Shopping Ban!

Like many people -especially women- I have a shopping addiction. When I'm bored, I go shopping. When I feel sad, I go shopping. But I also often go shopping for no apparent reason, or just because I want to buy something. And it doesn't matter whether it's online, or in local stores. I just have to shop!

My current obsession: black/white dresses

Whenever there's something I really want to have, I can only resist it for so long. It keeps popping up in my head, until I finally decide to buy it. And then -of course- I get buyer's remorse. Usually because it was something I didn't need, or because it was more expensive than I can afford.

I did one online order again next week, because I couldn't resist. Heavily discounted shoes, a cardigan, and a black/white dress. All very nice, but I do feel quite guilty! So I decided that this should be my last order in a while. Hence the title: Shopping ban!

I'm going to ban myself from shopping for 2 weeks. I will allow myself to go to the shopping mall or to visit online shops, but I'm not allowed to buy anything. And no excuses! No things such as: "I had a bad day so this purchase doesn't count".


The only things which will be excluded, will be:

• Groceries (naturally)
• Personal hygiene (shampoo, shaving accessories, toothpaste, etc)
• Daily make-up (foundation, powder, blush, mascara)

If I manage to keep up with it for the upcoming two weeks, I'll reward myself by buying something. Just something nice for myself, such as a cute top, or a nice lipstick. And then I'll set another shopping ban for myself.

So let's see how this will turn out!

How about you?
Do you also have a shopping addiction?


Love,
Nonette

Long time no see!

 

Spring is on our doorstep, but it doesn't seem to really want to push through just yet. I'm sure most of us are longing for the warmth of the sun, and the blossoming flowers again. I know I am!

During winter times I always feel more gloomy, with the cold weather and the dark days. Spring is probably my favorite season, because it's neither too warm, nor too cold. And I just love to see all the young animals, and to see the trees slowly become more and more green. I enjoy life most in spring.

A while ago I wrote that I was going to lease a horse, but because of several circumstances I had to call it off. Which is a shame, but I'm now in search of other possibilities to be able to be among horses more often.

As for my blog, I re-named it to 'The Equestrienne', because I feel blog names related to lolita fashion don't suit me anymore. Horses are a very important part of my life, so that's why I decided to call it this way.

But I won't merely blog about horses. I'll simply blog about life, all things I feel like writing about, all the things I like. I hope to at least be able to blog once a week, so let's hope I'll feel inspired enough!

Maison Martin Margiela Clearance Sale!

As most of you may know, H&M launched the Maison Martin Margiela collaboration collection in November. Apparently many items don't sell all that well, because they already landed on the sale page!

I thought it would be nice to make a list of my favourite picks which are still available, but for a good price! I personally think the prices of designer collabs always are very steep, so I never really buy anything from them. But this time, there's a lot left, and a lot of stuff I like a lot.

The first thing I noticed when the collection was launched, were these shoes with an acrylic heel! I absolutely adore them, but they were way out of my budget. They've now been discounted from €199 to €70.

I myself won't buy them though, because I have read they're very uncomfortable. But if you're one of those girls who choose fashion over comfort: hurry up before they sell out!

Next up are two dresses. I personally didn't like much of the actual clothes, but these are lovely!

This blue one is a horizontally worn dress. Perhaps not very suitable for your everyday wardrobe, but it's just such a fun design! I'd love to wear this dress.

The next one is my very favorite, because it's very pretty and classy. Half of it is a long evening dress, the other half a little black dress. The asymmetrical design looks great, it's experimental yet classy. I don't understand how this one isn't sold out yet.

Next is the upside-down bag. I really love it, and it's very decently priced now, too! My current budget sadly doesn't allow me to buy it, but I'd love to own such a fun bag.
I might be unable to resist it and get it after all, though.
















Next are two of the watch accessories. One is a watch belt, the other a bracelet. I love both of them, I think they'd look great worn. Sadly, I think they're still a little too expensive to justify buying them, even with half off the price.

And here's the two things I did order:

The first one is a hair lock necklace, which is a fun accessory and only costs €5. The other is the hitched-up skirt, which is one of my favorites from the collection, and I was lucky to be able to order it in my size! I really like the hitched-up side, it's an experimental yet wearable piece.

Are you planning on getting anything from the sale?
I'm thinking of getting more, especially the upside-down bag, but I probably shouldn't. It's very tempting, though! I like this collaboration because it's very outspoken, and it definitely takes guts to wear some of the pieces.


Love,

Nonette

Today's look

Hello readers,

The other day I read an article, which had some tips on how to help yourself to feel more happy. Autumn has arrived, the days are getting shorter, it's cold and rainy... it often affects people when summer is over, and when we're slowly moving on to winter.

So I decided to share this tip with you, because I'm definitely willing to try it! Research has proven that when people feel down, they often don't spend much time on their appearance, because they don't feel like it. But, when you do spend time on your appearance, you feel better and more confident about yourself! It can make your day a little brighter.

You can spend time on your entire outfit, or just a small detail. Wear your favorite necklace, for example. Or wear your most beautiful dress with your favorite pair of heels. Or you could simply spend some extra time on fun makeup. Even a bit of your favorite perfume would do!
It really helps when you wear something which makes you feel good, even on those days when you feel like doing absolutely nothing.

Today, I decided to spend some extra time on my makeup. I've been really lazy lately when it comes to doing my makeup. I usually pick a natural color eyeshadow, some mascara, and that's it.

I decided to try out a look I saw in a magazine not too long ago, but I made it a little more suitable for daily wear.

The products I used are:

Yellow: Bourjois Smoky Eyes Trio 02 Or Baroque

Green: L'Oréal Paris Quad Pro 360 Kaki Taupe

Purple: Sephora Midnight Kiss N° 34

Mascara: Chanel Inimitable Intense 10 Noir

Eyebrow pencil: Rimmel London 001 Dark Brown

Concealer: Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer 1 Light

Foundation: Diorskin Nude 010 Ivory

Powder: Clinique Blended Face Powder 20 Invisible blend

Blush: L'Oréal Paris Le Blush 115 True Rose

Here's the complete look. I decided to keep everything besides my eyes natural, because too much is never good. I like the way I look on the photo, even if it took some retouching. Because believe it or not, I have a huge red spot on my nose. Very charming, right? Thank God for concealer and Photoshop!

I hope you like today's look. What kind of makeup, clothing or accessory would you wear if you'd want to cheer yourself up?

Lastly, I would like to change my banner, but I have no idea how I would like it to look... suggestions are welcome!

Love, Nonette

Changes

Hello readers,

I'm so sorry for the lack of updates! I don't have proper internet access at my home and my landlord won't fix it, so I don't have the opportunity to update on a regular basis. It's highly annoying!

Lately, I decided that I don't feel like a lolita anymore. So I decided to not call myself a lolita anymore, and I most likely won't participate much in the lolita community anymore. I used to wear lolita on a regular basis, which later turned to wearing it only occasionally, at events. By now I haven't worn lolita in... probably a year. So I think I've grown out of it, even though I still like the style, and still consider it a hobby of mine.
I also think my interest in wearing it faded because of the changes in the community. When I first got into lolita (which was 2007 or so), it was okay to just wear some pretty make-up. But now, wearing wigs, lenses and eyelashes almost seem like a requirement. I don't feel like a pretty lolita anymore if I don't wear them, so for me the fun is gone. I never liked all those fake things.
I sold all of my lolita clothes, except two dresses and a blouse and cutsew, and some accessories I love. I'm still planning on wearing them every now and then. It's just that there are other things in my life now, which make me much happier. I've come to realize that in the end, lolita fashion really is just clothes.

One of the most important things in my life right now, are horses. When I started to wear lolita, I forgot how much I love horses and what a positive influence they have on my mood and confidence. I never got such a positive energy from anything else.

I'll get some photo's of horses printed soon, and these two will most likely be printed and framed. Most people who know me on Facebook already know these are two of my favorite photo's. I just can't get anough of them.

On the photo on the left you can see me with Omo, the pony I started out with a year and a half ago. She made me gain trust, and I did my first bareback canter in 10 years on her back!

The one on the right is me and Moira, a lovely Friesian. I was a little scared of tall horses, but she helped me gain trust. One fun fact: She always refuses to lift up one of her hind feet, but I managed to do so once I started feeling more comfortable around her. Things like that are a great confidence boost, so looking at this photo reminds me that you can get over fears, and that more self-confidence has a positive effect for yourself and others.

---

To close off this entry, I decided to post some pictures of one of my recent looks. As I said before, the trends I currently like are:
- Peter pan collars
- Studs and spikes
- Crosses

I'm not wearing any crosses on these photo's, but I am wearing some of my favourite things. Including my new boots! I was very lucky to find them in my size, because they were constantly sold out. Do you like them?

I'm also wearing my new mascara in the photo's, which is a new favourite of mine. It's the Chanel Inimitable Intense mascara. If anyone's interested, I might do a review!

That's all for now, I hope you liked the pictures, and that you're having a lovely autum.

Love, Nonette

Black or white, can't decide!

Hello dear readers!

How have you been? I have been quite busy with this and that, but I'm not updating my blog to write about that.

What I do want to write about is: peter pan collars!
I see them everywhere in the shops, and even though I've never been fond of blouses in lolita fashion with peter pan collars, I must say I really love this 60's style peter pan collar.

I'd been eyeing a dress for a while, and after a couple of weeks of checking if my size was still available, I decided to get it last week. But today, I saw a top which I also very much wanted to have, so I got it. But the problem is, they're very similar to each other, and I'm planning to return one of the two.

Which one do you like better? The top or the dress?

The dress has offwhite pearls sewn onto the collar, and the black one has white and silver pearls attached to it. I like them both an awful lot, so I'm having some difficulties as to which one I should return!

Other than that, I bought a small make-up organizer. It's really convenient! I always have my make-up stuffed in make-up bags, so I can never easily find what I need in the mornings. But now I can pick the thing I want to use without first searching for it, and just put it back right after using it. I think it will really help me to keep my make-up organized!

I put all the make-up in it which I use on a daily or regular basis. Doesn't it look neat?

See you again next time!

~ Nonette

Latest purchases!

Hello, dear readers!

It's been a while! I'm sad to say I've been a little uninspired lately when it comes to blogging. Many people use their blog to post pictures of themselves and their outfits and such, but I don't feel that comfortable with placing my face publicly on the internet too much. So I'm searching a bit for what I want to blog about, and what would be interesting for people to read about. Suggestions are welcome!

I did, however, create a simple watermark for my pictures, and I'll soon change the header of my blog! I want to bring some new life into this place.

That said, I wanted to show you my latest purchases. I've been shopping online at Zara.com, and stumbled upon some lovely sale items! I just had to place an order. I found a lovely blouse, and an awesome jacket. The items arrived yesterday, and I'm very happy with both of them! They had a massive discount, so they were a bargain!

I'd like to show you the blouse first. It's a very sheer and airy necktie blouse, which is very elegant and sophisticated. I wore it with my Moi-même-Moitié jeweled cross pendant, to give it an EGA inspired look. I really like how the blouse can be worn in either a dressy, or a casual way!

I only noticed after purchasing that the blouse is made out of mulberry silk. I'm not a very big fan of silk, which I mentioned in my previous post, but it does feel very soft and luxurious. I'll pay more attention to it the next time I order at Zara, though.

Next up is the jacket! I try to add more colour into my wardrobe, and when I saw this jacket I knew I had to buy it. Selecting a size was a bit troublesome, because Zara jackets tend to run small. But I decided to order it in my own size regardless, and thankfully it fits perfectly! Definitely wouldn't need a bigger size for this one.

I'm very happy with it, and I love the studs! The material is a very nice cotton and linen blend, and the color is a very bold red with an orange hue. I absolutely love it, and what I love even more is that it was discounted from €69,95 to €14,95!

I'm still searching for my own fashion style, because I like so many different things. I think this post really shows the two opposite sides of what I like. A studded biker jacket and a silk bowtie blouse? Two very different things, yet they perfectly suit my taste.