

♥ Virgin (satin chamois)

Swatched from L to R: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, 

Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

All summed up: 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this palette! Why? 

♥ Gorgeous range of colours and textures: everything from glitter, to shimmer to matte.

♥ Great pigmentation; the shades go on smooth, blend perfectly and stay put all day and night.

♥ Every shade is usable. You can create numerous looks; from a subtle neutral eye to using the shimmery & darker colours to create a more sexy and sultry look. 

♥ Great value for money; 12 full sized eyeshadows, 2 eyeliners & a primer for only £27 or US$44.

♥ Size; the packaging is super sleek & therefore perfect to put in your purse or take traveling with you.

Here the first FOTD (of many more to come) using my new beloved NAKED palette: 

♥ Eyes:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Sidecar (all over lid)

Urban Decay Darkhorse (outer corner of lid, crease & lower lashline)

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil in Zero (waterline + smudged into upper lashline)

MaxFactor Calorie 2000 Mascara

Honestly I'd recommend the Urban Decay NAKED palette for every girl, even if you are not a huge cosmetics collector. This is one product I feel is a must have & I can guarantee you won't be disappointed! 

Do you own NAKED and are you as besotted with it as I am? xoxo

Want to look fresh & awake?

Most of you are probably familiar with the concept of wearing white eyeliner on the waterline of your lower lashline to help brighten and widen the eye. And if you didn't know this, well, then you've learned something new today! :p  Even though some people swear by this look, I have to admit that most of the time I tend line my waterline with darker eyeliners or leave it au naturel, because I find that the white liner look can looked a little harsh on me...

Then, recently I read in a fashion magazine about the latest nude eyeliner from Chanel's 2010 Fall line and was instantly intrigued. Their Chanel Intense Le Crayon Khol - Clair (#69) is a nude/flesh toned liner, with no hit of shimmer - which makes it ideal for opening up the eyes, enhancing a wide eye look without the stark feeling that a white liner can sometimes give.  Keen to try out this product; I went to the Chanel counter and got this limited edition eyeliner. 

I love how it brightens my eye in a soft way, blends, looks natural and makes my eyes look bigger without a noticeable white line.  I also adore that Chanel supplies a sharpener with their eyeliners.

Great product to use on those days where you look like you could have done with a few extra hours in bed ;) Plus it can also be used as a nude lipliner!

Only one small negative: I wish the pencil was a little softer, more kohl-like. It's quite hard and therefore you have to go over it a few times to get the proper effect. But overall I think this is a great buy for people that want to brighten their eyes and look FRESH and awake! 

Ps: I have also read a lot about Benefit's Eye Bright Liner...

What do YOU use to brighten your eyes, any recommendations? xoxo