It is amazing, isn’t it?, how easy spending money can be in 2016 when you can buy things with one click online and have them delivered at your door the next day! Still, I am a huge fan of shopping on the internet and believe, if you do it consciously, there’s no better thing that’s been invented yet!

We have every single thing at our fingertips and, let’s face it, there’s nothing more convinient than that! But I definitely still hear people doubting the advantages of online shopping pretty often in real life, and not only older generations really! It’s easy to be sceptical about something you’ve never tried or you had bad experiences with in the past, or when you just can’t see and touch what you’re buying while you’re doing it. But online shops have become totally secure recently and if you’re careful, shopping online can be your best friend, and here’s why…

The advantages of online shopping

Know what you’re looking for

When shopping in real life for something specific, it can be easy to get attracted to things that weren’t previously on our list of what we needed. I do realize newsletters kind of have a similar result, when you are bombarded with a lot of different offers every single day, and this is why I like to be subscribed to the bare minimum of them…

But if you are shopping online, chances are you’re doing it because you need something in specific and if you look for that only, you can actually save a lot of money on things you don’t really need and would have bought in real life instead. I find online shopping always help when I need to shop purposely!

Find the best deals in your sweatpants

But the best thing is surely being able to find exactly what you’re looking for and all of this, from the comfort of your own home and without the need of stepping foot outside! And you can get some amazing deals online as well: always do a little search before purchasing anything because chances are there’s a coupon available in that same moment.

Groupon Coupons is definitely one to check out: they list hundred of coupons each month, all categorized based on the brand name, so that it’s super easy to find what you’re looking for. They have coupons for any tipology of products, like style, beauty, fitness but also photo printing websites and everything in between. They feature fashion brands like Steve Madden, Kenneth Cole and Dressbarn but you can also find amazing deals while shopping for beauty and makeup, at Tarte for example! Definitely a huge help when shopping on a budget!

Think about it more

While online shopping can still be very impulsive (and this is why I suggest to never use the Amazon’s 1-Click option!), I find I actually get to think a little bit more about what I’m buying and if I really need it. You don’t surely have the pressure of time, nor of a persistent shop assistant, and that can make a huge difference!

I sometimes save things on my online wishlists and keep them there for months until I know I’m still convinced, and that’s the appropriate time to buy it.

Try it on at home

One of the things that make people sceptical about the advantages of online shopping, is that you can’t really see and try on a product, especially clothes, before purchasing. But you know what? Almost every website offers free returns nowadays, and because of that, you can purchase something you like, get it delivered at your door, and try it on from the comfort of you home.

You don’t have to try and understand if something suit you while constricted in a tiny changing room, plus you get the advantage of trying it with different outfits and see if your purchase will be something you’ll get a lot of use out of in the future. Just be very severe: it’s easy to want to keep everything, but try and consider if you really need and will use that item – if not, send it back, it’s free!

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That’s it, four advantages of online shopping from my point of view!
Do you shop online regularly? Do you find it easier than regular shopping? x

This post is sponsored by Groupon. All opinions and love for online shopping and coupons are 100% my own!

OK so, October has been the month of my first cold, of an endless hours spent in front of my laptop wanting to cry and without knowing where to begin with work, so I’m almost happy it’s finally over, but on the other hand it has been the month of mist and yellow leaves, roasted chestnuts almost every Sunday, countless cups of tea, the first coat and the first scarf, and in general the time I rediscovered my love for Autumn… and it’s sad to think one month of my favourite season has already gone by.

But there’s Christmas around the corner, so I’m not complaining! In the meanwhile here are my October favourites…

. F O O D .

This has been the first month when the wheather outside was chilly enough to properly enjoy a cup of tea, and with that, I decided it was about time that I tried out some new flavours. Turns out, I did buy a new tea, still the notes are always the same! What can I say? I’m such a lover of lavender, chamomile and lemon balm – put them all into one single blend, add cute packagings like only Clipper can do, and I’m sold!

I love sweet teas and this Snore & Peace number is almost already perfect for me without the addition of extra sugar (but I’d still add one teaspoon just in case, you know!). It’s basically the perfect nighttime infusion, but I still do enjoy it in the afternoon too… so relaxing and calming in front of a huge pile of work, you know…

On a different note, in the last week of September and throughout all the month of October, I’ve been loving this coconut jam from Coconut Merchant (my trusty retailer of huge bottles of coconut oil, if you’re wondering). It’s made of 100% organic coconut and tastes quite a bit like coconut sugar (that is amazing to me!). I guess it’s a bit of a healthier alternative to processed-sugared jams or Nutella (although it does not taste like that at all) – and I love it on my toasts in the morning! Yes, I’ve already gone through two jars all by own…

. B E A U T Y .

I don’t know if it’s just me, but my makeup products seem to finish up all at the same time! And October was that time for me. While repurchasing some old favourites, I thought I’d give a new foundation a go this round…

I tried a sample of this Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation back in May and I loved the texture and the finish so much. The only thing I’m always a bit put off by is the price of high end foundations, but this month I decided to finally bite the bullet and buy it. I know I’m super late on the bandwagon, but I’d suggest this to anyone with oily skin wanting a nice and natural but not super matte look that doesn’t feel heavy on the skin and last all day!

This is 100% a new favourite!

. S T Y L E .

Talking of favourites, ahhh… I can’t explain how much I love my new Nike Juvenate Sneakers at words! I have been raving about them all time on social media!

You might remember I talked a bit about getting into exercising a little more and especially walking a lot more back in August: I have been after investing in a nice and comfy pair of sneakers ever since, looking in particular for some shoes I could actually also wear on a daily basis (so yes, I wanted them to be cute!). I had some pretty hard time, I can assure you, but then I found these in lilac on Zalando, super discounted, and in my size… that’s how you know it’s meant to be.

And they are indeed the most comfortable shoes to walk in – maybe not the best in the rain, but I actually never really go out for a walk when it rains, so..!

This month I was also able to finally fit into this Zara mom jeans I’ve been after for a while, and so I bought them after a quick happy dance in the changing room. Needless to say I’ve been wearing them non-stop from that very minute throughout the whole month… and I’ve also purchased that beauty of a H&M pastel scarf: so snuggly and cosy! You know I love my pastels!

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But that’s about it for my October favourites!
Would love to know what you’ve loved this month! x

It’s been a long while since the last time I dedicated a whole blog post to makeup. It’s probably down to the fact I mainly only wear the boring bits (foundation, concealer and mascara and nothing else!) on a daily basis and rarely step out of my comfort zone or play with eye makeup at all! My day-to-day makeup look wasn’t really worth a whole post for its own, I guess!

But now that Summer is literally behind the corner, I reckon even the easiest, quickest and most lightweight of makeups start looking very appealing. And if one thing is for sure is that I do know how to master the natural, light, quick, no-makeup makeup look! So it’s probably the perfect time to share my day-to-day go-to products for my “signature” (as if it was something special, but you know..!) light & quick makeup that’s perfect for summertime and very hot days!

Recently I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect base: knowing I love how lightweight the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua feels on my skin but being not very sure about being ready for the investment (!), I asked for advice during my latest trip to Sephora and came out with a bunch of lovely samples of foundations I didn’t even know they existed!

After testing and trying, I came to realize the girl at Sephora really knew her thing when suggesting the Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation which apparently is one of the few bases with the biggest range of colours for all skin tones! I have never really been able to find such a perfect match to my skin until now! Plus this foundation really evens out my complexion but it’s extremely lightweight and dries matte on the skin, leaving my face with the feeling of not wearing makeup at all! Just the perfect pick for a fresh and light summer makeup look!

I only go over the places where I need some extra coverage with my trusted NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (which I have in two different shades and that I keep buying since a couple of years now, that’s how much I love it!), to hide imperfections without the need of a full layer of thick high coverage foundation.

As for my eyes, I can’t really be bothered to apply nothing more than a thick layer of volumizing mascara, my favourite still being the Maybelline Lash Sensational, perfect for volume and definition!

As for cheeks and lips, I’m all about the peachy pink or coral combo recently! I either pair a nude peachy lips, the quick, low-maintainance option with my beloved Urband Decay Revolution Lipstick in Lovelight, with the Urban Decay Afterglow Blush in Score, or, for a brighter summery option, I go for the lovely coral shade of NARS Lodhi for the lips paired with the beautiful NARS Orgasm. And believe me when I say there’s no better combo than these two! The former natural, dewy and hydrating, the latter long-wearing and bright!

And there you have it, my quick, fresh and light makeup perfect for summertime!