Zalando Solved My Little Black Dress Crisis (and it’s Kitty-Approved too)!

In recent years I have been really attracted to bold colors and patterns when it comes to clothes. If you take a look at Belgian street style, you’ll see that a lot of girls really aren’t afraid of colors. They know what suits them best, they know how to throw colors together, and there’s something about it that’s cheerful and statement-making. However, when I was asked to wear a little black dress for the Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire event, I panicked: little black dress? I don’t have one! I was lucky enough to find a good one in time for the occasion, but the experience has taught me that good black dresses, like good black pumps, are something that practically every woman should have in their arsenal. After looking around a little, I found this French Connection Alicia Cocktail Dress on Zalando and ordered it!

Levi’s Curve ID Fitting: Jeans for Every Curve!

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this here, but for the past few years I’ve been wearing nothing but skirts and dresses. They are no-brainers. I basically pick one, throw it on, and that’s my outfit of the day. You can dress them up or down; paired with turtle necks and cardigans they can even see you through winter.

All is good, but that’s not why I never wear jeans.

I never wear jeans because shopping for jeans is one of the most frustrating experiences in my life, and I am not keen on repeating it. It seems that every time I walk into the store and take some pairs that are supposed to be my size into the fitting room, I only come out feeling oversized and out of place. Two things I have learnt from the Levi’s Curve ID fitting? 1) It’s not about the size, it’s about the CURVE. 2) When jeans don’t fit, it’s not you, it’s them.

The Curve ID system came out a couple of years ago, but naturally I have not heard about them until some friends raved about it recently because I had long stopped trying to find jeans. Finally a brand realized shopping for jeans is a source of frustration for women, so Levi’s did a 3D scan on a large number of women to come up with three curves (now there is a 4th, Supreme Curve): Slight Curve, Demi Curve, and Bold Curve. With this system, apparently 80-90% of the women can find jeans easily. It really isn’t about the size. I know a girl who is extremely slender with a bold curve, and apparently that’s no news for Levi’s!

Earlier this week I finally decided to investigate if I can finally find some jeans with the new system, and I had such a great time in the Levi’s store. I ended up going home with a pair of High Rise Skinny and kept raving about it on Twitter. To be honest I had never ever been able to pull a pair of skinnies up past my calves before, and when the SA suggested I try I was so sure the whole fitting session was going to crash and burn, but I basically jumped right into them! I even made my bestie try, and now we have the same jeans! My enthusiasm also got me an invitation to the Levi’s store on Kammenstraat, Antwerp to find out more about Curve ID. Want to see me getting measured and trying on new jeans?

Would You Help Me Make My Wish List for the First Friends & Family Sale in Belgium?

Hey everyone!

Happy Saturday! I hope your weekend is treating you well. I’m going to a friend’s tonight for a girls’ night in, but other than that with this weather not much else has been planned.

I was overexcited this week when the mail lady gave me a letter with the invitation to the ICI PARIS XL Friends & Family sale! ICI PARIS XL and I go way back. The first time I came to Belgium (for a month in 2006), I spent SO much time there gawking at perfumes (I think I went home with three). When I came back to live it is also where I get most of my high-end makeup/perfumes.

I know that Freidns & Family sales are common in the US, but in Belgium this is virtually the first ever I’ve heard of! The coupons give customers 21% off the member price (which is already lower than the regular price), and I get giddy thinking about what I can get!

So now, dear readers, would you be so kind as to contributing some ideas to my wish list?

I already know I have to get a new bottle of Clinique Take the Day off because I ran out of it a couple of days ago (before I can do that, I’ll just have to live without liquid eyeliner and waterproof mascara). I know I want to try a Guerlain Rouge G, but I don’t know which color. I would also love to lay my hands on the Dior Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum. Has anyone tried this? Does it work for you? I’m open to all other suggestions!

For those of you who don’t live here, ICI PARIS XL carries brands such as Dior, Guerlain, Givenchy, Chanel, YSL, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Lancome, Shiseido, and so on. The sale is on from the 20th till the 26th, and I’d really appreciate any ideas you might have!

Would you help?

Sunny, your beauty culture translator xx

Come Shopping with Me! Edition: Antwerp. Focus Store: Shu Uemura

Hey everyone!

Last week I went to the Shu Uemura store in Antwerp. It’s the only Shu Uemura store in Belgium, and I saw many amazing things I want to show you!

Besides the cleansing oil, Shu is famous for false eyelashes. Besides the more everyday pairs, there are many that are beyond your wildest imaginations, such as:

Come Shopping with Me! Edition Brussels. Focus Store: Senteurs d’Ailleurs Part 1: Haute Cosmétique

Hey everyone!

Happy Easter Sunday! Did you do anything to celebrate? I invited my family over for lunch. The cleaning and cooking was a lot of work (let’s safely assume I won’t roast another lamb shoulder till next Easter), but it was so nice to spend some time with them! I also received some chocolate eggs and a chocolate bunny, so hopefully the supply will last me for a while!

Earlier this week I went to Senteurs d’Ailleurs (the literal translation would be scents elsewhere) in Brussels. The store is divided into two parts, the Haute Cosmétique and Haute Parfumerie. In part 1, I will give you a virtual tour of the Haute Cosmétique part. In a couple of days’ time, you will get to visit the Haute Parfumerie. Sounds good? Let’s go!

Kiehl’s is one of the fastest-rising skincare brand in Belgium! I just started testing out their Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution to see if it could get rid of my pigmentation spots (I haven’t started regretting being too slack about sun protection, though I’m sure at some point I will). Of course I have taken a before picture, so that I can follow up and show you the after ones (fingers crossed it’ll work for me)!

Aesop is no stranger to me, but for the Belgians this Australian brand is a new kid on the block. I think I have mentioned that I use their animal cleanser for my brushes very often. I caved in and purchased their Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm that day, and within hours it grew on me! I will give you guys a detailed report soon, but it’s safe to say it has serious HG potential.

I really wanted to try Bumble and Bumble when I was at the Sephora last year, but I was a little afraid my luggage would be overweight. Fear not, however, as the brand is actually available here! Does anyone have any recommendations? I wonder if the Deep Treatment would work well for my long and chemically-treated hair.

Laura Mercier! The makeup artist gave me a little touch-up and recommended some products that will work for my skin tone/type. I will have to look into them soon!

For the life of me I can’t remember why I didn’t try on some Tom Ford lipsticks! I must have been SO distracted with everything that was going on around me! I will have to go back and do that soon!

Some La Mer, anyone? I really liked the tropical aquarium, though I didn’t manage to get one single picture in which the fish isn’t moving so fast that it’s blurry!

Dermalogica is another brand that I have heard so much about but never tried. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Molton Brown has an amazing line-up of bath products, lotions, and so on. I was urged to try some hand wash and lotion, and it was IMPOSSIBLE to pick one out!

Finally, I just had to take a photo of this bar of soap because it’s my cat’s namesake!

Are you familiar with any of these brands? Do you have any recommendations? Have you been to a shop like this? Back in Taiwan I might be able to find these brands in a department store, but the display wouldn’t be half as nice, and it certainly wouldn’t be so spacious!

Sunny, your beauty culture translator xx

PS: Senteurs d’Ailleurs is located at Place Stéphanie 1A, 1050 Brussels. Their website is under construction at the moment, but if you’re interested in finding out what other brands they carry, you can always take a look here.

Special thanks go to Stijn, Tom, and everybody who was so kind and helpful! ♥