What I've Been Reading!

 So the past 2 months I was back at reading novel after novel. I read four already and I am half way through the fifth.But the fun thing about it is that they are like a series. Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella is fun and uplifting .
  If you like fashion and shopping then you will engage with the main character Becky Bloomwood. And she will take you through different stages of her life. I personally loved the movie "Confessions Of A Shopaholic"(Adapted from the first novel of the Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella), so that's why I enjoyed reading the journey of Becky's life.

 I'm going to list them by date of publishing.





Shopaholic Takes Manhattan(2001):


With her shopping excesses (somewhat) in check and her career as a TV financial guru thriving, Becky's biggest problem seems to be tearing her entrepreneur boyfriend, Luke, away from work for a romantic country weekend. And worse, figuring out how to pack light. But packing takes on a whole new meaning when Luke announces he's moving to New York for business--and he asks Becky to go with him! Before you can say "Prada sample sale," Becky has landed in the Big Apple, home of Park Avenue penthouses and luxury boutiques. 
Surely it's only a matter of time until she becomes an American TV celebrity, and she and Luke are the toast of Gotham society. Nothing can stand in their way, especially with Becky's bills miles away in London. But then an unexpected disaster threatens her career prospects, her relationship with Luke, and her available credit line! Shopaholic Takes Manhattan--but will she have to return it?  (Summery by www.goodreads.com)


Then Shopaholic Ties the Knot was published and I read it 3 years ago and talked about it here. And Shopaholic and Sister which I didn't read yet.


Shopaholic and Baby(2007)


I Think this is one of my favorites. Such a funny novel!

Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) is pregnant! She couldn't be more overjoyed-especially since discovering that shopping cures morning sickness. Everything has got to be perfect for her baby: from the designer nursery . . . to the latest, coolest pram . . . to the celebrity, must-have obstetrician. 
But when the celebrity obstetrician turns out to be her husband Luke's glamorous, intellectual ex-girlfriend, Becky's perfect world starts to crumble. She's shopping for two . . . but are there three in her marriage?(Summery by www.goodreads.com)


Mini Shopaholic(2010):



Becky Brandon thought motherhood would be a breeze and that having a daughter was a dream come true: a shopping friend for life! But it's trickier than she thought. Two-year-old Minnie has a quite different approach to shopping.
Minnie creates havoc everywhere she goes, from Harrods to her own christening. Her favorite word is "Mine!" and she's even trying to get into eBay! On top of everything else, Becky and Luke are still living with her parents (the deal on house #4 has fallen through), when suddenly there's a huge financial crisis.
With people having to "cut back," Becky decides to throw a surprise party for Luke to cheer everyone up. But when costs start to spiral out of control, she must decide whether to accept help from an unexpected source--and therefore run the risk of hurting the person she loves.
Will Becky be able to pull off the celebration of the year? Will she and Luke ever find a home of their own? Will Minnie ever learn to behave? And . . . most important . . . will Becky's secret wishes ever come true?
(Summery by www.goodreads.com)

Shopaholic to the Stars(2014):



Sophie Kinsella returns to her beloved Shopaholic series with Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) newly arrived in Hollywood and starry-eyed. She and her two-year-old daughter, Minnie, have relocated to L.A. to join Becky’s husband, Luke, who is there to handle PR for famous actress Sage Seymour. Becky can’t wait to start living the A-list lifestyle, complete with celebrity sightings, yoga retreats, and shopping trips to Rodeo Drive. But she really hopes to become a personal stylist—Sage’s personal stylist—if only Luke would set up an introduction. Then, unexpectedly, Becky is offered the chance to dress Sage’s archrival, and though things become a bit more complicated, it’s a dream come true!

Red carpet premieres, velvet ropes, paparazzi clamoring for attention—suddenly Becky has everything she’s ever wanted.

Or does she?(Summery by www.goodreads.com)

Shopaholic to the Rescue(2015):


Becky’s father Graham and her best friend’s husband, Tarquin, have disappeared from Los Angeles saying simply they have “something to take care of.”

But Tarquin’s wife Suze who is Becky’s best friend, and Becky’s mother Jane, are convinced the two men are hiding something and are in danger—their imaginations run wild. They must track them down!

Hijinks ensue as husband Luke drives Becky, daughter Minnie, Jane, Suze and other favorite Kinsella characters across country from LA to Las Vegas in search of the missing men.

Becky feels deeply guilty about ignoring her father while he was in LA, in addition Becky feels her enemy Alicia is threatening her friendship with Suze.(Summery by www.goodreads.com)

xo,Ghinwa

January 2018 Sales Haul!

January is the month where most brands do crazy sales. So I wanted to share some of the things I bought throughout the sale. I didn't go crazy though.


Forever21:


I bought this super cute mask though it wasn't on sale but it was at a good price.Click here to buy



This sandals and top were crazy cheap and I thought they would be perfect for the upcoming summer.
Lace up sandals(10$)/Top(5$)

H&M:




I found this cutest leopard headband at H&M(in fact I'm wearing it now) and it was on sale for around 3$.


I've never tried H&M  hair products and I thought now is a great chance to buy and try them. So I bought the Nurturing Conditioner(5$) and Get It Straight Smoothing Balm(5$). I like H&M beauty products and accessories more than their cloth. I've done a review last year on their makeup here.


Bath and Body Works:



I bought 2 things from there Paris collection, the Bonjour Paris body spray and lotion.They smell of vanilla, and I've been using them daily. You can say I love Paris!

The Body Shop:


At The Body Shop I bought the Grape seed Glossing Serum for hair, wide tooth wooden comb and Vitamin E face moisturizer.

American Eagle Outfitters:



Found this really soft tank top in dark grey.

ZARA:







I thought this jacket was really elegant and I loved the golden details.

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I bought these casual t-shirts with frilled sleeves.Click here to buy. Also this long sleeve blouse I really like.(Here)



















💞Girl Night In💞





Ready to have the girliest night in? Well grab some snacks and let's get started.
Today is about having a relaxing day for yourself. Have a spa day, read, watch movies...

Movies:

Chic flix, comedy, romance... This is the chance to watch them with your friends. 



Some of my favorite movies to watch are:
Confessions of A Shopaholic
New York Minute
Material Girls
Monte Carlo
Flicka
A Cinderella Story
She's The Man




Books:


What a better chance to read your favorite book? Reading gives you company. Plus it's the perfect chance to start a new book with no distractions. If you want you can read uplifting girly books. I would recommend for that, books by Sophie Kinsella and Lindsey Kelk...



Snacks:



It's the perfect time to try a new hot chocolate recipe. Here is a simple recipe. Or you can have popcorn, fruits...


Spa Day:


You can have a hot bubble bath tp relax your muscles.(Lush and Bath and Body Works have some good ones). Also put on a facial mask to help moisturize your skin. And apply lotions and body creams because now is the perfect time. 

 


Have Fun!!!






Bath and Body Woks Sale! 3 Days Only

Stop what you're doing and go now to Bath and Body Works, 2 days left only.The sale that is going on is buy 3(shower gel,  body splash and body lotion ) for 30,000LL only on the entire store!! So I directly thought of buying this set as a gift for Teacher's Day and Mother's Day. And the smell is GORGEOUS!
 You can find Bath and Body Works in Lebanon : City Mall ,Dora GF / CityCenter, Hazmieh Level 0.



Hello Beautiful Set (I bought this for my sister on teachers day)


Japanese Cherry Blossoms Set (I love this! so yummy, I bought this set for my mom for Mother's Day)

H&M Beauty Haul + Review






H&M  had a sale on make-up, so a picked up a few items and tried them.They were pretty good, the blush, the concealer and the bronzer had a nice Matt finish. They are good for daily use, but not really pigmented. I bought each item for 5000LL (H&M Hamra-Lebanon)


Pure Velvet Cream Blusher (Dusty Rose)

The name itself is beautiful. Dusty Rose is one of my favorite colors , and this blush looks natural on.


Solar Flair Bronzing Powder (Sheer Tan)


Cream Lip Color (Brunette Ambition)
 This is my favorite, I really like the color and it has a really nice Matt finish. 




Cover-Up Concealer (Soft Sand)

I'm not really a fan of this concealer, it does not have a full coverage. But I'll give it more tries to see how it works.


Soft Kajal Eye Pencil (Black)
 A good eyeliner that doesn't get messed up easily.


Outfit Of The Day(Feb.19, 2017)

It's hard to know what to wear, especially that the weather is at its up and down nowadays . Today was a casual day out. In this outfit, I've mixed both styles: boho and edgy.












Item List:

Leather jacket: Jennyfer
Boho Top: Vero Moda
Jeans: Pieces
Watch: Michelle Kors
Bag: Celine



❣Valentine's Day Treat❣

Custard Petite Four 



Ingredients:

  • 450 g unsalted butter( 1 big pack)
  • 8 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 8 tablespoons of custard powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (powder or liquid)
  • Around 7 cups of white flour

Directions:

  • Melt the butter
  • In a big bowl mix the sugar with the custard and the vanilla.
  • Add the melted butter and mix with your hands.
  • Start adding 1 tsp of baking powder and add white flour little by little until the mixture feels like a dough
  • Roll the dough and start cutting heart shapes
  • Put them in a baking pan and bake them in the oven
  • Cover them with melted and sprinkles of choice.


 Tip: 

Put the petite four in a cute box, add a heart shaped balloon , a few other treats and you have a Valentine's Day gift.


Victoria's Secret Sale 2016!


A fresh new year, a fresh new start. Today I'm returning with a new blog style and a bunch of new interesting posts. In today's post I will show you some of the Victoria's Secret deals I found throughout the winter sale naming  the stores's location for all my Lebanese viewers. This haul is accumulated over the past few months(not at once :o).

Victoria's Secret:

Now I did went a little overboard shopping here.
First I bought this triple makeup bag set for 46.6$ (It wasn't on sale) and there was a deal Buy 2 get 2 free which was appropriate for Christmas presents.  The set includes 3 makeup bags of different styles 2 are normal size and one is bigger which can really come in handy.(Store: Victoria's Secret at City Center- Hazmieh)


It is similar to this.



Next purchase was perfume, body exfoliating, and lotion, and they were only for 10,000LL each. I bought these a few days after new year, and the sales were crazy! (Store: Victoria's Secret at City Center- Hazmieh)







PINK!

Pink(By Victoria's Secret) is one of my favorite stores. I bought from their a t-shirt and a few undies at their Semi Annual Sale .( Store: ABC Achrafieh Floor2). And after the sale was over  I bought 2 bras for 99thousand LL which is a deal going on right now.




And lastly, this over sized t-shirt.











 










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