A serious case of the blues ...

Must have been this Sunday morning's rainfall, or the knowledge that tomorrow is another Mo(a)nday, but the realisation suddenly struck me that, over the last months I've slowly fallen in love with all things blue.  It was never my plan or intention to do this, but somehow blue - all shades of it - has taken over my wardrobe and accessories ... and nails! I've always associated the colour with boardrooms ("bored-rooms") and hardly ever included it in my 'going out' garments ... but for some reason, I am now strangely attracted to it in all its shades and forms.  Here's a little insight into all the blues I've accumulated over the last weeks ...

ASOS PETITE Exclusive Dress with Frill Hem and Short Sleeve

Swarovski ring + Gelish nail polish 

KENZO x New Era cap

Even my building has blue apertures ... 

Louche @ JOY Cressida bag

Pantone coaster and business card holder

For more bluespiration, head over to my Pinterest board here.

First Impressions: Yves Rocher product review

I'm not one who usually writes product reviews ... unless I'm actually so blown away by a product (or some) that I'd be raving about it/them to all and sundry.

This is one such case.  Even though I had seen Yves Rocher plenty of times abroad, especially during my travels to Brussles, I will admit I had never bought anything ... or even stepped into one of the shops to be quite honest.  Last year, the eco-cosmetics brand landed in Malta and I was quite jubilant about it ... but only until a few weeks ago I actually got to try some of their stuff.

Having run out of some of my go-to morning routine items, I decided to give Yves Rocher a go. Here's what I got and my first impressions after a few days of use:

Micellar cleansing water

Having what could be termed a teenage skin despite my mid-30s, I prefer water-based cleansers and this one just fit the bill.  With its mix of tea extracts (green, white and Madagascar!) this is proving to be quite a treat for my skin! I love how fresh it feels and the cotton disk shows me just exactly how much gunk it can take off from my day-long make-up

Sebo Specific Zero Default

I actually bought this as a night cream to fight my skin imperfections while I'm asleep but back home I realised it's both a day and night cream - double win! The consistency is lush without being too rich or sticky for my oily skin.  I can vouch that it does exactly what it says on the package (or website rather ...) i.e. "To tighten, open pores and conceal minor imperfections [...] Your skin is smooth, flawless, your complexion is matt and beautiful." Result!

Anti-age global

This is a fantastic eye-cream - with its metallic nozzle which doubles up as a massager to rub in the cream, it's the perfect wake-up solution for my eyes, especially in the morning.  All the sleepy puffiness is gone in seconds ... and well, the first signs of ageing should be history in a matter of days (or at least I hope so!) It can also be used at night, so another double win there!

Have you ever tried any of these products?  Or any other Yves Rocher products which you recommend?  Let me know in the comments section below x



N.B. This is not a paid or sponsored post and all opinions are my own thoughts.

The 15 minute rainbow post

Right.  I have just about 15 minutes to write this post before I head off to get ready for the Patti Smith concert we're so lucky to have in Malta tonight.

Heading back home I came across a woman dressed - immaculately - from head to toe in blue.  I know, that this is not necessarily the most daring of colours, but the way the shades of blue were put together, with a patterned scarf to create an accent, inspired me to write a quick post about head to toe block colour.  It's more of a question / challenge to you, my dear readers:  have you ever sported / would you dare sporting a head to toe solid colour?  Please don't speak to me about all black / grey / blue outfits! I've had my own love affair with all over grey in autumn (read here).  I'm talking rainbow colours here: the whole ROYGBIV range! Let me know - and if you have any outfit posts of the sort, link them in the comments section below :)

Check out these pins and the rest of the board here for some inspiration!

#ootd: The Double Denim Debate

I'm not sure where you stand on the 'Canadian Tuxedo' issue - I personally, have a bit of a love-hate relationship with head-to-toe denim ensembles.  As a child of the 80s and teen of the 90s, the whole look is a well and truly 'been there, done that' scenario for me, and as opposed to most millenials who find anything hinting at these two decades as hip, I tend to cringe a bit before I grow into loving such looks.

I won't say I have never donned a double denim look in the last couple of years ever since it has once again become a favourite get-up. But I feel I have had my hits and misses, so I'll let you in on a few tips on how to make the look work.

• don't match your denims - go for a dark wash jean and a lighter wash shirt to keep the look young and fresh; 
• keep the Western influences at bay - forego any fringes, embroideries, and seamings which would make people ask you for a Line dance routine.  If you have to do Western inspired, then leave that to the accessories; 
• don't just wear jeans - skirts are truly having a moment right now (much to my delight) and there are so many shapes to choose from! Try a denim shirt tucked in a full midi denim skirt for a fresh take on a classic combo; 
• smarten it up - channel the 70s for an ultimate city look with a fitted denim shirt, flared jeans, blazer in a contrasting material and why not, a fedora or floppy hat;
• but if you have to go casual - soften the all-denim look by wearing ripped or boyfriend jeans with flats or trainers and top with an oversized cardi in the chillier days. 

This morning called for such an outfit, so I reached out for my trusty Zara boyfriend jeans and denim shirt and H&M oversized coral spring coat to break the all-denim look.  Ballerina pumps and a top-knot finished off the casual ensemble, perfect for a Saturday morning full of errands and a raw cocoa - goji berry - banana smoothie treat from The Grassy Hopper.  

For more double-denim inspiration, check out my Pinterest board here: 

Follow Mariel Sacco's board #fs6 the double denim debate on Pinterest.

Event post: Teodor Reljic - Two launch

I have finally finished reading Teodor Reljic's debut novel, Two.  Not because the narrative is boring or nowhere close to intriguing or entertaining.  Far from it.  Very far from it.

As I attended the book launch organised by Merlin Publishers in collaboration with Creative Island last Friday, I made it my plan to immerse myself into this other world for three solid days maximum, making the most of the long weekend.  Alas, now that I no longer have the luxury of laying in bed all day while the parents (bless them) carry out the errands and chores (I'm a grown up, independent woman of sorts now), my duties dragged me, rather unwillingly, away from Two's world.

Or should I say worlds? Without giving out any spoilers, the narrative revolves around William's reality and Vermillion's world - a world which only William, his mother and the reader seem to be privy of. William's candid thoughts are conveyed by the narrator and I loved the candour, honesty and innocence captured in this young voice.

The launch itself was captivating enough.  Set in the hauntingly beautiful Cafe Wignacourt in Rabat, those attending the launch were lead towards a 'Well of Secrets' where we could listen in on others' untold truths.  Then, hooded creatures, masked with what looked like bark from trees, ushered us to the 'Tree of Secrets', where again, we could spy into others' hidden tales which this time were hanging from the branches. Being given access into others' secrets meant that we had to reciprocate by writing down our own secrets and throwing them into the 'Vessels of Secrets.' (Sharing most of my life on this blog meant I found this actually rather difficult to do!) Wine and nibbles flowed with the attendees' words, floating on the fresh spring breeze.

For logistical reasons, we seem to have missed the author's speech, if there actually was one.  And though until then my 'fangirl' status was still undetermined, I would have loved to have a chat with Reljic to find out more about the creative process.  But I had only read one page of the book until then - Two passed Ford Madox Ford's test with flying colours in my opinion: "Open the book to page 99 and read, and the quality of the whole will be revealed to you." 

The rest of the pages, well, if I hadn't enjoyed the book or the event that launched it, I wouldn't be blogging about it, let's face it.  It's up to you to get engulfed in Two now.

"I need to get between the shadows like an insect or a snake.  Without my parents around me I feel like a different thing, like I'm an animal, a creature.  All alone, I can be whatever I want to be."

Photos courtesy of Jacob Sammut.  For more of his photography, please click here.

Buy Teodor Reljic's novel Two here.



N.B. This is not a paid or sponsored post and all opinions are my own thoughts.

 

A post of Pins

A quick post for this evening after I have spent most of it browsing Pinterest, creating a 'mood board' for Spring 2014.  I'm feeling a lot of loose and oversized shapes, maxi and flowing midi skirts, classic pieces which never go out of style, bed-hair giving the whole ensemble that quintessential rock-chic flavour... There's something Parisian about the whole thing ... a bit 'grown-up bohemian' if you may. What's on your spring style mood board?


Follow Mariel Sacco's board #fs6 spring style inspiration on Pinterest.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Malta 2014

The countdown has started people ... the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Malta 2014 is almost here. Well, it's less than 2 months away anyways.  And this year I'm going to make it a point to be there from start to finish! Keep following for more info over the coming weeks! I'm getting excited ... are you?!

#ootd: Regatta Monday

This year I decided to continue where I left off last year, that is, by making it a year with a number of 'firsts'.  So today, being Freedom Day and a national holiday here in Malta, we headed off to watch my first ever Regatta.  From the little that I know about this boat race, it is hugely contested by the cities surrounding the Grand Harbour and it takes place both on Freedom Day and on Victory Day (8 September).  Moreover, the beautiful weather that graced the island today called for spending the afternoon out in the sun.

To celebrate the weather, I chose to wear my new Zara yellow blazer which I bought a few weeks ago and hadn't worn as yet.  I don't know why - I'm usually the most colourful thing walking around in Valletta - but I was feeling it was a tad too summery for the last weeks.  I decided to also give my new leopard print espadrilles from H&M a road test - the weather was warm enough to warrant not wearing any socks or stockings.  I kept the rest of the outfit simple with grey, denim and beige neutrals and matched the print on my espadrilles to a scarf I had bought ages ago from Accessorize which has a vintage map print and leopard print trimming.

I was so chuffed with the outfit and with the gorgeous weather that I even got into a bit of a (clumsy) jump half way through the afternoon!

What I wore: 
Blazer - Zara
T-shirt - Zara
Jeggings - Suite Blanco
Espadrilles - H&M
Handbag - Mango
Scarf - Accessorize
Sunglasses - Blumarine
Necklaces - Astrid & Miyu
Ring - Parfois