Wednesday, June 28, 2017

My top 5 brunch spots in Amsterdam

If I could put brunching as one of my hobbies I totally would. It would be right next to sleeping and binge-watching Netflix, because aren't those things the best? Anyways, it's safe to say I know a thing or two about brunch in Amsterdam. I write about new food hotspots on my blog all the time and this time I wanted to put my faves in a single post. If you are going to Amsterdam on a trip or are just for one day. These are the places to eat at!


1. Metropolitain
A classic when it comes to brunching and lunching. It's part of Café de Paris and near Dam square, so really close by. I love the chill atmosphere and it's always busy with locals. I did manage to find a spot when I was there so I think you will too. You can also hop over to Café de Paris upstairs since they have the same menu as Metropolitain during the day. They have some amazing egg dishes (with lots of avocado and bacon), salted caramel crêpes and some lovely French toast. I would definitely recommend the Eggs Metropolitain and the Famous French Toast. So good!


2. Teds
One of my recent discoveries, but definitely deserves second place. Again, also a popular place by Amsterdam people and there might be a bit of a queue depending on the time and day you want to visit. Teds is near the Bilderijkstraat (one of the best hotspot streets in Amsterdam) so if there is a queue you will find another spot in no time (maybe the café on number 4?). Unless you don't mind the wait. The interior is to die for and has the infamous 'bonjour mon amour' sign. On the menu you will find French toast, Nutella pancakes, chicken avocado sandwiches and eggs Benedict (or Florentine or Norwegian). As you may know, I’m a sweet tooth, so I definitely recommend the French toast with banana and bacon. Ooh and the fries are not so bad either. LOVE THEM!


3. Corner Bakery
This place is blowing up Instagram right now. Every hip blogger and vlogger is spotted here and there is a reason for that. The tables at Corner Bakery are fully Insta proof with cute tablemats of marble, pink and dots. The food looks amazing too. Think colourful freak shakes, lots of decorative fruit on the side of your pancakes and cute baskets full of the most amazing sandwiches. It can be really busy here, especially since it’s on everyone's brunch list, so my advice is to go early and not right around lunch time. Just do it for the cute Instagram photos!


4. Gallery 3
Also one of my recent discoveries. Just around the corner from Ted's and not as busy and well known. Gallery 3 is a little café that I love a lot. It's perfect for a laptop club session or staring outside the window and watch all the cyclists go by. The owner is really friendly and the food is aaamazing. They serve all the brunch dishes I love: avocado toast, French toast and three kinds of pancakes. THREE! That's a winner right there.


5 .Pluk
Another Instagram favourite. I went here quite a while ago but I would still recommend it to anyone. Pluk is part of the 'Nine Streets' (nine streets with more independent shops) and the perfect café for a healthy lunch, take-away or cute gifts. When you walk in you see all these cakes on the counter that make you drool. On the opposite side you will find lots of cute gifts and home goodies. The stairs will take you to the first floor where you can take a seat. It's small and a bit cramped but totally worth the wait. You order your food downstairs at the counter so do keep that in mind when you try not to fall down the stairs. I have tried the sandwiches (of course the one with avocado) which was really nice. And the carrot cake is pretty tasty too. Definitely pop into Pluk when you have the time. Even if it is for a quick to-go juice.

Wanna find more hotspots? Click here!

Which brunch hotspot is your favourite?


Monday, June 19, 2017

NARS Blush/Bronzer Duo

When I'm on holiday I always have to do a little bit of shopping. There are so many new stores to discover and who doesn't like spending money on things they probably don't need? Well, when I entered the Emporia Shopping Centre in Malmö and saw Sephora I actually -gracefully- jumped up and down and screamed in excitement. We don't have a Sephora in the Netherlands, so whenever I spot one I get all psyched. After spending about an hour in there swatching and testing I decided to buy one little thing. Honestly, I wanted everything in that shop, but my bank account simply does not allow it. In the end I went for the NARS Blush/Bronzer Duo, because I have always wanted to try the Laguna bronzer and the Orgasm blush and this way I get them both! 


NARS has a special place in my make-up loving heart. As a teen it was out of my reach to buy something from NARS. Of course, it’s an expensive brand, but it was nowhere to be sold. When I went to London a couple of years ago I made it my mission to buy a product at the NARS counter in Selfridges. I went for the Deep Throat blush and funnily enough I do not use it as much. I tend to go for my Estée Lauder blush in Tease on a daily basis, but the NARS blush is still really pretty. Especially the packaging.
The blush/bronzer duo has the exact same classic matte packaging that I love so much. It's a small and petite compact with two shades of the most popular NARS products: the Laguna bronzer and Orgasm blush. Bots products are very pigmented and pretty on the cheeks. And even though I thought Laguna could be a bit too warm for me, it definitely works now that the sun is out and I have a bit of a tan. The blush is a pretty coral colour with gold glitters, and in my opinion a shade that works for everyone. You sweep both products across the cheeks and you are totally ready for these warm summer months.
Now the sweeping part is the only thing that I'm not a fan of. Because this product has a bit of both, you don't get a lot. With a blush it doesn't matter that much, but with a bronzer I like to swirl my big, fluffy brush in the product and apply it on my cheeks. The swirling is very non-existent with this, or I should mix the blush and bronzer together. Then it's no problem at all, but I like to do my bronzer and blush in two separate stages.

I think I will purchase the NARS Laguna bronzer at one point in my life. I like the pay-off and it's definitely worth the hype. The Orgasm bronzer will last me a life time since I don't use it every day, but I totally get why you would. Who doesn't like a coral flush for the rest of their life? 

What is your favourite NARS product?


Friday, June 16, 2017

The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: Gallery 3

Amsterdam is the kind of city where you will discover new little cafes every week. You'll be on a tram or cycling to your next destination and that's when you spot all these new treasures. I was actually on my way to Ted's (the place with the Nutella pancakes and banana French toast) when I spotted this hidden gem called Gallery 3. It didn't take me long before I tried it out and I have to say, it's my new favourite place in the city.

You can find Gallery 3 on the Bilderdijkstraat 175h, near the Foodhallen, SNCKBR and Mook Pancakes. The interior is all white with a gorgeous art print on the wall and the cute flowers on the tables give it a homely feel. One of the things I also like about the place is that there is always a seat. I hate to fight over a table at the popular cafes, but the lucky thing about Gallery 3 is, that it’s new and not that well known (yet) so whenever you are in a hangry mood you can immediately sit down and order everything on the menu.

Now the menu consists of every brunch item I like. Avocado toast, three kinds of pancakes and French toast topped with lots of fruit and syrup. Ooh and also a few other things like salads and sandwiches but why bother when you can choose PANCAKES. I tried out the buttermilk pancakes with fresh fruit and the French toast. Both with a ginger tea and a freshly pressed juice. You know to balance it out a bit. 
Both meals were amazing. The pancakes were big and fluffy, the French toast was delicious and the fresh fruit just made it all better.

It's definitely my new go-to place for chatty lunches with friends. The owner is very friendly, the food is even more amazing and it's not too pricey. I kinda want all of you to go there, but then you will like it as much as I do and the place will be crowded in no time. But still if you ever need a brunch spot in Amsterdam this is the one!

What is your favourite brunch dish?


Monday, June 12, 2017

The LBD

There is nothing a little black dress can't fix. Especially with the recent temperatures I find myself in difficult situations because what do you wear that is breathable and still looks cute? My answer: a dress!
Floral prints are the usual thing, but since I have a love for the colour black, most of my dresses are, indeed, black. Today I want to show you two different styles of two dresses that I have worn a ton the last couple of weeks.

The first is a simple boyfriend tee with a deep cut-out v. I found it in Topshop for, believe it or not, 20 euros. How amazing is that? They also have one without the v which is a bit cheaper, but I loved this little detail and the fact that I don't have to cut it myself. Clumsy me will probably mess that up haha. I am quite tall too and this dress is not the longest but it works, even for me. I just have to make sure that I bend down gracefully without flashing anyone. 


Speaking of flashing, this dress from Jutka & Riska has a shortness problem. I mean it works, but the dress underneath comes up to my butt. The upper layer covers everything perfectly though and I love the off shoulder, embroidery detail too much to not buy it. I just have to make sure that whenever the wind comes I grab the dress tight to avoid awkward situations, especially on the London Underground. -yup that has happened-
When I laid eyes on this dress I knew that I had to try it on. I loved everything about it. The fact that it's from a more independent brand, so it's almost one of a kind, the gorgeous embroidery detail at the front and back and the on trend off shoulder look made me like it a lot. Ooh and it was half price too, so I ended up paying 40 euros. Lucky me!

As you can see these dresses are almost the opposite of each other but are very special and unique in their own way. Perfect for those days where you have no idea what to wear.

What is your favourite dress for the summer?


Thursday, June 8, 2017

Blondies Kitchen


As a sweet tooth I want to try all the sugary things that come my way. For breakfast I will always order pancakes, French toast or waffles and I choose cake and cookies over crisps any day. When I heard about this cookie bar in Selfridges Food Hall that serves the most amazing cookies I had to try it out. 

After a bit of a search -it's like a maze in there- I found the little stand called Blondies Kitchen with all the cookies. They have so many different kinds but I went for the most popular ones: Get Stuffed (with Oreos) and Kinder Love You (with Kinder chocolate). You can also turn them into a cookie sandwich with their honeycomb and chocolate mouse or enjoy them with a sip of their cereal milk; the bottles of those are so cute! 
Since I also picked up some cupcakes I tried to keep the calories to a minimum and only got the two cookies. Everything looked really delicious though so hopefully I will be able to grab a cookie sandwich soon. The cookies that I tried were very good. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. And the combo with the chocolate and Oreos was so good too. Absolute heaven!

Sadly, they were only in Selfridges for a month, but with all the promo I have seen on Facebook and Instagram I am sure Blondies Kitchen will pop up somewhere else soon. I need something to satisfy my cookie craving!

Have you been to Blondies Kitchen?


Tuesday, June 6, 2017

My Skincare Routine

Since I was a teenager I have been obsessed with skincare products. Maybe because my skin was in such a horrible state that I was desperately trying out products to fix everything. Sadly making your skin free of acne, redness and scarring doesn't happen overnight. Although I kind of wish it did. 

For the last couple of years I have been really sticking to the same routine. Using the same products religiously every day and never ever sleeping with my make-up on. I don't understand how women do that like it's no big deal. Doesn't your face feel like such a greaseball? And how does your pillow case look? Weird questions that pop into my mind from time to time.

Anyways, today I am sharing my current skincare regime. I have found it to really affect my skin in a positive way and I hope that this will continue until my skin is glowy, even and completely acne free!

*Also a note: I use a sheet mask like that once a week, I am not THAT crazy about skincare haha*

What is your favourite skincare product?


Saturday, June 3, 2017

My London Trip May 2017

Lately I have been going on a lot of trips, travelling around the world and I love every single bit of it. Of course I am not saying goodbye to my most favourite place on earth: London. It's safe to say that I go here way too much but I never get bored. I love exploring this magical city each pastel house and sweet treat at a time. 

This trip my sister was my travel buddy and since we both have been in London a couple of times before the trip consisted mostly of shopping, eating and taking photos. I have a list on my phone where I collect all the places where I would like to eat in London and I couldn't wait to cross a few more spots of that list. I keep adding though so there will probably never be a day where I can say that I ate at all the places. Although I do hope that happens one day. 



On the first day, after dropping the bags at the hotel, we went to Daisy Green. A small cafe near Marble Arch station. The funny part is that my sister and I have walked passed this place a hundred times since our last hotel was near Marble Arch too. I remember always thinking that the place looked so cute and all this time it was actually on my list. How stupid is that?
Daisy Green is a healthy café that is famous for their coffee and charcoal bread. I went for the coconut bread French toast and a vegan nut smoothie. My sister did try the charcoal bread with some scrambled eggs and bacon. I had a bit and it tastes just like normal bread, it does look funky though! I loved the atmosphere there too. We went downstairs for a seat and the ceiling was decorated with all these flowers and plants. The rabbit head in the corner was a bit creepy but besides that it's definitely a place that I will visit again.
After that amazing lunch we made ourselves ready for a some extreme shopping. Primark, Zara, Bershka, Boots, New Look, we all went there and tried on a lot of things. I bought a lot of my usual beauty faves from Collection, Una Brennan and Pixi. Just so that I have a few in my stash and I can never ran out. I also managed to pick up these amazing floral pants from Bershka that I'm absolutely in love with. After a Pret a Manger break, followed some more shopping and at the end of the day we went back to our hotel to check in. 
It was nice to lay down for a bit, especially since our flight was at 7am. We bought some essentials at Sainsbury's -like water, salt & vinegar crisps and Reese's peanut butter cups –who doesn’t think those are essentials? - and we collected a takeaway from Shake Shack. I had Shake Shack for the first time when I went to London in September last year and omg it's so good. 



The following day we crossed another food spot from my list: EGGBREAK. It's a small café near Portobello Road market and out of the entire trip I probably love this place the most. The food was insanely good and the staff was so friendly. I had the pancakes with maple caramel sauce -of course- and my sister chose the sweet potato rosti with goat cheese. Both dishes were really tasty and I loved the plates they used. Anything served on a floral plate looks 100% times better, right? We then had a look around Portobello Road market and all the colourful houses that Notting Hill has to offer. I'm just a sucker for lilac and pink houses.
I then really wanted to go to Camden market. I have a stack of silver rings that I absolutely love and I bought them at this little stand called Poppie Jasper. It's right there when you enter the market and the owner who creates everything herself is so sweet. Her jewellery has that minimalistic feel to it which I love a lot and I can't wait to collect them all. 
The rest of the day we did a bit more shopping and picked up some sweet treats from the Selfridges Food Hall. Buying cupcakes at Lola's is a tradition and I also wanted to pick up some cookies from Blondies Kitchen. It's a little pop up shop that sells American style cookies and cereal milk. I picked up two cookies: one with Kinder chocolate and one with Oreo's. Both tasted delicious!
We ended the day with another takeaway from Shake Shack and demolished all the food back at the hotel room.



On the last day I was very excited to go to yet another brunch place, called Hally's. It's near the Parsons Green tube station and oh boy how I fell in love with this part of London. The craziest thing is that it doesn't feel like London at all. It's so homely and peaceful that you almost forget you are in one of the busiest cities on the planet. Unfortunately Hally's was pretty crowded so we sat down at Le Pain Quotidien around the corner. A classic for breakfast and lunch. I had a vegan bowl with coconut yoghurt, granola and fruit and an iced almond latte since it was bloody hot outside. I can't wait to go back to Hally's though, because even from the quick glimpse I had of the place it looked very good. The rest of the day we took some photos, went to Topshop where I bought a lovely denim jacket and were heading to Peggy Porschen Cakes only to find out that it was completely full. I was a bit sad because this was one of the places I really wanted to visit.

Luckily for me, I will be back in another month when I go and see Adele. It will be a solo trip so I will have enough time to do all the things I want and cross even more food spots of my list. Can’t wait to be back!

What is your favourite food spot in London?


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