Long Time No Post

Hi, stranger! Yes, it's me - Monika, that blogger chick you used to read. I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth, no mysterious NYC subway monster has snatched me off the platform without a trace... I just struggle with prioritizing my hobbies. That's really all there is to it.

But I haven't come out here to make excuses or apologize; I'm sure we've all been busy in the meantime and things are running their course regardless of whether I blog or not. I decided to post again because I want to make time for writing again, because I love taking photos and I feel happier for having this little corner to express myself. Thank you for sticking with me for this long and I'd love to have you along for the ride again!

Realistically though, with the time constraints that I face as a stay-at-home mom of a toddler, I'll need to make some adjustments to my blogging style. I know that I can't reasonably expect myself to stick to a regular posting schedule, or write these thorough and extensive reviews that I used to love to type up. Instead, I'm going to stick to what I can do: shorter reviews & comparisons, little snippets of favorites here and there, anything really that feels exciting enough to write about.

In fact, what really spurned me on to break the silence is explaining my blog situation to my best friend, and while doing so - actually expressing to myself that there is no reason why I shouldn't be doing it - and more prosaically, finding this bowl of make-up empties that I'd like to finally be able to pitch in the trash. It's as good a starting point as any, am I right?

While I may have abstained from blogging, I have still been loving beauty products and trying to wear make-up somewhat regularly. I also still try to make an effort to use up make-up but I'm not committed enough to do Project Pans or stick to a 'use-up plan' of any kind. Instead, I'm enjoying most of my collection and when stuff gets finished in due time, it's an added bonus and I'm happy to move something out - because I am still buying new products and would like to keep the stash somewhat contained if I can.

But anyway; there's not that much I want to say about the contents of this particular round of beauty trash. Firstly, I am disappointed that Fresh discontinued these Sugar Shine glosses: I really quite enjoyed this formula, but have since gone back to my other favorite, the Buxom Full-On Lip Polishes & Lip Creams. Secondly, I've been pleasantly surprised by NYX Worth The Hype Mascara* (provided by Influenster for testing purposes) and I would repurchase, and while I also enjoyed Chantecaille Faux Cils, there's no way in hell I'm spending $72 on a tube. I did like the finish of It Cosmetics CC Cream, but it lacked longevity on my combination/ oily skin.

How have you guys been? I missed talking to you, and I really do hope I can share with you again. Let's see how long my resolve lasts - well, taking that first step into writing again is always the hardest, and that's done, so... fingers crossed :)

Keep calm and blog on.

Long time no post, dear readers! I'm hesitating to write this update; however, I've always been striving to share with you exactly what's on my mind, in the hopes it may be at least a little useful for someone. This is probably the most difficult thing I've ever written, but also maybe the most necessary. So, here goes - if you're interested in just my beauty reviews, this post is not it - so check back soon for regular service.

Life's been a bit difficult for me these past few months. I know you guys are probably thinking 'Duuh! You've just had a baby!', but I'm not really talking difficult as in 'have no time for anything - feeling tired' kinda way. Before Julian was born, I'd been expecting that and I *think* I'd been mentally prepared, but what I hadn't been prepared for was feeling utterly lost and not like myself. Call it what you will - mood swings, baby blues (I'd hesitate to call it postpartum depression since I don't think it got as severe as to be diagnosed as such), existential crisis - the point is, I've been really struggling lately.

There were days and now thankfully just episodes during the day when I feel unexplicably sad, and worried about the baby, and somehow empty inside, like a hollow husk of a person I used to be. I can't wait until the day is finally over because it seems like such an ordeal to get through, and I'm so frustrated and angry at myself for even thinking it. At the same time, I dread the night time, because if he - and I - keep waking up again and again and again, I know that the next day is going to be even harder. You know how other mothers say - "Oh my gosh, time flies, they grow up too quickly!", and here I am, thinking "No, not at all, the days drag on without end, I can't wait for this to be over - but will it ever be over? Will I ever feel normal again?'.

Before you all write it in the comments, I AM incredibly grateful to have Julian in my life - a beautiful, happy, healthy baby - but at the same time, I feel broken and undeserving of such a blessing. Every little challenge I face with him makes me think I'm a bad mother, and he'll suffer because of my stupidity or lack of insight. Reasonably, I KNOW these are ridiculous thoughts but oftentimes I cannot help thinking them, and I am so mad at myself that I can't just snap out of them.

The reason I've decided to write about my state of mind is because I think that we women don't talk about the postpartum recovery process enough. We gush about the cuteness of our babies and brag about having our figures back while glazing over the more challenging facets. Obviously, we don't all struggle this much as new mothers, but some of us do, and I believe it's important to acknowledge it so that we don't feel so insane - and alone.

I was fortunate enough to have a very easy pregnancy and a standard, safe delivery, but now, at 4 months postpartum, I'm still not completely well - both mentally and physically. The ailing hip/ groin area I was experiencing towards the end of my pregnancy has not gone away, and it's since been joined by a backache. My hair is falling out so much I decided to chop it all off. I'm not just 'not sleeping enough' - at the lowest point when Julian was waking nearly every hour at night I was so sleep deprived I didn't even feel human anymore. I still feel weak and sluggish, and there's absolutely no way I feel up to working out to shed those extra pounds or to 'get my body back' - at the moment, I couldn't care less to be honest, and heading out for daily strolls is about all I can manage right now.

Well, enough of the pity party; I just wanted to say that the going's been rough, but I do see the light at the end of the tunnel. We've been sleeping better lately, and I think that maybe my hormones are becoming more balanced, and I'm starting to feel like myself again. I've also been taking more magnesium and it seems to be helping. The point of all this rambling is that I feel that I'd like to start blogging again. Writing is still my passion and I think it's something I need to do for myself, now maybe more than ever before in my life. However, I do realize it's not going to be easy, mostly due to time constraints - I'm not going to lie though, I know there will be days when even if I do have the time, I just won't have enough energy to write. And I think that's okay too.

To sum it all up, I'm back - sort of. I'll do my best to post, but I'm not going to be posting as often as I used to in the past. The reviews may get shorter and not as thorough. Photos may not be as plentiful. At times I may even not make any sense, and I apologize in advance. But carry on I shall, and carry on I will. Thank you for sticking with me, friends - I'm clicking 'Publish' before I chicken out.

Merry Christmas! I'm taking a break.

Merry Christmas to all of you who are celebrating! I hope your holiday season is filled with joy and wonder and you get to spend it with your loved ones. The three of us wish you all the best from the bottom of our hearts :)
 
Coincidentally, spending this special time with the family is the reason I've decided to take a little break from blogging. I have lots and lots of new amazing products I'd like to tell you about and other beauty-related thoughts to share, but I won't lie to you - I just can't do this right now. While I may have thought that 2 months would be enough to pull my shit together with baby Julian on board, that has simply proven not to be the case. Sleep deprivation has hit me pretty hard and I can barely muster enough presence of mind to make myself a cuppa most days (wait, did I put the kettle on? Oh, I did - an hour ago. Well then... Have I already put sugar in this tea? Oh, seems like I did - more than once...), much less be able to take precious time out of my day to pour words onto the page.

I'm definitely not complaining though - while some days are rather challenging, spending time with my little one is infinitely rewarding and I wouldn't have it any other way. I just need to focus on what's essential in my life right now, which is taking care of my family - and myself. I love this beauty blogging business to bits, but helping the boy grow and showing him this strange new world is my topmost priority at the moment.

I shall return in the New Year - not really sure when exactly, but that's just how it's going to be for a while now, taking one day at a time. I'm hoping to post little life updates and snippets on Instagram/ Twitter in the meantime if you're interested. Thank you, dear readers, for another beautiful year together, and I will see in you in 2017! How crazy is that, huh?

Welcome to the World, Little Julian Edgar!

If you follow me on Instagram, you may already know that on Monday October 3rd, I had my precious baby boy, Julian Edgar. He was born strong and healthy at 5.55pm and has been nothing but a joy to his whole extended family ever since.

Less than 24 hours old in this photo; he's turning 2 weeks old today!

I'm not planning to share a detailed labor and delivery story - I just think it's quite private and maybe not all of you would appreciate the extra information - but let me just say that I was forunate to have a normal, relatively stress-free birth, although it turned out to be a bit of a slow going; I started having contractions at about 1am so about 16-17 hours altogether. I did opt to have an epidural and I absolutely do not regret it as I believe it helped me keep my strength til the very end. At 2 weeks post-partum, I'm feeling quite well though the recovery process is not without its challenges; but I'm learning to accept my limitations and to be grateful to my body for bringing us our beautiful son without complications.

We're also incredibly blessed to have a very chill baby. Our son eats voraciously and sleeps like a champ (okay, not going to lie - he pees and poops a lot too ;), and so far - knock on wood - we're adapting to life with a newborn without any major issues. That being said, things are going to be a lot slower now on the blogging and social media fronts, as I'm sure you all understand. Prior to Julian's arrival, I have scheduled lots of posts for you to enjoy before I'm back to full - or maybe just half, let's not get too ambitious - speed.

Thank you for all the congrats and well wishes, I really appreciate you sending good vibes our way. Hugs to all of you from our new family of three!

Pregnancy Update: I'm Halfway There!

Just to forewarn you - this post features not only a lot of pregnant lady talk, but also a somewhat creepy 3D ultrasound picture of our baby. But if that doesn't scare you, carry on - and thank you for reading!

Happy Mothers Day to all the beautiful mamas out there! 💐 Chai latte, wind blown hair and an #18weeks bump 😊 #bbloggers #bumpdate #secondtrimester #pregnancyfashion #bklyn #greenpoint #mommatobe

Zdjęcie zamieszczone przez użytkownika Monika (@rocaillewrites) 8 Maj, 2016 o 11:51 PDT

As of writing this post, I'm 20 weeks and 6 days pregnant - and as you're reading it, I'm actually 22 weeks and some change, so actually already into my second half of pregnancy. I can't say it has all flown by super fast so far, and not because of any unpleasant symptoms; it's just that the first 14 weeks are rather anxious because of the relatively high risk of miscarriage, and to be honest, I just wanted them to be over and done with and not have to worry about the safety of our baby.

So, big news - at our 16 week initial anatomy scan that my husband accompanied me to, we learnt that we're having... drumroll please... a little BOY! He was not at all shy to reveal his gender and we could actually see it ourselves on the monitor before the ultrasound technician even told us. I had a rather strong feeling from the beginning that it was going to be a boy and we kept referring to the baby as 'he' well before we knew - I was actually so convinced at one point that I began to worry about feeling disappointed if I turned out to be wrong. More importantly, both at the 16 week and the 20 week scan (which I just had yesterday), the baby appeared to be developing well and he weighted exactly as expected - he's 14 ounces now, already twice the weight he was at the 16 week appointment. We saw his little hands and feet, and yesterday I was even able to see tiny fingers and toes. As you can see in the alien 3D ultrasound picture, he likes to keep his hands close to his face - he may actually be sucking a thumb in there for all I know :)

I can also feel his movements a lot more now. I first started feeling some subtle nudges at around 17 weeks, mostly after taking a bath in the evening and relaxing in bed with a book. My ultrasound technician said I have a posterior placenta, so I'm going to feel his kicks and somersaults all the more - and to be honest, now at almost 21 weeks, I think I can even feel them a little from the outside, although attempts to have my husband feel them too have proven futile so far; the boy quiets down as soon as Mr lays his hands on my belly.

Speaking of the belly, it has definitely grown and now looks a lot more like a proper baby bump versus a weird bloat. It's sort of a funny shape - it sticks out a lot in the lower part, which my husband finds especially amusing. It's beginning to be noticeable even to strangers; believe it or not, someone wanted to give up his seat for me on the subway yesterday, and that is not a common occurrence in New York. Because of the larger belly - and to an extent, my boobs as well - I now have to mostly wear the maternity clothes that I purchased so far. We've had a rather cool spring in New York City this year, so that one pair of maternity jeans I purchased from the GAP got lots of wear; some threads have actually started coming loose here and there. Right now, I feel that we're rapidly moving towards summer weather, so my maternity dresses and shorts are starting to be indispensable.

But other than the larger belly that sometimes gets in the way - especially when I'm bending over picking this up, or trying to polish my toes - I've been feeling pretty great. I have a lot more energy than in the first trimester, and especially in the mornings I can get a lot of things crossed off my to-do list. I do have to get up about 2 times at night to go to the bathroom, and then the third time in the morning, somewhat earlier than I would have liked to wake up, but all in all, I feel quite rested. I do sometimes get what I believe doctors call 'round ligament pain' - sharp pains at the sides and below my belly when I'm moving around a lot - but they subside quickly and are nothing to worry about; it's just my uterus stretching and things rearranging themselves to accomodate the growing baby.

In other news, we're leaving for a 2-week holiday tomorrow, and I couldn't be more excited! We're finally going to visit Iceland (this post is being scheduled in advance, so we're already there and enjoying our trip!). It's been on our bucket list for a couple years now, and we decided to go this spring/ summer even before we learnt about my pregnancy, although we booked the trip about a month earlier than we were originally planning to so that it'll be easier for me to fully enjoy it. It's not really a babymoon; to be honest, Iceland is probably not an ideal destination for a pregnant woman, and we didn't foresee this trip as our last holiday as a family of two - but when I thought about it, this is the first longer vacation just for me and Mr (without the rest of our families) since our honeymoon 7 years ago. Our plan is to rent a car and drive all the way around the island, staying in a different town nearly every night and exploring the great Icelandic outdoors. There is going to be mostly driving, hiking and taking lots of photos, which I'm hoping to share on my Instagram. However, we're going to take it all pretty easy and allow plenty of time for relaxing, dining out and bathing in geothermal waters; in fact, our first stop after the flight to Reykjavik is the Blue Lagoon Spa.

I think that's all I wanted to say for now, but if you have any questions - be it pregnancy or Iceland-related - don't hesitate to ask! I'm sure you're wondering if we already have a name picked out for our little boy, and we do in fact have one strong contender - but I'm going to be a tease and keep it a secret until he arrives in October. Thank you for reading!

And There Will Be Three...

This post is completely non-beauty related, but I have some big news to share. I'm 15 weeks pregnant!!! This is our first baby and both me and Mr, as well as our families and friends, are all very excited. We don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet, but I'll keep you posted :)

Baby bean at a 12 week scan

That's the most important part of what I was going to say today - I guess it's hard to top that, huh? - but if you're interested in MOAR BEBEH stuff, you can keep reading. So far (fingers crossed), both me and baby are doing great. Being a natural worrywart, I thought that expecting a baby would definitely cause me to freak out, both emotionally and physically. However, I feel great; I've had almost no pregnancy syptoms at all (haven't had nausea even once) apart from feeling somewhat more pooped in the evenings and now sporting a suspicious 'Is it a bloat? Is it a bump?' thingy around my midsection. I was told though that I look more vibrant by a coworker today, so that's something - right?

As far as my emotional state, I am - obviously - very happy. But I'm not just happier when I remember I'm going to meet my cute baby in the beginning of October; overall I feel more joyful, which is... not exactly my normal state of mind. Somehow my anxious thoughts have taken a backburner in this pregnancy, even though there are lots of bad things one could obsess about. But luckily, it's like my brain decided to take a chill pill and just enjoy the ride. I blame the pregnancy hormones :)

If you're curious what my expecting a baby means for Rocaille Writes, I'm not planning to introduce any big changes. This still is and will remain a beauty blog. You may have noticed however that I have been posting somewhat less frequently, the reason being that a) I was definitely more tired during my first trimester, b) I've been feeling more relaxed about stuff in general, and since blogging is not a job but a hobby, I've somewhat lost the motivation to push for more posts when there isn't anything in particular I want to talk about. But I will do my damn best to stay at about 2 posts a week at least until the arrival of the tiny human bean; I'm not committing to anything specific after that, but I won't just abandon this space. It's my baby too :)

In terms of content, like I mentioned above, I'm still going to be posting my regular product reviews and round-ups, as well as updates on my no/ low-buys and downsizing projects. I may post some pregnancy/ baby-related stuff sporadically if there's any interest; I guess my current skincare routine would be a topic that bridges both of these areas. I was also thinking of showing you my pregnancy capsule wardrobe, since I have talked about clothing capsules in the past. Let me know if that's something you'd be interested to hear about; I realize that pregnancy content is probably only useful to other women who are either currently pregnant or planning to get pregnant in the foreseeable future, but I don't know - maybe the rest of you guys are just nosy. Please share your thoughts in the comments below! That's it for now; and as always - thank you for reading!

Project Use Up Those Freakin' Samples: Halfway Progress Update

It's been a month since I started my Project Use Up Those Freakin' Samples, and we have another month left to go, so I thought it's perfect timing for an update! I'm going to give you my counts so far, include some shots of what have been used up (please let me know in the comments if you have any questions on the products that aren't mentioned otherwise!), and share some of the favorites I've discovered.

Overall, I think I've been doing really well! I've used up 9 deluxe samples so far. Depending on their size and purpose, these minis can last me anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks, so I think 9 is a really good number. Now, when it comes to my foil packets...

I've used up 29 so far! Not bad, huh? You know, the crazy thing is that despite the fact that 29 seems like quite a lot, I feel that I haven't made a big dent in my make-up bag stuffed with samples. I haven't actually counted how many were in there to begin with, but I'm guessing there's still A LOT left. So I think that after the end of this Project, I will need to incorporate the remaining sample packets into my regular routine to get them out of my stash.

Now for some favorites; even though I've tried a fair number of new products, I've only found a couple I liked enough to consider purchasing a full size of at some point in the future. I really enjoyed using my sample of the HABA VC Lotion, a moisturizing toner/essence with Vitamin C. I though it was an excellent alternative to a heavier daytime serum for the summer, when my skin tends to get oily very quickly. In fact, I liked it so much that I purchased a similar product with a lower price tag, the Rohto Hada Labo Hyaluronic Acid Lotion (review forthcoming).

I also really enjoyed my sample of Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm, although I doubt I'd drop a hundred bucks on a cleanser in any foreseeable future. I still quite like the Dermalogica Ultracalming Cleanser I used to have a full size of, and the Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Toner with niacinamide worked well on my skin. For bodycare, the Nuxe Reve de Miel hand cream felt moisturizing but non-greasy for the daytime, and had a beautiful honeysuckle scent. The Ayres Body Butter in Jasmine and Rosemary had an interesting whipped texture that glided wonderfully on the skin, and the fragrance was very interesting - I was finally able to figure out that it smelt quite similar to a cough syrup I used to use as a child.

I'm still quite pumped about my sample project and I'm looking forward to knocking more out in June. Thankfully, despite some cautionary tales from you guys, my skin didn't totally freak out from trying out different products most of the time, although I did experience some issues with product incompatibility - like when I layered a serum and moisturizer that must have been quite heavy on silicones, and my foundation annoyingly started to roll on top of them. Have you guys discovered any new interesting products by using your samples recently? I know a few of you were thinking of joining me in this Project, and if you did, how has your progress been?

My 2015 Capsule Collection Goals and Blogging Resolutions

Happy New Year, my lovely readers! I hope your New Year's Eve was filled with laughter, bubbles, good company and only a fleeting moment of deepest reflection ;) Here's to a wonderful 2015 for all of us!

The beginning of a New Year is always a bittersweet time for me; among all the party fun and social obligations, my thoughts often turn inwards to analyze the achievements (and fails) of the past year and to set goals and resolutions for the months to come. I tend to be quite hard on myself and sometimes blow negative things out of proportion, but actually, this year, I'm feeling pretty good!

In 2014, I made good on my resolution to post at least two times a week, and if you look at the number of posts per year since my blog's inception, it's been the second most prolific year of my blogging career - no doubt mostly due to the fact that I've had a lot of free time to allocate for developing my online space, but also because I've tried to be very consistent and plan and schedule posts in advance for the times I'm not around to write at leisure (like the past two weeks when we've been in Poland for the Holidays). I think this posting discipline has also helped me to be more creative overall, and using my blogging notebook to jot down ideas served as a back-up when I felt the flow of ideas slowing down for a bit. Last year, I also said I wanted to include you more in my personal life, and while there's still a lot I'd like to do in that regard, there's been a couple travel posts, tags as well as a whole lot of photos on my Instagram to give you a better idea who I am as a living breathing human, not just a made up face.

As for the stash-reducing, capsule collection goals, I'd like to stay on the same track of purchasing no more than 2 new products a month, but with certain exceptions. I did so well last year in terms of using up my skincare back-up stash that I now actually regularly run out of products, and I feel that these necessary repurchases should be exempt from my limit. I would also like to exclude make-up brushes from my self-imposed allowance, because I gave away so many that weren't working for me in the past couple years that I now have some gaps in my collection, and I'd like to fill those in with some luxuriously soft specimens.

Looking at my make-up collection at the beginning of 2015, I'm very happy with what I own and I want to take the time to appreciate and enjoy all I have without the constraints of too many 'Project X Pan' / 'Use it all up' challenges, although I will be participating in another Project Make A Dent, hopefully armed with experiences from the past year and better prepared this time round. I also don't foresee the need to further declutter my stash in any significant way, but when the need arises, I'd like to be more decisive in giving away or tossing products that don't work for me.

And that's about it! No major changes or drastic challenges, but a path of sustained, controlled consumerism. I no longer want to punish myself for making bad purchasing decisions in the past by desperately trying to use things up, I just want to enjoy what I own and treat myself here and there without feeling guilt or anxiety over the rest of my collection. What are your plans and resolutions for 2015? Are you going to take part in any stash-reducing projects this year? I'd love to know!

Fine-tuning My Skincare Routine

For the past two months or so, I'd noticed the condition of my skin gradually deteriorating into the hormonal, congested, flaky, irritated territory. I was at a loss - I was already using gentle, quality skincare products, taking supplements, spending time pampering my skin; surely there's little more a woman can do, right? Wrong! About a week ago I chanced upon an old 'Routines Cheat Sheet' by the indelible Mrs Hirons (whom I've adored and silently stalked on social media for what... 4 years now? Holla, #TBT!) and it spurred me to really fine-tune my skincare routine. Mind you, it's not that I didn't read the cheat sheet when Caroline first posted it... but turns out, I didn't really really read it.

So here's a little overview of my skincare bad habits, some changes I've already introduced into my routine and more changes I hope to incorporate in the near future. I'm already seeing results from these tiny tweaks: my skin is calmer, less red and congested, plumper and more hydrated. I'm hoping there's something here you too might have overlooked and could change in your skincare routine!

1. Cleansing. If there's just one thing Caroline will impress on you, it's the importance of properly cleansing your skin. We're talking absolutely no foaming cleansers, nice balmy textures applied on dry skin, removed with a hot washcloth (stupidly in the past, I thought she was referring to flannels as an actual fabric... and bought some baby flannel wipes that I still need to replace with just your plain old terry washcloths), as well as double cleansing. I have chucked most foaming face washes a while ago but I sometimes failed at double cleansing and using a cloth to remove it all, like when I'm using my TATCHA One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil. I'll now make sure to always remove it properly, and follow up with another cleanser (currently the Elemental Herbology Purify & Soothe) when I'm wearing make-up and sunscreen... and really throw that cloth in the wash when I'm done with it.

2. Toning. Incorporating an exfoliating toner into my routine has probably been one of the best things I've ever done for my skin. But, I'd fallen a bit behind since I first started using my Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner; Caroline suggests using one twice a day, morning and night, but due to some dryness and irritation, I'd been using it only at night. I now think that maybe I actually wasn't nourishing my skin enough afterwards, and also I might be sensitive to the grapefruit extract in the product (which is why I'll be replacing it with another acid toner in the near future). In the mornings, I've now started to mix a little bit of the MB Glycolic Acid Toner with some of the La Roche-Posay Physiological Soothing Toner, and I have to say my skin is now brighter, evened out and much less congested, without the redness I was getting previously.

3. Hydrating serum. Well... I just didn't always apply a serum, to be perfectly honest. If I was using the Murad Pigment Lightening Serum at night, I'd skip it for fear of the serum interfering with the efficacy of the lightening product. In the mornings, I'd skip it for fear of getting shiny too quickly and overloading my skin. Yet, I was still getting dry patches and flakes. Now, I've started to use this Bioderma Hydrabio Serum Moisturizing Concentrate for Very Dehydrated Sensitive Skin every morning, and I layer it over the Murad hyperpigmentation treatment at night, or alternate them every other day. So far, no flakes!

4. Facial massage. Following Caroline's recommendation, I got this little facial massager from The Body Shop, and use it in the evenings with my second cleanser. I haven't noticed any results from it quite yet, but it's quite fun and pleasant to use - the knobbly bits really feel like they're doing something extra compared to just massaging your skin with a cleanser in circular motions with your hands. I'm hoping the massage will help drain some of the toxins causing deep breakouts on my neck, jawline and chin.

5. Supplements. I've been taking fish oil capsules on and off for about a year now, but now I'm trying to step up my game and make sure I'm taking it every single day. Another supplement I'd like to try in the near future is quercetin, which Caroline recommended for acne-prone skin. From what I've gathered, quercetin is a natural, plant-derived antioxidant that may help with inflammation as well as allergies; in fact, some people call it 'the natural anti-histamine'. I'm planning on getting the Quercetin & Bromelain capsules from Vitacost (referral link) next time I place an order.

6. Other tweaks. I used to always apply my eye cream as the last step in my routine; however, even small amounts of serum or moisturizer may prevent it from being absorbed fully, thus making it less efficient. Now I try to make sure I whack it on as the very first step. I also focus on bringing my skincare down onto my neck; because firstly, I do get some breakouts just under my jawline that could use some exfoliating, and secondly because I want to ensure it's getting some anti-aging action - nobody wants a smooth, unwrinkled face and a lined, sagging neck! I've also kind of gotten away from using spot treatments - I feel like they weren't helping much to actually heal the spot, they were just making the area dry and flaky. Now when I see a spot coming up, I smear some tamanu oil on it to soothe the angry offender.

That's it for now; obviously, my skincare routine is ALWAYS a work in progress, so I'll be introducing more changes in the future, especially by way of replacing some products here and there. I still need to find some good exfoliating toner options to alternate (I'm thinking of trying REN's Clarifying Toning Lotion and First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads, which are currently on their way to me!), as well as a lighter cream/milk cleanser to use in the mornigs (maybe REN's Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk, or Anthony Logistics for Men Glycolic Facial Cleanser?). I'll definitely review new products as I try them, well if they're worth mentioning anyway.

Have you introduced any changes into your skincare routine recently?

NYC Update & OPI Fall and Holiday 2013 Haul

Hullo, long time no see! I'm really sorry about the posting hiatus, lovelies - I had every intention (meaning, product shots taken, uploaded and ready to be edited) to update the blog, but you know... life gets in the way, as it would. The main obstacle, as you might know from Twitter, is that the screen on my blogging laptop has been damaged when flying into NYC; the lesson learnt is that when the airline tries to take your carry-on bag at the gate to throw in with the rest of checked-in luggage, you should pout, cry, and stomp your feet until they let you keep it (that, or just take the damn laptop out...). The result is that it'll still take a while to repair my ailing Dell with all the saved photos, and we shall try and make do in the meantime.

Other than this minor unpleasantness, we're all settled in and unpacked now, and tentatively exploring the neighborhood (yes! walking distance to Whole Foods AND Stumptown Coffee Roasters! It feels like West Coast already :) My brother just flew in yesterday from Warsaw and he's keeping us company so that we don't miss Pacific Northwest too terribly.

In more beauty-related news, I couldn't stop myself from picking up a couple Fall/Winter nail polish shades before I left Bellevue. OPI has come out with some gorgeous autumnal shades in their San Francisco collection, and after careful deliberation, I chose Muir Muir on the Wall and Lost on Lombard. I'm wearing the latter on my nails right now and it's so gorgeous - deep red with some slight brown undertones, but not as warm as to clash with my pinkish skin.

Just a couple days before my last day on the job, we received a shipment with OPI Mariah Carey Holiday 2013 collection; although it feels crazy to be talking about the holidays already, I was glad to get my hands on two wintery colors: Ski Slope Sweetie and Kiss Me at Midnight, a second Liquid Sand texture polish in my personal collection. I haven't worn either yet, but some in-store swatching proved that Ski Slope Sweetie looks ah-mazing over white, and Kiss Me at Midnight... well, on its own - you know my weakness for blue nail polish; it's a bit more purple-y and periwinkle-y than in the photos.

I hope you're all doing well and enjoying some beautiful fall weather; we've been very lucky here in New York so far, it doesn't even feel like it's October yet. I've missed talking to you, dears! Let me know in the comments if you have any questions or post requests, since I've been so MIA for the past month. Hugs!

New York City Bound

Another housekeeping post - so if you're only interested in ohmahgerd, lipstick swatches, you can safely skip this - otherwise, it's pretty amazing stuff, if I dare say so myself. You might have noticed my posting has been a bit sketchy these past couple of weeks, and the simple reason is this: we're moving to NYC.

An old photo from an NYC trip we took two years ago - hence the short do!

Yes, I know, NYC!!! This past week we just came back from a short trip to the city we took in order to find and rent an apartment, which was very successful (you can follow my exploits from the trip on Instagram, if you wish), and by the end of next week, our stuff is going to be professionally packed up and driven across the country to Manhattan. It's all very exciting, maybe except for the part when we'll be living in our current apartment without any furniture and just a couple of suitcases - but ya know, you gotta do what you gotta do.

All this madness means that blogging is a bit challenging these days, but fear not, I'm planning to make it up to you once we settle in a bit. The biggest reason we're moving is because of Mr's awesome new career opportunity, but for me, due to some visa restrictions, it means no job for quite some time - but all the more time for blogging, right?

Big hugs to all of you and let me know in the comments if you have any recommendations for must-see places in New York or anything we should absolutely know, since we're pretty new to all of this :) Thank you for reading!

August in Photos

I'm back from vacation, lovelies! I bet you didn't even know I was gone - yes, I'm really proud of my post scheduling skillz this time. I haven't been very active on the social media front recently due to a family visit, and ensuing travels: we went to Portland for a couple of days, and then took a trip to Whidbey Island, both of which were spent lounging about, taking long leisurely walks, eating well and generally having fun. Here are some holiday snaps captured by yours truly and my sister-in-law's phone lenses:

Portland's Pearl District/ Favorite coffee shop/ Powell's Books/ Vodoo Donuts at night/ Deception Pass, WA/ Deception Pass bridge/ Walking on the beach at Whidbey Island/ And some more walking.../The mist coming in from the ocean made for beautiful photos/ Oak Harbor, WA/ Fort Ebey State Park/ Back at home, playing Monopoly

While I was gone, Rocaille Writes was featured on Karen's Make-up And Beauty Blog - if you haven't checked out my interview and a guest post on my favorite eyeshadows, you can do so here and here. I also mention some books I really recommend reading, if you're a fellow bookworm!

I have a big backlog of beauty bits to write about now, and can't wait to get around to it, so be on the lookout for lots more posts coming your way in September. A huge thanks for your lovely comments, tweets and general awesomeness in the past few weeks - you guys rock! Let me know what you've been up to in the comments, I love hearing from you :)

February 2013 Non-Beauty Favorites

February is such a weird fellow - it sneaks up on you with its dreary weather counteracted by pink hearts and chocolate-dipped strawberries, and then it's all gone before you know it. I think I'm glad it's over though; it was quite a challenging month for me and I'm getting really, really ready for springtime showers & sunshine.

As you may remember (and I'm sure you do, I'm just being annoying), I decided not to make any beauty purchases during the whole month; it helps a little that February is so short, right? I'm pleased to announce that I persevered and that my stash not only did not grow but actually shrank considerably within the last couple weeks, thanks to a more scrupulous pruning and generous gift-giving I resorted to. I've also worked on better organizing solutions for my collection and that's definitely a big favorite for the month. I've revamped my jewelry organization too using a good ol' corkboard method; while I dislike having all my accessories clutter on display, it really works in terms of my utilizing my things more and freeing up some space in my vanity drawer.

I'm very sorry to inflict my skeletal hand on you - I could not be a hand model to save my life. Still, this photo was the best of the bunch...

The only thing that I did buy for myself in the entire month was a sterling silver Count Me Healthy bracelet by Chelsea Charles. I will admit that they are quite overpriced for what they are (although I purchased mine with a discount) but it's a really universal basic piece that also has a practical function apart from just looking pretty; it does actually remind me to drink my water more often. Hurray for staying hydrated!

Possibly the biggest highlight of the month was seeing Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna; ever since we saw their classic show Mystère in Vegas last year, we've been big fans of the troupe. Amaluna was a wonderful 2-hour experience tha made me feel like a little girl again, devouring the wondrous acts with my own saucer-sized eyes; although I have to admit I'm never a big fan of the clowns. The costumes, stage, music, choreography and acrobatics, of course, were all first class though. If you're in the Seattle area, book your tickets, you won't be disappointed!

For some more entertainment favorites, in January we started watching a classic 90's sitcom series, 'Frasier'. It's an incredibly funny and smart TV show, even more so for Seattlites, as it pinpoints the little quirks of the city's inhabitants amazingly well. If you've never heard about it, 'Frasier' is centered on the life of Dr. Frasier Crane, a radio psychiatrist, and his family. The show manages to capture the beauty of 'intellectual hypocrisy': while Frasier, with all his psychiatric background, is able to provide great advice to his radio callers, he fails to follow those same principles in his everyday life. Both me and Mr. love it!

Also, thanks to Sandra from '15 steps, then a beauty blog', I discovered a new EP album I've been listening to a lot this month: 'Sea' by Roosevelt. The second song on the album, Soleil, is definitely a firm favorite, and I wish the band came out with a full length album so that I could listen to more of their music. I've also taken to drinking a sleepy time tea this month before bed, and so far, Yogi's Bedtime is the best I've tried: it has a hint of sweetness to it and it feels relaxing and refreshing at the same time. Great for winding down at the end of the day.

I'm already looking foward to March as I'll finally be able to purchase a small but luxurious beauty bit I've had my beady eye on for a long time now, and we have also planned a weekend getaway to San Francisco in a couple weeks time. How has February been for you? Care to share any favorites?

Blogging and Beauty New Years Resolutions

A little late but I thought it'd be interesting to share with you my New Years resolutions with regards to what matters the most here: blogging and beauty, so that you can hold me accountable :) I'm usually not great at making and keeping resolutions and reminiscing about the past; however, these past couple of months I've been thinking a lot more about my personal growth and what I could realistically try to improve - and here's what I came up with for 2013. Let's start with blogging goals, shall we?

1. Blogging more regularly.
Blogging often takes a back seat for me when life is feeling hectic or inspirations are running low. I will make a concentrated effort to post 2 to 3 times a week, including preplanning posts for busy times of the year like holidays and family visits.
2. Enhancing my creativity.
I believe most consistent bloggers tend to settle into a bit of a routine and forget about the creative aspect of their writing. I will harbor my creativity more by experimenting with different types of posts, e.g. more color-way or trend inspired articles. I will try to draw ideas from more aspects of my life, like literature and art.
3. Improving my photography.
I am always striving to get better at taking good photos for the blog and have a big backlog of photography books I would like to read in an attempt to work on my technical skills. In addition to that, I would like to experiment with lighting, prompts and backgrounds a lot more this year.

This was my husband's Christmas present to me: constant studio lights (what you're seeing are mostly the folded umbrella part with the tripods). They'll be so much fun playing around with!

4. No longer 'saving' blog post ideas for indefinite later.
I tend to mentally stash some of my better post ideas to use at a 'better' time, either because of laziness or the existing schedule. I think in order to cultivate my creativity, I would fare much better if I just used them right away - this also includes reviewing more products that I get to try and use, even if it's just a short and sweet summary of my thoughts. I tend to overcomplicate things - not every post needs to be a lenghty essay.
5. Starting a notebook dedicated to my blog.
Contrary to what you might think, I'm not glued to my PC 24/7, so if an idea pops up in the middle of the night, I need a little notebook to jot down my thoughts. Keeping a journal like that would not only help with organizing ideas so that I have plenty to choose from if I'm lacking inspiration but also help with my writing and project management skills.

This is the notebook I've bought for my blogging ideas - pretty cute, right?

6. Being more active in the community.
I love the social aspect of beauty blogging and all of my wonderful friends I've made by being a part of it, and I would like to give more by being more present on Twitter and also commenting more on my favorite blogs - it's so important to keep the discussion going!
7. Including you more in my personal life.
I appreciate you so much, my lovely readers, and you're already such a big part of my life that I think it's only fair to take you along with me in my day-to-day life. I've decided to start posting 'A Week in Photos' type of series so that you can see what I'm up to, it being beauty bits, food, books or anything fun or interesting that's worth sharing.

Phew, that was quite intense! Now for more superficial resolutions - beauty resolutions!
1. Focusing more on skincare than make-up in my everyday routine.
I tend to invest a lot more time and money in make-up rather than skincare and I want to change it around in 2013 to improve the health of my skin and my time management in the mornings. I've already revamped a lot of my skincare routine but I still need to work on perfecting a quick, everyday make-up look. I also need to pay a lot more attention to the skin on my body, including regular exfoliation and moisturizing.
2. Treating my skin in a more gentle and loving way.
To go along with my first beauty resolution, I really need to learn to love my skin more. This includes no picking and prodding, substituting harsh, stripping products with more hydrating products geared towards sensitive skin, removing my make-up as soon as I get home and finally being more consistent with my beauty routine.

A French pharmacie skincare haul is coming next!

3. Paying more attention to internal beauty.
I make this resolution every year but I really want to drink A LOT MORE water (I'm so bad at this, I just never get thirsty!), eat more veg and take my supplements more consistently; gotta love your fish oil!
4. Reducing my beauty stash.
For 2013, I've decided to do a no-buy for certain categories of products. I have so many back-ups of some skincare and make-up bits that I really shouldn't be buying any more of until they run out; but I think I will devote a separate post to that if you're interested. I also need to shop my stash more by rotating the products I own and I will also continue to focus on using up what I have with a special attention to samples and writing regular empties posts for the blog.

Well, I think that's it for now! I've already started implementing most of these resolutions and I feel a lot better by committing to do what I was planning on for a long time now. I think I may write a '2013 in review' type of thing at the end of December to see how I will have been keeping my blogging and beauty resolutions but I'm feeling very optimistic right now! Have you made any resolutions for 2013? What are they key things you'd like to focus on?

Going Red for the Holidays!

Just a quick one today to share my new hair color; as you may guess from the title, I've gone more red for the Holidays! Can you tell I'm very excited?

If you'd like to know the specifics, this is an all-over red semi-permanent toner, not a permanent hair dye. I had a partial foil (highlights) done a couple months ago and my stylist used a coppery red toner afterwards too but it didn't take very well; interestingly enough, my hair lifts incredibly quickly but doesn't react very well to toning. Anyway, this time we didn't do a foil but only used the toner and left it on for about 30 minutes (normally you would leave it to process for no more than 10); and voila! The toner itself was from Redken and I believe it was a half and half mix of Chilli and Cayenne.

Also, you can observe my 10-minute make-up routine here in action. Supposedly, redheads pull off the 'no make-up make-up' look pretty well?

The semi-permanent color will eventually fade within about 6 weeks; I've already noticed a lot of color wash down the drain but the coppery tint is still definitely there. The upside is that my hair doesn't feel very damaged at all, it still looks glossy and soft. I really do like how vibrant my hair color seems now; I naturally have a red tinge to my medium blonde hair so this is just amping up my natural shade - it also seems to match my complexion pretty well.

Have you changed your 'do recently? Do you like introducing little changes to your look for the winter season?

Coming Soon...

First off, let me apologize for my unplanned, prolonged yet necessary absence - I was really struggling with a writer's block of sizeable proportions and just felt that I needed to take time off to gather some much needed inspiration. I have however decided that I am not ready to completely let go of my blogging ways and so I'm back, with some make-up porn to look at while I'm busy drafting a couple of more substantial posts.

To be honest, I haven't accumulated very many beauty products in my absence; I'm still very much on a make-up purchasing diet and I think that will definitely become a theme of one of the upcoming posts, together with a jaw-dropping number of empties I collected within the past two months (or more).

Other than that, you can expect more reviews, as usual, a make-up look here and there, a word or two about my skincare and maybe even my nail polish collection; does that sound interesting? I sure hope so - because I've missed you, lovelies!

New Hair... Again!

I've just realized I hadn't shown you my new haircut yet; I got it last Monday! My slowly-growing-out hair was simply driving me crazy and I couldn't wait any longer, so I decided to have it cut in a style at least approximate to what I'm aiming for - a 1920's straight bob.

On the sides, you can see that my hair is still not quite long enough, so there are some strange pieces sticking out, but it's a huge improvement from my hair just 'being there', as my husband observed. I've never had a straight full bangs before and wasn't quite sure whether my face suited them, but I'm really happy with how it turned out. It looks quite vintage, but not old-fashioned... I think!

On my stylist's suggestion, I also made a big overhaul of my haircare; to be honest, I'd never given much attention to my hair and hair products, but I've found that using things suited to your hair type and style really does make a difference. I don't particularly like styling my hair, but with my new haircut, it only takes about 15 minutes, is super easy and makes a big difference to how my hair looks and holds on throughout the washes (I wash my hair every two days).

Oh, and just a quick note about my hair color, since I got a lot of questions the last time I posted something hair-related. This is my natural hair color and I've never had my hair color-treated, apart from some highlights a couple years ago. In the photos, it looks quite red, but really the color changes quite a bit depending on the lighting - it varies from dark blonde, through ashy brown, to reddish chestnut color. I wish it would actually appear more red-toned more often!

Have you ever gone for a straight bob? Do you like your natural hair color?

WA Readers, Wet'n'Wild Dream Weavers is here!

Just a quick post today to let you know that the LE Wet'n'Wild Dream Weavers 2011 collection is finally here! Here meaning specifically Bartell Drugs stores; I got mine at Bellevue Village and there was still a decent amount left. What's more, the full line of Wet'n'Wild is 50% off this week at Bartell's, so hurry!


I actually went looking for Dream Weavers on Monday at RiteAid, which currently has Wet'n'Wild Buy One Get One 50% Off sale. Not only I didn't find it, but I also got rained on on the way... So I was furious when Mr told me afterwards his toothpaste run out and I needed to go to a drugstore again. And so yesterday I trotted off to Bartell Drugs to find not only the entire Dream Weavers collection, but also the Gilded Age trio I've been lusting after and thought impossible to get, all of it half price! Major make-up shopping success, all thanks to my husband's forgetfulness.

A quick tip: I hate those stickers they put on those palettes, because they leave a lot of glue on the packaging after you peel them off! To remove the residual glue, use a bit of rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad and swipe the packaging clean. Works a treat!

For swatches and other locations where Wet'n'Wild Dream Weavers collection has been spotted, visit Nouveau Cheap. Also, I usually write about my sale finds on Twitter, so follow me! My initial impression is that all the three trios are absolutely fabulous, and I'm thinking of doing a look with them... Interested?

After the cut...

I've been to the hairdresser, finally! It took her an hour and a half to cut my hair, but here's the final result:


You can sort of see in this photo that it's quite short with longer layers on top and a longer fringe. If I really really want, I can style it into a little mohawk, but I'm afraid it doesn't look as glamorous as Ginnifer's cut...

In case you're wondering about the black neckline and pearls, I graduated on Tuesday! In Poland, a graduation day is not in fact an official ceremony, but the day of the very final exam (the so-called defense of the thesis), after which your studies are basically done and over with :) I've graduated with honors and hold the title of MA in Applied Linguistics.


I opted for a very classic make-up with a shimmery champagne on the lid (Wet'n'Wild Walking on Eggshells trio), a mixture of Urban Decay Naked and Buck in the crease, Virgin in the inner corner and Creep as a liner. Base is Graftobian HD Glamour Creme foundation in Aurora with a bit of Buff mixed in set with MAC Blot Powder in Medium, blusher - La Femme Pink Velvet, lips - MAC Viva Glam Cyndi. The photos were taken after good 8 hours of wear, and you can see that the base lasted very well on my oily skin; I think it lasts even better than my Revlon Colorstay foundation.


I wore this simple black dress from Jake's with some black pumps borrowed from my mum, outfit documented by my dad in my parents' garden.

How was your first day of summer?

Happy 2nd Birthday, Rocaille Writes!

Happy Birthday! Joyeux anniversaire! Sto lat!


That's right, it's been two years already and I feel like celebrating! While last year this memorable occasion seems to have slipped from my mind, this year I'd like to indulge in a bit of self-love. Because Rocaille Writes is truly my love child and in the past two years has become more than just a hobby. I've laughed lots, sworn lots, learnt lots, took lots and lots of photos, and most importantly, met lots of amazing bloggers who have since become friends; while my other friends and family have no clue I actually write a blog. Life's a bit of a paradox sometimes, isn't it?

To celebrate, this month I've decided to pay a bit of a tribute to the humble beginnings of my blog, posting more regularly, as I hope you've noticed, and doing some more dramatic make-up looks which I think many of my readers initially came here for. There'll be more of these and other surprises in the future as the blog continues to grow, pinky promise!

And last but not least, I'd like to thank all of you, dear readers, both of the silent and the more talkative kind, the regulars and the irregulars, the new and... the loyal. Without you, it simply wouldn't be the same!

With Love,
Rocaille x