Claire's Bargains

About a couple of months ago I decided to have a massive nail varnish clear out, as out of 85 little bottles I had (85!) most of them were either too old to use or simply things that I knew would never be loved again. I thought that maybe I could replace them with colours and brands that I enjoy more nowadays - that's why yesterday I couldn't stop myself from walking into Claire's to pick up an orange nail varnish. The problem is... that's not the only thing I purchased. When I was about to pay, the lovely lady at the counter let me know that they had a 3x5 deal: buy three products, no matter the price, for 5€. How could I say no to that?!

Apologies for the quality of the pictures - my camera died and I had to take them with my phone and the weather's being crazy this afternoon, hence the changes in lighting.

Okay, you tell me, how cute is this Minnie Mouse lip smacker? I'm the kind of person that never has enough lip balms because I usually just throw them in my handbags and then forget where I put them, so I thought having yet another one could do no harm. Plus, cupcake flavoured lip balm? I'm sold. Originally 3.99€.

 

I'm convinced that your happiness is dictated by the glitter on your nails. It may not be scientifically proven (it should be), but I'm a sucker for glitter so that's something I like to believe. Even if it's a pain in the butt to take off. I usually struggle to match the nail varnish I want to use with a glittery one, so nothing better than these nail duos. Originally 8.99€.

Something that I've always been very curious about and have wanted to give a try for a long time is the plush nails trend. I'm not too sure I'm going to like the texture on my nails but I thought if I was ever going to purchase a similar set, I would never find it for less than 1.66€, so it was a no-brainer really. Originally 8.99€.

The nail varnish I wanted to purchase in the first place! I watched Sprinkle of Glitter and Chewing Sand's vlogs a couple of days ago and I just fell in love with Louise's nails. I thought this was a pretty similar tone so I'm excited to try it out!

I would've had to pay about 25€, but with the 3x5 deal I ended up getting all four of these items for 8€. Pretty good, huh? Nothing like bargains to make a shopaholic happy!

Have you tried any of these? 

Let me know!

Tania x

Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin | Soundtracking

July Highlights & Favourites: WWAT, Macklemore & more

 I haven't posted anything since I wrote my Romantically Challenged blog post, which was on June 27th (woah there). On the one hand, I wasn't even home for most of the first part of the month so there was really nothing I could do. Or write, for that matter. On the other hand, I really liked my last post, if I do say so myself, and I was finding it hard to write something that could follow that up. Since it's the start of a new month, though, I figured that a monthly favourites was the perfect excuse to get back on the blogging train!

The first couple of weeks of this month were filled with music (1D's "Where We Are Tour" and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis later on), which basically means I spent my time with friends, walking around Barcelona until the early hours and trying to sneak into fancy hotels - which we failed at. Oh, and running into Harry Styles. You read that right. I ran into Harry Styles at a random bar in the city. The usual. Yup. Also, our French friends came to town so that made our whole adventure a lot more exciting. It's unbelievable how music can make you connect with people. After all, as one of our friends said, being on the road is not so much about what you do but about who's making it all worth it.

And needless to say, both One Direction and Macklemore absolutely killed it live.

 

As expected, after spending a few days surrounded by people night and day, I needed some alone time. I don't even question it or get surprised anymore - I just know it's coming. It wears me out and I know that just enjoying the quiet life for a few days is my system's own way to recharge, so I just obey. Plus, I've come to realize I really enjoy walking down by the river in the evenings. Who knew!

Now here's what I've been loving...

Literature

Paper Towns, by John Green

Last Night I Sang to the Monster, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

TV & Film

A little bit late to the party but I'm hooked on Dawson's Creek! The first few seasons were more entertaining and I'm kind of stuck on the fourth one now but I'm still obsessed. Love me some Pacey Witter. I have also been catching up and loving the fourth season of Teen Wolf (but I do miss the good ol' Stiles & Lydia more than I can tell) and re-watching Charmed because what can I say, I'm a sucker for witches who can kick some ass and have a job at the same time. Give me some supernatural drama and I'm happy.

As for films, I really enjoyed The Fault In Our Stars earlier this month. I applaud both the actors and everyone involved for turning a great book into a great movie.


Makeup

Topshop lipstick "All About Me"
L'Oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim (bless this thing)
Revolution "Iconic 3" palette

July Playlist

Albums:
X - Ed Sheeran
Road Between - Lucy Hale

Songs:
Don't - Ed Sheeran (from X)
Rude - Magic!
And We Danced - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Arrows - Fences ft. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
I Can't Make You Love Me - Adele 
(cover by Kacey Musgraves & Katy Perry)

See you soon,

Tania x

 

Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin | Soundtracking

Romantically Challenged

"Good Lord, he broke all my shields..."

A long time ago, in a faraway land, there was a girl whose little teen heart got broken. Same old story, right? She had been getting her hopes up about something that was going nowhere, but she did not know that at the time. Or maybe she didn't want to. She believed, and wished with all she had, that things would work out in the end. But they didn't. And soon enough she found herself lost, lonely and empty as she could be.

That girl has since then done a lot of growing up. She's learned, without even wanting to, to not trust and give her heart away to the wrong people. The problem is that it's hard to draw a line between wrong and right. Real life villains don't wear black cloaks or carry around dangerous weapons. Nobody warns you beforehand that they might break you if you let them. That's exactly why some people build walls around themselves: you never know who wants to be let in for all the good reasons and who will shoot you straight through the heart as soon as they have the chance. I built the thickest wall around my own heart and, apparently, my ability to get attached to people as well. It was unconsciously that I did so and for a long time I didn't know it was there. I got so used to it that I thought it was normal - you know, just good ol' me being cautious.

All that leads me directly to my next and main point: that wall might be the reason why it really takes a lot for me to like somebody in a serious way. Surely I have lots of "crushes" (I do take the public transport every day and the Train Crush is definitely a thing), but getting to me is not the easiest thing. I want to make clear that it does not mean, in any way or form, that I play hard to get - I absolutely, 100% don't. I am so extremely cautious with people and I tend to overthink and over-worry so much that it is just difficult. But as some may or may not know, the last few months of 2013 were not exactly the highlight of my existence, and so when this new year started I decided to let myself go a little bit, have more fun, stop worrying so damn much. And somewhere along the line I let my guard down.

Very often people don't need to do anything special to get to us. No, not even to my kind. Sometimes it's just what they laugh about, what you hear them say, their bad puns or just the way they seem to be around people. It really does not take much more than that and then - boom, you're doomed. Sometimes you just know the moment you see them. Sometimes it's a progressive realization. And sometimes it just hits you, at the most random times, and you understand that you've known all along. (The next step is telling your friends, who will probably go wait-what on you because you've kept your cool for a few weeks before being really sure of what's happening. Because let's face it, it is happening.)

In the words of Mhairi McFarlane in one of my favourite books I've read this year, You Had Me at Hello...

So there you go. My first serious, oh-god-he's-looked-at-me-I'm-blushing kind of crush in about three years. I wrote most of this post over a month ago and I still feel pretty much the same about it, except that with each passing day I feel a bit more pathetic. I'm starting to think that in some ways I am more attracted to the idea of being able to like someone than I am to the guy himself - but then again, that may just be the passing of time working its magic. I guess we'll never know. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the same thing. You fall, you don't have the guts to speak up and suddenly there's no "right time" because there is no time at all. 

Tania x

 @taniagatz

"You're The One That I Want" by Giovanna Fletcher

Originally from Pinterest as I don't own a physical copy.

In a nutshell

Maddy, dressed in white, stands at the back of the church. At the end of the aisle is Rob - the man she's about to marry. Next to Rob is Ben - best man and the best friend any two people ever had. And that's the problem. Because if it wasn't Rob waiting for her at the altar, there's a strong chance it would be Ben. Loyal and sensitive Ben has always kept his feelings to himself, but if he turned round and told Maddy she was making a mistake, would she listen? And would he be right? 

Best friends since childhood, Maddy, Ben and Rob thought their bond was unbreakable. But love changes everything. Maddy has a choice to make but will she choose wisely? Her heart, and the hearts of the two best men she knows, depend on it...

Thoughts

While I love chick-lit, I was a bit hesitant about giving this one a go. I read Giovanna's debut novel, Billy & Me, a couple of months ago and it really wasn't my cup of tea, so I wasn't sure I would like this one. My love for weddings, though, (and characters named Ben - I can't explain!) led me to give it a try and I'm so glad I did.

Exploring the trouble of a love triangle is no easy task. We have all read books or watched movies/TV shows where they have failed miserably at doing so, making them fight over the girl, who will eventually leave with the bad boy who's deep down a softie, and causing you, as a reader or viewer, to shake your head and even dislike those characters. I'm so pleased to say that's not the case with You're The One That I Want. In my opinion, the situation is handled very realistically, like something you'd imagine happening in real life. (Well, I do wish I had a couple of men as wonderful as Robert and Ben for me in real life. Sad times.)

Apart from being a love triangle, there's the added challenge of the three main characters being best friends. You can't just turn two characters who are practically like brothers into enemies who act careless towards one another - and I'm glad Giovanna didn't do that. These characters are realistic, human. They're not perfect, they have all made mistakes at some point and they're aware that they have to live with them. They know when they're being selfish and when they're being unfair and they also know that they can't help it. Because that's what the matters of the heart are all about. It's not always rainbows and butterflies and you don't always make the most rational choices, but that's what makes you human. And that's what makes these characters human as well. The heart of the novel lies on them and their "realness".

If you're like me and you're having doubts about giving You're The One That I Want a go, stop hesitating and start reading it now. It is a complex topic to write about successfully, but Giovanna handled it in a beautiful way. I promise you won't end up shaking your head or hating any of the characters, as you will definitely sympathize with Robert, Maddy and Ben. I know I did - and I look forward to reading Giovanna's upcoming novels in the future.

Are you a bookworm as well?

Come say hi on Goodreads!

Tania x

Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin | Soundtracking

 

4 Birthday Gift Ideas

Little Mix - Salute ♪ (x)

Searching for the perfect gift is not always the easiest task. Sometimes you just know what you want to get for that person months prior to their birthday, but sometimes you just end up wandering around a thousand different stores without any luck, which has probably happened to all of us at some point. This year I had quite a clear idea of what I wanted to get for my high school bestie, who just turned 21 (I'm writing this post on the actual day of her birthday, june 16th, but she hasn't gotten her presents yet so this post will go up as soon as she does!), but I wanted to share with you a few ideas of what I think would be suitable presents for almost any girl in your life.

Pampering Treats

You can never go wrong with a bath bomb, body butter or delicious sugar scrub! Even if it's for somebody who is not really into the beauty world, who doesn't enjoy a good pampering session? Most of these brands do their own beautiful gift boxes and you can also create one yourself with any products you might like. Plus, in the case of Lush, wherever you decide to keep the present will smell amazing for a few days so it's a win-win!

Mr. Wonderful (x)

Mr. Wonderful is an Spanish brand that does all kinds of cute things, from mugs to notebooks, candles, home stuff... you name it, with usually very lovely designs and sayings on them. I got this tea mug for my friend and she loved it. Alternatively, as I'm not sure they ship worldwide, you can also customize your own presents according to the person's interests or the kind of relationship you have with them.

Scrapbook

I am so obsessed with scrapbooking. Of course this wouldn't be the kind of present you'd give to somebody you have just met, but I think it might be the perfect gift for your best friend, partner or family member. Plus, Tiger have the best albums to do it - with black pages! It would be rude not to. ;)

 
Book

I know it's a very basic gift but I felt like I had to include it because the margin of error with a book is minimal. Whether that person is interested in reading novels or meditation, spiritualism, history, baking or even One Direction (hey, my sister loved it), you will always find a book that's suitable for them. And most importantly, that person will probably appreciate the fact that you know what their interests are!

So these are my 4 ideas. Do you have any birthdays coming up?

What do you think would be a nice birthday gift?

Tania x

Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin | Soundtracking

On Holidays!

Florida Georgia Line - Here's to the Good Times ♪ (x)

I'm aware that I have missed the last two Sunday posts, but I have been crazy busy with uni. However, I'm so very extremely happy to announce that I have passed everything with flying colors so I'm on holidays now! I finally have the time to sit down and write and take pictures and have a social life! Woohoooo! :)

Thinking back on this week it feels like all I've been doing is watching (and obsessing over) the following things: 1) Witches of East End, which I thought was a movie but turned out to be a tv show. At first I was a bit like, "hmmm, it reminds me of Charmed way too much and there is only one Charmed, blah, blah" but I watched the first season in about three days and I cannot wait for the second one. 2) Frank de la Jungla and Wild Frank, Spanish programmes/docummentary thingies where a man who appears to be crazy but isn't goes on the hunt for potentially dangerous animals just to show them to people, obviously leaving them where he found them afterwards. I just love it/him SO MUCH. I've been sitting through at least four episodes every day. Fortunately, I got my friend Laura hooked on both Witches and Frank so that makes me feel a lot less crazy.

That's another great thing about this week: Laura! We had a bit of a fallout a few months back but I feel like I've been either hanging out with her or talking to her 24/7 these past few days and I'm so, so thankful to have her back in my life. Someone I have also been hanging out with is Débora, my best friend from high school, and it's just so amazing to see how everything around us is changing as we grow up but our friendship stays the same. And I should probably tone down the corniness right about now.

Since I have not done any Sunday posts in a while, here's what I've been loving over the past three weeks:

Music

Ingrid Michaelson - Lights Out (full album)

Emblem3 - Songs From The Couch (full album) 

Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer Different Park (full album)

Beauty

Maybelline "Better Skin" foundation

Sleek Ink Pot Gel Eyeliner in "Dominatrix" 

Rimmel Scandaleyes "Rockin' Curves" mascara

Entertainment

Flicka (info)

X-Men: First Class (info)

(yes, I know I'm a tad behind on that one!)

Books

"You're The One That I Want" by Giovanna Fletcher

(currently reading, updates to come)

So that's it for now! 

I will hopefully see you soon now that I'm free as a bird!!! :)

Tania x

Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin | Soundtracking

It's 2 am

It's 2 am and it's my last day as a third year student. It's 2 am and I'm frustrated that my grades are not higher, even though they've improved massively this year. It's 2 am and I'm writing an academic paper due Sunday, even though I said I wouldn't leave it to the last minute. It's 2 am and I feel pretty with my messy ponytail and old pyjamas on, even though I usually hate the way I look when I'm at home. It's 2 am and I'm eating chocolate, even though I said I would try and eat ealthy. It's 2 am and I miss people, even though I said I would just move on and let it go. It's 2 am and I wish I had the guts to talk to the people I miss, but I simply don't. It's 2 am and I know I'm overly emotional, happy, frustrated, proud, terrified, cheesy at times, enthusiastic, childish and a control freak, all at once, and I'm okay with it.

It's 2 am and I'm flawed. And that's alright.