I got a heat wave burning in my heart

This morning I was so sad to say goodbye to the heat wave that had been delighting us for the past two weeks. I have to admit though, that during the hot season it’s really difficult to pull off a decent outfit because everything comfortable looks rather boring. Fashion wise I’m more of a fall/winter person anyway, so my closet is filled with color black, sweaters, cardigans, wool and other thick materials. Nothing truly suitable for crazy hot summer days like these.

Luckily, I was able to find something really light weight and decent summer wear while I was in Stockholm. So, it’s no wonder my outfit for the past three days has been this loose, sleeveless button-up dress from MTWTFSS paired with relaxed as ever cycling shorts from the same line. I fell so much in love with the shorts that I had to get a another pair in black too. Finally I have something in closet that can be worn during those extremely hot days. So, heat wave, bring it on!


Shirt dress: MTWTFSS
Cycling shorts: MTWTFSS
Shoes: Vagabond
Bag: Zara
Necklace: Ann Demeulemeester

Hair play

I colored my hair the other day, it’s a bit more dark brown now and more closer to my natural hair color. The hair dye should fade in about 24 washes but let’s see how long it will last. I’ve been asked about how I do my hair a couple of times now, so I thought I’d let you in on my secrets.


Top: MTWTFSS
Specs: Monki

My hair is naturally wavy, so basically the waves you see in my hair are all au naturel. However, to get them even more curly, after a wash I usually squeeze the wet hair with a towel here and there to create curly locks. I like to towel dry my hair and never really use a blow dryer, unless I’m in a hurry. This way my hair dries wavy, yet manageable.

 As you probably have noticed, sometimes I like to wear my hair shorter in a 1920’s style soft bun (with a messy rock twist of course), and to achieve this look I simply gather some hair in a bun on the back, add some bobby pins to hold the bun, loose some strands of hair from the back and sides by pulling and lifting them with my fingers. Then I add either some spray-in moisturizer or curling balm to achieve the curly volume and voila, the hairdo is done. Very rarely do I use a straightining iron to get my bangs a bit like the 70’s style.

My haircare products usually consist of any shampoo and conditioner you can get from your local super market (such as L’oreal El Vital or Pantene) but since I’ve been handed a few free products, I’ve moved towards professional salon products. Lately my hair has been washed and conditioned with John Frieda’s “Brilliant Brunette Shine Release” which I’ve grown to like quite a bit, due to the fact that my extremely dry hair feels so soft and manageable after the wash. Afterwards I have added either Kadus’ “Slalom Curl Balm” or 4R’s “Moisture Mist“; a moisturizing conditioner spray which my hairdresser recommended and usually travels with me everywhere I go. For shine I add “Shine Drops” by Generic Value Products which you can find at Sally’s in the States. They are actually a less expensive version of Paul Mitchell’s Gloss Drops, if anyone is wondering what the heck am I talking about. Recently I have discovered a very similar product from L’oreal called “Lumino Contrast Nutriceride” which works just as good. The orange bottle in the picture is the latest addition to my collection and it’s actually very handy when you want to create natural looking waves and more volume in your hair. The product is called “Salt Spray” by Fudge. I think you can get most of these products from your local hair salon.

Some of you readers have encouraged me to try a more radical look but believe me: been there, done that. I’ve grown to like this more natural look that creates a softer tone for me and brings contrast to my otherwise so harsh style. Bangs are also a must for me, basically can’t live without them, so they will stick and stay no matter what. However, I think I am in a need of a trim, so maybe something other than this very minor coloring operation might be happening on the hair front. We’ll see…

I would go out tonight but I haven’t got a stitch to wear

Heya, I just came back from an extremely hot Morrissey gig where the This Charming Man was the opening song, hence the title. So glad they played The Smiths songs too! Soon I’m heading to the official after party with some friends. It seems that a heat wave has finally reached Finland (apparently I took the weather with me from Spain) and requires easy dressing for the evening. I chose harem pants, relaxed top and nude colored sandals which by the way, are all new acquiries from Spain and Sweden. Tomorrow I’m probably heading to the country side to say hello to some cows. Should be fun.


Top: MTWTFSS
Bikini top: Mango
Pants: Zara
Shoes: Zara
Bag: Second hand
Ring: Kalevala Koru

 

R.I.P. Michael Jackson. We will miss you dearly.

Barcelona, part 2

Before I visited Barcelona, I had this idea of it as being Europe’s southern mecca of fashion. However, my knowledge of Spanish fashion was basically limited to international chains such as Zara, Mango and Custo Barcelona. Those stores are very much present in Spain but there is much more bubbling under the surface.
Barcelona offers fashion that is suitable for every wallet. There are the pricey high end stores alongside with the cheaper chain stores and smaller independent boutiques. I have to confess that I mainly shopped at Zara just because the local style was a bit too bohemian for my minimalistic taste. Ok, the Zara prices being about 1/3 less than in Finland affected my decisions, too. From the chain stores I really fell in love with the accessory department of Üterque, and from the local designers Lurdes Bergada & Syngman Cucala were closest to my heart with their dark tones and strange cuts. I also advice checking out the Finnish born designer Cecilia Sörensen’s boutique Still Light and a little shoe store called Le Shoe which sells designer shoes with discount prices. From the malls I mainly recommend Boulevard Rosa; others were a bit too mainstream for my taste. Other than that, my tip is just to wonder around the streets in different parts of the city ie. Gràcia, El Born and El Raval; that’s the best way to find hidden treasures of Barcelona.
Barcelonian street style was rather relaxed: lots of harem pants, wedge sandals, cotton and other lightweight material dresses were seen on the streets. The weather affects a lot; it’s quite hot during the summer, so you will want to wear something comfortable and light. I chose to wear mainly shorts, lose shirts and sandals, as you might notice from the pictures.
Overall I recommend shopping in Barcelona, especially if you are a girl.

Top: MTWTFSS
Shorts: Zara
Studded bag: Zara
Mom jeans: Second hand
Shoes: MTWTFSS

A special thanks to all the lovely readers who shared with me with their best Barca tips. Especially this map created by Anu (sorry only in Finnish) was excellent!