A book makes the best gift

If you are stuck with what to buy your friend/mom/brother/girlfriend, go to the nearest book store. You will spend a quiet time browsing through books and looking at pretty covers + you'll definitely find a present, trust me. I was invited to my (not very close friend's birthday), so I picked this gorgeous Vintage Edition Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. First of all, because it is a classic, included in the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century, second of all, look at that cover *swoons*. If my friend did not really like the novel itself, this little paperback would just look so nice on a bookshelf, won't it? Of course, you don't have to buy your friend a quite complicated futuristic novel, the variety of books is endless, so here is a quick top-ten that I would recommend buying as a present (or for yourself, why not?) I've linked all the books on Amazon, just that it is easier to see the cover and the reviews. 

1. Underwater Dogs by Seth Casteel. If your friend is a dog lover or he or she has a sense of humor - this coffee table book is perfect, as it is a collection of hilarious photos of... dogs underwater, you've guessed it!

2. Jamie's 15 Minute Meals. A great cook book for anyone, really. Quick, healthy and interesting recipes that your cat can follow, brought by the man of my dreams, Jamie Oliver.

3. Wonders of Life by Brian Cox. It is based on a magnificent Discovery Science series with the same name. A gorgeous and captivating book, sure to fit any taste and answer some eternal questions about the nature.

4. Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling. For those who have read and reread the Potter series hundreds of times, this little collection of stories may be something new(ish), it has some great tales, which your friend can enjoy and even retell then to their younger siblings.

5. Making History by Stephen Fry. I can admit that Sir Fry is on the top of the list of my favorite authors and I cannot recommend him enough. I particularly enjoyed this novel as it combines both history and science in one thing (and a little bit of Hitler).  Even my mom did read it, so it goes to show, that maybe it will be quite a nice present to someone.

6. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. Not a typical pick for a present, I know. But if you know someone who enjoys reading plays, get this one for them. It is just so witty and clever, it got very popular with the audience when it was first staged, as there were no serious and highly dramatic subjects. I am halfway through it now and can recommend it even now!

7. Andy Warhol Portrait by Toni Shafrazi. It is just a colorful and stylish book, I have to say. A collection of those iconic, bright portraits that Mr Warhol got so famous for. I can see this looking great on anyone's bookshelf, it's just a decor piece by itself.

8. The Pocket Scavanger by Keri Smith. This author and illustrator become very popular because of her interactive books. In this particular one, the reader is instructed to collect various little things and place them into the journal, following page after page until a little hunt is complete.

9. The Fault in our Stars by John Green. Do I really need to get into this? Go, go buy or read it, only then give it to your friend (friends, the whole world, to be particular).

10. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. To be honest, I've only seen the film, like, 20 times, but I imagine that the book is even better. It is in that Perks of Being a Wallflower genre, but a bit different. It is a story of Melinda, a sensitive and vulnerable girl who had some mistakes in the past, but doesn't really know how to overcome them and speak about them. I imagine this would make a great gift to one of your closest friends.

Lots of love.

Nika xx

Basics

My wardrobe consists of basically black, white and grey tops, because I find them the easiest to style. If you have a white shirt and a pair of jeans you love - the outfit is complete with adding a necklace or a jacket. So while 'casually' walking through the mall, I spotted that some GAP basics were on offer, you buy one, and another one is half priced, I decided to pick up three, just because you can't go wrong with a nice-quality crew-neck tee. I've already worn the white one and it doesn't wrinkle as much as I thought it would (I am a bit OCD when it comes to wrinkled clothes, but, what can you do).

I highly recommend checking GAP out for some essential shirts or tank tops, I don't care much for the store's overall aesthetic, but nevertheless, I find their basics to be on the highest level of middle-price high-street clothes.

Roomspiration

Confession: I'm 20 and I still live with my parents...
In my country it is common, but I'm starting thinking about moving out, dreaming of my own little place, scrolling through endless pages of scandinavian room decor photos. I like simple but unique things, ones that can reflect my weird personality but still remain looking inviting. The most relaxing space for me is light and bright, clutter-free and cosy at the same time. Of course, these HAY catalogue photos are staged, but I jut imagine how good that little yellow chair would look near a window next to a big pile of magazines and a cup of tea.

A little haul

I can't stop cursing on the weather, it's soo gloomy, windy and just depressing. So when some sunshine hit my brain, I was very much into treating myself to some spring-ish purchases. To be honest, I'm not very fond of shopping, because there are only 3-4 shops that I really like and they aren't the cheapest. So I save up and then buy some things here and there.

A little shop is not complete without Zara, and as being obsessed with boyfriend jeans, I picked up these light blue, very distressed  and ripped jeans with light-colored panels down the leg. They look so cool with a white sweater or shirt, any shoes, really. My second purchase was these patterned trousers by Sportmax, which is a MaxMara line. Again, they would be perfect with white or black simple top, trainers and a pair of Ray Bans. I was in a hunt for Nike Roche Runs, but couldn't find them anywhere, so I opted for as cool Nike Air Max Theas, which are very lighweight, comfortable and generally cool-looking, the sole especially. I'll be making some outfit posts as soon as I can, so I'm pretty excited to wear some of these in spring.

What have you bought for spring? Leave some links in the comments xx

Ready for spring

So the spring has come, and it is one of the main reasons for having pretty flowers at home. So I went to the nearest supermarket and picked some daffodils which are the favorite flowers of my beloved one. Passing by the beauty isle, Garnier Micellar Water caught my eye, it was as cheap as the daffodils, so I thought, why not. It wasn't disappointing, I must say, useless for waterproof mascara, but removes foundation quite well and is moisturizing. The Freeman Acai mask was also pretty good, it left my skin feeling soft, clean and refreshed, I think it's worth getting a full tube. So this is my coming into spring beauty bits, I'm looking forward to refreshing my wardrobe with some new things too!

Reblog that

I'm just obsessed with Tumblr! It is an ultimate place for inspiration. Click on any screen shots of my Tumblr page and it will open in a new window. Enjoy xx

Good morning, sunshine

Today the morning is so gloomy and foggy, my body craved for some fresh, healthy and bright food, so I decided to raid the fridge and see what can I demolish.

For juice:
3-4 leaves of romaine salad;
1 carrot;
an apple;
half a pear;
2 stalks of celery.
For the 'main dish'
1 leaf of romaine to serve with;
an egg (hard boiled);
a tomato;
salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar.

Do I need to tell you about all the benefits of freshly made juice? This particular juice is sweet and refreshing, the pear makes the taste very rich and amazing, to be honest.
So this is a simple but healthy breakfast, just juice some fruit, chop tomatoes and an egg sprinkle with some pepper, and drizzle a bit of balsamic.
Have a healthy morning.

Easy weekend reads

Have you ever wondered around the house on a Sunday, thinking what to do? Go out? No, too much hustle. Work? It's weekend, come on. Read? I have nothing to read. So here is a treat for you, my friend, four books that can make your lazy Sunday a bit more exciting.

1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I mean, if you haven't read at least one of the Potter books, just READ it. It's the best thing that can happen to you, promise. The storyline is impeccable, brilliant, compelling, exciting, it's written simply but with taste. It has brought up a whole generation of the 90s and is considered a classic. Go read some Potter, even if you have, it's always so nice to reread it, again and again, and again.

2. Why Does E=mc? by Brian Cox & Jeff Forshaw. Why indeed? This book is for those who don't have a lot of knowledge of physics and all that sciency stuff, because it is a simple explanation of Einstein's equation. I haven't read it till the end, but I enjoy flicking through it and feeling smart just sitting with a physics book.

3. The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry. This book will bring back your childhood memories. It's simply written with drawings known to everybody. If you feel like you're to old for reading this, read it to your younger brother or sister, you both will enjoy this heartwarming adventure with the Little Prince.

4. IT by Alexa Chung. The best book to read on a weekend. It has been quite popular in the blogging community, and I get why. It's full of cool hipster photos and drawings, stylish design and a beautiful cover. Although the writing is not very complicated and engaging, still, pretty interesting.

Go drugstore or go home

It's sad to admit that I shop to feel better. I was tired and sad after uni and decided to pop into a nearest drugstore. Always in a hunt for a great liner, I picked up the Bourjois Erasable Liner, not for the eraser, but for the formulation - thick and black, it's hard to work with, but it's possible to create a nice line. Unfortunately, the lightest shade of Bourjois Happy Light foundation available in Ukraine is 51 and it's a bit dark and pink for me, but still wearable as the spring and summer are coming in. I also bought L'Oreal Million Lashes Mascara, it's great, gives length and doesn't flake. My last pick was Maybelline Colorsensational Shine Gloss, in color 105 Cashmere Rose, which is 'said' to be a dupe for Clarins Lip Perfector. I did like it, even bought 420 Glorious Grapefruit the next day.

So here are my little make-up buys for spring, haven't really tried them properly, but, still quite impressed.

Have you tried any of these?

Lots of love.

Nika xx