Swimwear I've Been Loving This Summer

Hey everyone,

as long as the sun is shining I'd like to share which kinds of bikini's, bathing suits, and bathing accessories I went for this summer:


This year's favorite of mine was the French label Princess Tam Tam. The colorful bikini on the lower left corner comes with a little matching clutch and the green burlesque style bikini (I'm wearing it on pic below) is my absolute must-have for this season, even though I got it a while back - I just never got the chance to wear it properly! The strapless red bathing suit looks really sophisticated when worn with the pareo and sun glasses.
What I also liked to wear to the beach (on as tanned skin as possible!!) was the little white bikini by the Italian brand Verdissima. The embroidery is very delicate and feminine and I matched this style with some inexpensive sun-glasses (but they don't look it & I've got them on Waikiki!!) and the big white beach bag by the French label Chacok that comes with a cute purse.
One thing I have to say beside the fact that these little beach treats totally enhance my vacation fun: They come with a water-resistant bag and tons of plastic (= water-resistant) labels telling the new owner how to take care of them. Aside from the usual directions saying that you should wash them delicately after each use with mild soap, they also say that you should not get them in contact with chlorine water - which is basically present in every single swimming pool on this planet!! I confess, I am not an expert on textiles, but isn't it a little much to ask of the customer to not swim in a pool in order to keep the garments looking good?! The way they promote it, they're saying that I shouldn't get too close to the water front with their stuff apart from the labels and the wrapping :( I still did and I can't complain, the quality of the swimwear remains nice but, really, this warning should be eliminated!

Here's a pic of me wearing the shimmering green Princess Tam Tam bikini:


What have you been wearing this summer? Do your bikinis come with the same weird directions for use?

Much love and enjoy the sun to the fullest,
your Sam xx

From Sophisticated to Bohemian... in no time!

Dear readers,

as much as I love to talk about make-up, fashion, and all things beautiful - sometimes I can't be bothered to spend all that much time doing my make-up routine. I remember one day in particular, when I had 2 hrs to have pictures taken in an old building looking as neat as possible and immediately after dancing on a roof top during sunset appearing all free and watching the world go by... I had no time to redo my make-up whatsoever, so I had a little thought beforehand on which cosmetic products might be working for both settings. Once applied, I could forget about "my face" and just focus on everything else...

So, which make-up style has a jolie and a gypsy in common?! I came up with this idea:


I used the Clarins Truly Matte Foundation (shade 02- pale ivory) and the Express Compact Foundation (shade 02- porcelain beige) and dotted some liquid blush from the Rouge Bunny Rouge Decadent Duo (color: enredo) on my cheeks. The gloss of the duo (color: samba) went on my lips, of course. For my eyes, I put on the gorgeous shimmering mauve mineral Overshadow by The Balm (shade: If you're rich, I'm single) all over the lid and into the crease. I lined and smudged my eyes with my favorite Benefit kohl pencil (color: sable). I knew that it was supposed to be a hot day and this kohl pencil could smear up in humid weather, so I let the liner dry a little and then put it on a second time before smudging it with the sponge tip. Please note that this pencil is discontinued. They got exchanged with the Benefit automatic liner duo pencils. I tested them when they first came out and I thought they were awful! They did not go evenly on my lash line and when I tried to smudge them they were gone immediately because their texture was way too creamy! So, I stocked up on the older ones before they disappeared :) To finish my look I put on 2 coats of the Benefit Bad Gal Lash mascara (in black). Et voilà!

This is kinda what it looked like in the end...

The clothes you see:
gyspy couture - Chacok (skirt/dress), Aubade (top)
jolie couture - Aubade (top), H&M (jacket), leggings- no idea which brand!


I had a fun day thanks to the awesome photographer Andrea Lavezzaro!

Are you surprised sometimes by how easy it is to change your outward appearance? What tells you more about a person? Their dress-code, or their behavior?
I have the feeling that everyone ultimately judges others by their words and actions but it takes a little while until we get a clear picture... in the meanwhile, we have no choice other than to "look" at each other... in the internet world this might be particularly hard but I'm eager to make a contribution to keep it a personal and fun place to hang out.
your gypsy xxx