GIVE AWAY: Statement necklace from Selected

Today my blog exists exactly a month and I want to thank all of you for following my blog. To show my gratitude I give away a statement necklace from Selected. Recently this brand had its own pop-up store at the Smets Premium Store in Brussels. I will give away this necklace when my facebook page hits 100 likes. What can you do to win? Follow my blog in as many ways as possible!!! Not all steps have to be completed but the more ways you follow me, the bigger your chance to win.

Step 1) Like my blog on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dressinginlabels
Step 2) Follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/KarenLiesens
Step 3) Follow me on Instragram http://instagram.com/karenliesens
Step 4) Follow my blog on Bloglovin http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11156295
Step 5) Let me know in a comment below which steps you have completed

Good luck!

My week on Instagram

Here's what I've been up to lately. From now on I'll try to take more pictures!!!

A new  restaurant called "De Zoemerik" opened and I ate the lovely tortellini Funghi. I eat lots of vegetarian dishes because I  don't like meat.

The past two weeks I've been going out a lot and seeing some of my favourite dj's: Dj Coone and MC Chucky at The Oh on Tour, Harddriver and Coone at the Noxx and Dj ghost at the Bonzai Retro party.

One of my favourite moments of the past week: a beauty night at Ici Paris XL. Me and my best friend have really been spoiled with nail treatment and someone who did our make up and hair.

Honestly I like this combination a lot. I  finished this black ruffle dress off with bright blue accessories.

#WhatsInYourKors  Here you can see what's in mine.

I love internetshopping definitely if it means buying one of the must haves for this season. I have shoe seize 42 so it's very difficult to find shoes I like.

Fashion Shows Fall Winter 2013 (part 2)

Black, gold and red! Some greats colors where used at Kenzo. I wish I could find a dress like these for New Year's Eve. PS: check the last picture. I love the jewelry!

Nobody can satisfy a woman's needs like Alber Elbaz. This collection makes you forget about terms like minimal and maximal because this collection has it all. I can't tell what to love first: the dresses, the furs, the colours or the jewelry. Lanvin may not be the most famous name in the fashion world, but personally I consider Alber Elbaz as one of the greatest designers in the world.

If you ever want to know what it's like to wear a red carpet look, choose Marchesa. Princess dresses in classic colours with lot of details.

I'm still looking for a fur stola, maybe Santa can bring me one from Marc Jabobs. I like the combination of the chic look and at the other hand the naughty details such as these hot pants.

Like I said before, I like clothes which can take you right back into time. With Nina Ricci's collection you could perfectly audition for a role in Mad Men.

Another collection which has everything I love in it. Classic details, gemstone colours, long gloves and even an Indian cape. This collection of Oscar de la Renta is very special, definitely because it's the first one on which John Galliano worked with de la Renta.

Parisian chic in New York with Ralph Lauren. This collection makes me think of the Russian revolution: chain details, sailor caps, chandelier earrings and faded tones.

No surprising collection from Robert Collection but as they say: never change a winning team. In all the elements from his collection are just that. Black, gold and red as colours. Mix this with flower prints, fur and lots of shiny details and you get a standard Cavalli collection. Among others, Flemish masters Rubens served as inspiration for this collection and  who are we to not like the Flemish masters?

As much as I try to live my life by the quote "Life is one big party", sometimes you have to clock some working hours as well. But you might as well do it in some fancy clothes by Roland Mouret. Classic lines, simple colour pallets,... that's what this collection is about.

Saint Laurent, for all those punk girls out there! I honestly think Yves Saint Laurent would turn around in his grave if he read this. The brand YSL stood for sexy but sophisticated, chic but still classic. With Hedi Slimani at the steering wheel, the brand completely changed. Even its iconic name and symbol. I must admit I like this collection but not under the name Saint Laurent. Too bad a classic brand is going to waste.

There's not one thing Tom Ford can't do: retake Gucci to it's former glory, design one of the most anticipated lines of all time, create a own beauty line and make a movie in the mean time. This "single man" is almost too good to be true. Think glam rock meets pop art for these looks. This collection landmarked the first public runway show of Tom Ford's brand and definitely not a bad way to dazzle the public eye.

Tory Burch is so much more than a brand with some bags and shoes with a label on it. The designer payed lots of visits to the Neue Galerie to create this Art Nouveau collection. The accessories were brilliant: magnifying-glass pendant necklaces, dragonfly earrings, and elegant velvet monk-strap pumps. With the clothes Burch tried to please a woman like herself, a woman who hasn't got the time to chance clothes all day long. I wouldn't mind wearing these clothes all day long!

Another one of my favourite brands is Valentino. Always stylish never ordinary. Valentino is another brand whose latest collection has been inspired by the Flemish masters. You would think something so old fashioned can't be seductive but don't be mistaken! 

Once upon a time Vera Wang was destined to become head of Vogue America. Luckily Anna Wintour grapped this chance from her and Wang started concentrating on fashion. Most people know Vere Wang from the bridal dresses but she designs some great party dresses as well.

How boring would the fashion world be without Versace. If you get sick and tired of all the Winter colours, you can always wear a Versace outfit. Donatella Versace calls this collection Vunk instead of Punk. This collection follows the 3e e's of fashion: extravagance, exhibitionism and elevation.

Zac Posen created a mysterious collection with some unbelievebly pretty colours. Posen chose linear silhouttes  for this season and I'm totally in love with these looks. 

What are your favourite looks from this article?

Fashion Shows Fall Winter 2013

Thanks to the fashion weeks last September we all know what to wear next Spring. But unfortunately we first need to survive the Winter. Honestly I'm not a Winter person at all. I hate cold, snow,...  But if we have to go through Winter we can just as well do it in a fashionable way. In today's post I'll show you some of my favourite brands and outfits for this season.

Balmain has been one of my favourite brands for years. The looks are really powerfull yet feminine. Balmain shows that winter doesn't necessarily mean black. The draped skirts are so pretty but unfortunately don't flatter my figure.

The pastel trend continues to shine through winter season like the power pink wrap coat in the first picture. Another trend on the Blumarine runway was leather and see through fabrics.

If you think Burberry, you think trench coats. If you think Burberry Prorsum, the first line, you think exquisite trench coats. This collection is called Trench kisses and we can tell easily why. The looks are romantic and playfull at the same time. The last few collections from Burberry were very colourful and extreme, with this collection Christopher Bailey took it back to the roots.

Carolina Herrera stands for classic and chique and she didn't disappoint. I would kill to have that fur jacket.
The collection is very 1940's with models having chignon rolls and red lips. If you want to leave something to your guy's imagination, Carolina Herrera is the way to go.

This Chanel collection was definitely not my favourite so far but even on a "bad" day Kaiser Karl knows how to design a collection others can only dream about. The master of fashion chose for blue and black for this Winter. It's a bit darker than Royal blue. Still this show will always be remembered as the show in which the stage was occupied with a huge globe and the models walking down the catwalk on the beats of "Around the world" from Daft punk, not a bad music choice for a 80-year-old.

If you're a Chloé girl, you wear simple yet sophisticated clothes. And oh boy I crave to be a Chloé girl this winter. Just like Blair Waldorf, I adore capes. Unfortunately I haven't found the right and affordable model yet. 

As Belgian fashion lovers, we should all be extremely proud of Raf Simons. Since this Belgian became head  designer of Dior, celebrities fight to wear his designs on the red carpet. And who am I to disagree with Jennifer Lawrence and Nathalie Portman?

Every season during Milan Fashion week I fall in love again, in love with the most exquisite clothes in the world. The brand: Dolce and Gabbana! Though "always wear your invisible crown" may be a good attitude to live your life by, I would exchange it any day for the real crowns of Dolce and Gabbana. This brand represents everything I love about fashion: gold, huge jewelry, historical references, drama,... During my city trip to Milan I almost literally drooled over the jewelry closet at D&G's shop. Dear Santa, could you please bring me the crown with matching earrings?

Who says winter has to be boring? Donna Karan definitely doesn't agree. Pink is back as a must have colour and how. On the verge of the brand's 25th birthday, the designer obviously went back in time and renewed some old designs. I could easily see myself go to work in the orange or pink dresses.

Jungle prints are usely more used during Spring/summer collections but Diane von Furstenberg knows life is a jungle every day. DvF says she returned to the "girl she used to be".

I must admit that at first I was disappointed with the Emilio Pucci collection. Normally you expect party dresses with lots of bling bling from Pucci. But at the second glance I started to like this collection with numerous must haves; the tie high boots, leather shorts, fur jackets, see through blouses, hats, pastels,...

Greek goddess meets Winter is the best description for Giambattista Valli's collection. Think draped skirts, capes, chique jackets and detailed dresses in pastel colors.

Every woman has a dark, mysterious and naughty side to herself, you can embrace this side or ignore it. After seeing Gucci's collection you will definitely embrace this side. The famous bamboo bags were combined with long leather gloves and dresses. Designer Frida Giannaini knows how to make women feel sexy yet not trashy.

Jason Wu's dresses come pretty close to my dream dress for New Year's Eve. The chosen one, not many people can call themselves the prodigy of Anna Wintour, shows his potential again with a very varied collection. Party dresses, classic jackets, power suits,.. Jason Wu can do it all.

Come back to my blog tomorrow to check out part 2! Which are your favourite looks so far?

Shopping Saturday

I'm sorry I've been so quiet these last few days but I'm incredibly busy. The post I promised you yesterday will have to wait one more day.
Today I started my search for a New year's eve dress. The dress I have in mind is very special and colourful. I would definitely NOT wear black for an evening like this. Firstly because lots of people already choose for black because it's a save option. And secondly, which evening is better suited to try something special?
I went to Maasmechelen Village (Karen Millen and Ted Baker) and Fashion Point (Robert Cavalli, Philippe Plein,..). Unfortunately I didn't find my dress yet. But I took some outfit pictures while shopping. How will your new year's eve dress look like?

I'm wearing

dress: Supertrash

scraf: Gucci

coat: Mexx

bag: Louis Vuitton

watch: Michael Kors

Beauty night Ici Paris XL

As promised a report about the beauty night from Ici Paris XL Nederland. Linde, my friend, and I got welcomed very warmly by the people of Ici Paris. With cool drinks in hand we started exploring the different corners of the store. In each part of the shop you could try out a beauty ritual for free.

First a very friendly girl did my hair. She made some loose curls, I really like the look she created. Sometimes I try to curl my hair myself but they're always so stiff. This look would be perfect for a night-out.

The second corner was a skin analyzer from Ioma. It's really great what this machine can do. Somebody from Ici Paris first scans little pieces from skin, like the dirty zone on your noise, the dimples on your forehead,... Afterwards the skin analyzer shows which products you need to start using to optimize your skin.

The analyses showed I need to clean my skin ever better than I already do. Therefore I bought the Iomo tonic on the right. I also got advised to use more oil-free products because I have a very greasy skin. I got some samples for Ioma and Philosophy to try out. I'm already familiar with the latter but not with Ioma. I'll let you know how the samples are!
The thing that bothers me most about my skin, are my huge pores. I seem can't to find a foundation that covers my skin completely. A friend advised to try out the compact foundation from Estée Lauder, I tried it on at Ici Paris and was very pleased about the result.

Last but not least you could get a free set of gel nails. For years I have been a huge fan of fake nails and only recently switched back to ordinary nail polish. I'm glad to have my beloved fake nails back. For at least one week you don't have to bother about your nails, it's so easy. I'm still doubting to go back to fake nails permanently. What to do?

I'm wearing

dress: Paco Rabanne
blazer: H&M

bag: Louis Vuitton

My Beauty Ritual

Tomorrow I have a really nice event coming up: a beauty night at Ici Paris XL Maastricht. Whenever I enter a beauty shop I feel like a little kid in a candy store. I don't have my addiction for make-up from strangers. My mother and I can almost start our very own beauty Store.

I read a lot of reviews in magazines and online of new make-up. I rarely ever buy make-up without reading a good review about it and try it out first. Today I will give you a view into my make-up closet and tell you why I like these products.

My usual day cream is "Hydra Life Crème Sorbet Pro-Jeunesse" from Dior. I've been using it for years because of its nice texture. On my chine and noise I put "Estée Lauder Idealist" to minimalise my pores.

The next step is giving my skin a bit of 'color'. I usually mix Guerlains' "Lingerie de peau" and the classic Guerlain 4 seasons Terracotta. Both are very easy to apply and cover my skin evenly. When I go out, I use "L'or" from Guerlain, although I must admit I don't really see that much difference. Still it gives you a good feeling, knowing you have gold on your face. Sometimes I use the primer from Sephora to control my greasy skin. Recently I changed my blush and started using Kikos' blush. This brand is incredibly cheap and quite qualitative as well.

The Chanel waterproof eye pencil is the best ever. It really is waterproof and doesn't hurt my eyes. Since I'm quite clumsy I can't use a real köhl pencil. Otherwise I prefer Dior for eye make-up. I'm totally in love with Christmas make-up products and bought this Dior eye shadow pallet last year. The gold has these particles in it, I adore it. It's almost empty and I really hope that Dior will launch a similar eye shadow this year.

For lipsticks I mostly use Chanel and Dior. Both brands are easy to apply and don't fade quickly.

Which are your favourite make up brands?

For the love of the Speedy bag

I don't think this bag needs any introduction anymore. The Speedy bag is a celebrity on its own since Audrey Hepburn was spotted with it decennia ago. She's not the only fan of the Speedy Louis Vuitton bag, many famous people have been spotted with it. And honestly how can you not love it! This bag is a classic, yet matches every outfit. You can buy it in many seizes to your own liking and choose different fabrics and patterns. The bag can be carried in your hand or on your arm but you can also buy the Speedy with a bandolier to put in on your shoulder.

I can call myself the lucky owner of 3 Speedy bags: the "Monogram" Speedy, the "Azur Damier" Speedy" and the "Ebene Damier" Speedy

The oldest one is the monogram Speedy, I bought it in 2009 I think. You can see that the handles have aged a bit but this gives the bag its vintage look I like. Only a couple of months ago a friend told me you could get your bag personalised with your initials for free, a great service of Louis Vuitton. This Monogram Speedy has already been on many journeys with me.

The Damier Azur is my "least" favourite of the 3. I don't use this bag that much because of the colors. First of all these are more summer colors and secondly I'm afraid the bag gets dirty. The other Speedy's I even take out to parties but seriously if somebody would spill a drink on this one, I would probably go insane ;) I personalised this bag with a keychain.

The Damier Ebene I bought a couple of weeks ago in Milan. When I was younger I always preferred the Monograme because of the obvious "LV". But with age come wisdom and my preference moved to the Damier Ebene bag. I bought this bag with a bandolier which I  would advise to every single one of you. It makes the bag a bit more expensive but also more useful. Carrying around a bag whole day long on your arm is super painful so I really wanted this bag to be more practical. 

Buying the bag in Milan was a spectacle on itself. After buying the bag I had to leave my new "baby" for 2 hours in the store so the staff of Louis Vuitton could put my initials on it. After two hours I went back to the store and they told me to go the second floor. This floor was really mouthwatering since all the clothes of the runway show where displayed there. We had to wait to get into an office. There I got my bag and a staff member wrapped it in the famous brown box and bag. 

Here you see which colors,... you can choose to put on your bag. 

 Celebrities spotted with the Speedy bag

from Left to right: Ashley Olsen with the Monogram Speedy, Hilary Duff with the Damier Azur Speedy, Miley Cyrus with the Monogram Speedy, Miranda Kerr with the Ebene Speedy, Jessica Simpson with the Monogram Speedy