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Category: Entertainment

February highlights

Five February Highlights

As February vanishes and March makes its entrance all wrapped up in cherry blossom petals and sunlight, we all awake to life. We are saying our farewells to pitch-black evenings and it feels so good, so refreshing, that we are prone to forget those little Winter highlights as well.

Personally, this makes me a bit sad. Don’t get me wrong, I am as glad as the next girl to welcome Spring (and by now you are probably so sick of me grumbling about the awfully long cold season, that it feels like a miracle you are reading this at all…), but I do appreciate every happy memory, including those from Winter. Hence, I thought it would do no harm to share some of the highlights from the month of February with you. Just so you know what I have been up to recently. Additionally, I find truly comforting to type about the sparkling little bits and bobs that put a smile on my face. So let’s stop the chit-chat and move on…

This is my February in a nutshell

 

Rediscovering the pleasure of cooking

(And food in general.) January felt like a never-ending succession of greasy takeaway orders and irresponsible meal choices. Partially, I blame the January blues and partially our laziness. After what Sebastian and I call The Month of Common Sense Debacle, February demanded the restoration of some basic adult cooking standards. Planning meals in advance was easier once we installed a couple of apps on our phones. We both started feeling less inclined to eat crappy food by simply planning ahead and organizing our groceries shopping over the weekend. Also, we started planning our food outings to healthy places with a more elaborate menu and actually discovered a bunch of new restaurants we love.  In the end, it all came down to lots of delicious vegetarian curry dishes and stews. We are looking forward to all the lovely March cooking too!

Making some dreams come true

For some time now, I have been interested in taking a seminar to improve my writing skills, especially those connected with fashion and style topics. My main aim is to upgrade this site with a few new techniques and content ideas, as well as to enrich myself with a new vital experience. At some point last month, the opportunity knocked on my door and I decided to take it. So I am very proud to tell you I will be traveling to London in April to attend Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design! There, I will take the Fashion Journalism course I have been dreaming with since forever. Wish me luck!

 

February highlights

Traveling

This was probably the main highlight in February. Sebastian had his usual semester holiday and we thought it could be a nice opportunity to go for a short city break. Well, I wrote enough about it already but let’s just say I would gladly book another Bucharest stay right now if I hadn’t to attend my duties.

Following the New York Fashion Week

Other people like to follow The Oscars but I am more into Fashion Week. I am not even referring to the hottest Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs or Anna Sui catwalk shows, but to all those glorious Street Style online pictures. I don’t mind if we are speaking about bloggers, actresses or anonymous walkers – I will invariably sit in the couch and scroll on my phone for hours, amazed by all the stylish people out there. Also invariably, I will sigh and repeat the same languid comments over and over to Sebastian despair: “But she is sooooo chic! Why can’t I be chic too? So Unfair…” Then I will eat chocolate, drink tea, rinse and repeat. I call it a normal February evening. Sebastian calls it Hell, though.

Setting a budget

A few months ago, I slowly started a shift towards the “more quality-less quantity” shopping ethics. I came to realize I’d rather get the best possible value for my money and started buying more style investment pieces I can mix and match. As a consequence, fewer clothes have been making it to my closet but the ones which do are truly loved staple pieces. I decided to set a budget for this specifically, making a bit easier to organize my monthly acquisitions and relieving any unexpected expenses from that side. So far, so good. Any day now, I will awake to be a proper grown up and all… Just kidding! Chocolate cake for breakfast, anyone?!

 

To summarize, I would say February was a much more productive month than January. Indeed, compared to the previous month, my life was much more organized and easy-going which kind of explains the late lack of anxiety or excessive worrying. February was the one month when I could actually start practicing that long (-ish) bucket list for my 2019 and guys, it feels awesome.

 

I would love to hear how was your February and any special plans you have for March!

 

 

March 8, 2019March 8, 2019

Allegra Caro18 Comments

January favourites: Rogue & Rouge edit

Hello February, you gorgeous thing!

I was really excited to meet you at once. Please, don’t be shy and come in: January cannot tell when is time to say goodbye and go home…

Really, people: Is it just me or it lasted approximately 250000 years? Because I was starting to fear I was trapped in my own version of The Groundhog Day (only without Bill Murray and an added worrying quantity of quick trips to the corner store to buy yet another pumpkin seeds pack to ruminate while watching Netflix. Dark times, my friends, let’s never talk about them again).

Earlier last month, I was still in Spain visiting my family. I feel like that happened last century though. Yes, I have been doing my best to scare the January blues away but I must admit it was far tougher than I initially anticipated. I would try literally anything to keep me going: Yoga, reading, long nice walks, riding a Hippogriff… but nothing seemed to work. At some point, the pitch-black evenings had an effect on me which could only be slightly relieved by compulsively stalking dresses online. In all honesty and as materialistic as it might sound, the sales were a bit of a fix (yes, I know you are not supposed to admit this publicly but c’mon, we all have been there…), with some of my most recent favourites on the beauty, fashion and entertainment departments popping out all through the month.

Don’t get me wrong, January was not a shopping madness period. I managed to buy on a budget and save up quite a reasonable amount in relation to average price. Personally, I think that the better quality the product is, the more you are saving. In the end, you get better value for all those hardly-earned pounds.

But long story short, these are my January 2019 favourites.

januaryforever

NARS orgasm blush

Beauty

  • NARS Blush in Orgasm

I have been following NARS for a long time now but they have been only available in Spain very recently. So, one of the first things I did when on holiday was visiting the closest high-end mall and going straight to the NARS counter. Orgasm blush was in my bucket list for ages and after I tried the tester I knew it — Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. And I was completely right – I don’t think you will see me wearing another product for a while…

  • CHANEL Coco Mademoiselle

It is no secret I am a CHANEL perfume lover. Coco and Coco Noir are two of my favourites but Mademoiselle was my first love and will always hold a special place in my heart. My last bottle was finished a couple of months ago, so I proceeded to get me a new one and has been my best friend all January.

NYX lip lingerie in lace detail

  • NYX Lip Lingerie in Lace Detail

Lately, I have been searching for a flattering nude lipstick to wear in the mornings to avoid my natural paler-than-a-white-walker complexion (which is a completely accurate description of my skin tone during Winter, in case you wonder). I saw a blogger I like praising the Lingerie line and decided to give it a try. Now, I was so fascinated by their colours palette, it took me some effort not to buy the entire range. I am happy I chose Lace Detail though since it lives on my handbag now, always ready for duty. And speaking about handbags…

Pinko love bag in honey

Pinko Love bag mustard

Fashion

  • PINKO Love Bag in honey (similar model here)

Have you ever fallen in love at first sight? Because that’s exactly how I feel about this purse. Just look at that beautiful mustard/honey tone and little brooch details. Isn’t it the cutest thing ever? If this was a boy, I would totally have a crush. Now that I come to think about it, you can totally have a crush on a bag, right? RIGHT?

Crazy Rich Asians ebook

Entertainment

  • Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Like many people, I only discovered the novel after watching the movie and immediately felt curious about it. Now, I am not joking when I tell you this book saved me from the aforementioned January blues in the evenings. It is a wonderfully fun, witty and acid critic towards social class, cultural relativism, and gender roles. Don’t even bother to finish reading this post. Go and find the book. You can thank me later.

  • You (Netflix)

Another fiction work which saved my mental health from the darkest days in the year (although speaking about mental health might be slightly ironic here). I am not going to spoil the fun here but YOU is just genius. A bit like Hannibal and The Perfume having a child together. Are you looking for plot twists? Psychological impressionism? A good cast? I think I’ve said enough.


And this has been my first favourites monthly round-up. Thank you so much for reading and please, let me know if you have any suggestions or comments on how to improve this new section.

What have you loved in January?

February 6, 2019February 22, 2019

Allegra Caro2 Comments

Sexo en Nueva York: lecciones que desaprender en su 20 aniversario

¿Sabes esa sensación de vértigo en el estómago, seguida de palpitaciones y sudor frío que experimentas cuando algo desagradable te coge por sorpresa? Pues leyendo el otro día este artículo de Vogue, tuve uno de esos ataques repentinamente: al parecer (¡horror de horrores!) han pasado ya veinte años desde el estreno de Sexo en Nueva York.

Tras recuperarme del susto inicial —cosa que me llevó algo más de media hora y una dosis de helado que jamás admitiré públicamente— tuve que aceptar lo inevitable; puede que en 1998 aún llevase coletas, pero la mujer del espejo tiene ahora alguna línea de expresión y, como prometía Gardel, veinte años no son nada.

La verdad es que echando la vista atrás (y tras un número algo embarazoso de re-visionados) se impone el admitir que Sexo en Nueva York ha envejecido un poco peor que yo, y desastrosamente en comparación con la propia Sarah Jessica Parker. Y si bien sigue siendo una historia hilarante en la que deleitarse una tarde de pereza cualquiera, algunas de las lecciones vitales que a finales de los años 90 resultaban modernas e incluso reveladoras, se han quedado algo anticuadas y desprenden incluso un sutil aroma rancio, como a vestidor mal aireado. Quizás el tiempo transcurrido tenga algo que ver, o quizás sea sólo el propio acto de madurar y ver las cosas desde una perspectiva algo más cínica. Sea como fuere, las aventuras de Carrie Bradshaw y las otras sospechosas habituales se me antojan ahora un poco menos espontáneas, menos libres de prejuicios y clichés de lo que yo las recordaba.

A diferencia de la fantástica Julia Felsenthal en su artículo de Vogue, yo nunca quise parecerme a la amiga Carrie. No porque no la considerase glamurosa o absurdamente sofisticada, sino porque sus niveles de auto-sabotaje emocional me inspiraban el más paralizante de los terrores. Tuve tiempo, desde luego, de cometer mis propios deslices y sucumbir a una o dos liaisons que me pasaron factura en su debido momento, pero salí de ellas razonablemente indemne y decidida a evitar a toda costa a los Mr. Big que pueblan el mundo. Y esto me lleva a la primera de todas las lecciones que en mi opinión deberíamos desaprender de S.N.Y.

El amor todo lo conquista

Esta idea tan bonita, tan edulcorada, recubierta de purpurina y horas del perfecto metraje de Hollywood, tiene su encarnación más despiadada en la malsana relación entre Carrie y su sofisticado ejecutivo. Salen, rompen, engañan a la inocente esposa (a la que deshumanizan basándose en la cruel noción de que, después de todo, sólo es una modelo) para volver a cortar y terminar juntos en un ridículo final parisense. Como si esta historia de dolor y humillación no fuese suficientemente perturbadora, asistimos al repetido proceso de auto-vejación que la buena de Charlotte York se inflige en la búsqueda del perfecto príncipe republicano. Al menos para Charlotte la historia termina bien: el abogado con el que se casa carece de modales o esa cuenta bancaria soñada, pero la trata como a un ser humano. A fin de cuentas, es más de lo que la frecuentemente envidiada Carrie consigue.

Desde luego que las demás secuaces de esta glamurosa pandilla no se quedan atrás, pero por lo menos parecen algo más dueñas de sí mismas. Se podría decir que las repetidas aventuras sexuales en las que se ven envueltas las convierten en mujeres liberadas de prejuicios, hasta que una se da cuenta de que no lo están tanto…

Esa cosita llamada Bifobia

Sorprende que habiendo sido concebida por Darren Star, frecuente portavoz ficcional de la comunidad gay, encontremos sesgos claramente bifóbicos en esta serie. Aquel episodio en el que Alanis Morrissette besaba a Carrie podría haber sido uno de los más memorables, pero se quedó en una declaración de prejuicios en toda regla. ¿Hay algo más apolillado que definir con frívolo desdén una orientación sexual como una fase pasajera? La falta de diversidad resulta, como mínimo, sospechosa; y no hablo sólo del sexo.

La inexistente cuestión del multiculturalismo

Y a esto quería llegar: hablando de prejuicios incomprensibles, ¿soy la única persona a la que le parece raro que en una serie ambientada en Nueva York (cuna indiscutible del multiculturalismo) todos los personajes protagonistas sean blancos? En concreto y muy a pesar de mi agrado hacia nuestro girl squad, no puedo dejar de preguntarme por qué todos sus miembros son mujeres caucásicas. ¿Es que las mujeres asiáticas o hispanas de Manhattan no merecen ser representadas? ¿O hay algo intrínsecamente clasista en no retratar a una mujer racializada comprando en Manolo Blahnik?

Me gustaría poder decir que en 2018 las cosas son muy distintas, pero basta con echar un vistazo a otras series del estilo (evoquemos Girls, por ejemplo) para percatarnos de que ciertos prejuicios son tan difíciles de eliminar como una mancha de Merlotte de tu vestido favorito.

El síndrome de Peter Pan

No menos pegajosa es la frecuente infantilización de nuestras heroínas en la que los guionistas caen con frecuencia. Recuerdo con especial rencor ese episodio en el que Carrie tiene un imprevisto financiero y está a punto de acabar en la calle. Hasta aquí, podríamos decir, todo normal. A fin de cuentas, ¿quién está completamente a salvo de un tropezón o una racha de mala suerte? Excepto, quizás, porque Carrie ni siquiera sabe cuánto dinero se ha gastado en zapatos. No me lo estoy inventando.

De verdad, ¿vais a hacernos creer que una mujer adulta no sabe sumar? Una mujer de Manhattan, en 1998. No tengo más que alegar, señoría.

Lecciones que desaprender de Sexo en Nueva York

Podría continuar largo rato hablando de los coletazos de Transfobia en aquel capítulo en el que Samantha se muda al mercado de la carne, los estereotipos sobre la comunidad gay, el clasismo descarado de los personajes etc. Pero prefiero parar aquí, antes de que este artículo transcienda esa categoría para ir a transformarse en un manifiesto.

A pesar de todo, esa no es la intención con que lo he escrito.

Para bien o para mal, Sexo en Nueva York forma parte de mi vida, como de la muchas otras personas que participaron de ese breve periodo dorado de la televisión que fue el fin de los años 90.

Quizás estemos ante un icono de la cultura pop al que se ha sobrevalorado durante demasiado tiempo; quizás por el contrario sea una modesta pieza de arte sobre la naturaleza humana en el siglo XX. Lo más seguro es que la respuesta esté a medio camino entre ambas.

Puede que tengamos que esperar otros veinte años para poder juzgarlo.


 

December 3, 2018December 3, 2018

Allegra Caro2 Comments

Hi, I am Allegra!

A thirty-something Spanish expat with a love for Haute couture, books and period dramas. Way too many little black dresses in my closet. You can read more about me here.

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