24 Hours in Warsaw - And An Inglot Makeup Haul!

War is the darkest of thieves. It leaves behind a path of loss, despair, resentment and destruction.

Being a city that has seen more than its fair share of the aforementioned, one might expect and understand Warsaw to be bitter, grey and resentful. But despite its tremendous losses sustained in the World Wars, this city is a beautiful bubble of hope, light and colour.

By the end of World War 2, 85% of the city had been destroyed in targeted attacks by Nazi Germany. 
I think it’s difficult, if not impossible, to imagine your city with only 15% of it left intact.

This picture shows the same location in 1938 and again in 1945.

Post-war, difficult decisions were made as to how to rebuild the city, and the Medieval old town area reconstructed almost entirely on their original plans. The rest of the city was built with a newer, Soviet-influenced design.

Walking around the new Warsaw, one of the latest destinations on our flying network, it seems to be an ambitious city, buzzing with energy, education and prospect. You get the feeling the place is breathing, the people want more and many businesses are investing in what is a bright, emerging market. 
I can't imagine the city as it was post-war. On this day I see open-air galleries, crowds of stylish young professionals, concept cafes, and street artists entertaining on the cobbled walkways.

As I wandered the sights in a somewhat sleep-deprived daze, I did think it would make a beautiful backdrop to some dreamy retro fashion shoot. I’ve posted a few of my favourite places here…

The Sunday Stalker

Let’s be honest, who doesn't love a good nosy through the blog world every now and then? From those who drive you mad with their ever-expanding designer collections, to the experts who are brimming with beauty advice and then there’s the rest… Home décor, baking, brunching, DIY, man repelling… you name it, the blogosphere’s got the lot. And so, that leads me to the initiation of The Sunday Stalker… where every other Sunday I spill which brilliant bloggers I’ve been stalking over the weekend.

I’m going to start with my daily go-tos. These are the blogs that, quite simply, give me great pleasure to read and I’m sure you’ll know them. If not, don’t say I didn’t warn you… addiction awaits.

The Man Repeller

That means “outfitting oneself in a sartorially offensive mode that may result in repelling members of the opposite sex” according to Leandra Medine, author of The Man Repeller, lady with an impeccable eye for a shoe, and funny girl indulging a seriously admirable sense of humour. 

Honestly, I cannot thank this centre-parted divulger of fashion genius enough, for all the hours of entertainment I’ve enjoyed at the hands of her witty, refreshing online dialogue. If you fancy knowing best how to wear an overall, work a full white outfit, or any other known faux pas with panache, head on over. You will love this blog. It’s just not normal not to.

What’s In My Air Hostess Handbag?

I am constantly reassured by consumer magazines that I am in fact not the only person who likes to know what is in other people’s bags… and that is why I’m sharing today. Well, it seems only fair. You show me inside your handbag, I’ll show you inside mine.

My little maroon bag is possibly the most travelled handbag you’ll come to meet. It’s part of my uniform I grab along with my hat and suitcase before I head off to another fabulous destination with work.

As I trot through the airport, here’s what I’m concealing under my arm… my essentials you might say - the go-to items for your model air hostess (sort of) ;)

And The Winner Is... [Winner of the Makeup Forever Lip Colours]

First of all, may I say Happy New Year to one and all... I truly hope you enjoyed the festive season, sparkly lights, piles of presents and the blistering cold. Or, should you have been in Dubai like me, perhaps you swapped all that festive fun for a little rooftop sunbathing whilst merely dreaming of a white Christmas... Either way - I'd like to wish you all the best for the coming year, I hope it's a special one for all of us!

Speaking of which...
I'm a little tardy to announce the winner of the Makeup Forever Lip Colour collection that I set up a while back, so I apologise for the extended 'suspense'... 
I do, however, have a winner - at last! After much fumbling around in a small bag with some pieces of paper with names on, I can announce that our lovely prize will be winging its way to JK TAYLOR-MORAN who should receive her gorgeous glosses in the coming days! :)

Giveaway! Make Up Forever! [CLOSED]

To celebrate hitting the 10000 views mark (small by comparison to most, but a mini milestone for me), I’ve decided to celebrate the occasion with my first giveaway! Up for grabs – Makeup Forever’s beautiful Aqua Rouge Waterproof Liquid Lip Colours in shades 1, 8 and 15.

Friday Favourite - Perfume

A couple of years ago, when I worked as Beauty Editor at Shout magazine, I remember everyone’s favourite day at work. And no, it wasn’t Friday…

It was the day, every month or two, when we held a free-for-all with all the awesome beauty products sent in by various PR companies. It resulted in us walking away from the office with bags of goodies, stuffed full of perfumes, makeup, shampoo, conditioner, skin treats, fake tan, false eyelashes, nail polish and everything else one could possibly need to look hot in time for the weekend.

From Bobbi Brown to Burberry, you name it, they were in there, but no matter how many awesome eye shadows, lipsticks or hair products I might rake through, my favourite part of this cosmetic playground was always the perfumes.

It was the easiest way to form a collection (and an addiction) that cost me absolutely nothing, and not only that, these gratis perfumes provided me with a temporary streak in the popularity contest when friends realised I had more than enough for myself and was handing them out.

But there was always one perfume that had to remain mine. That one perfume I didn’t mind buying so long as I didn’t have to wait for it, and the one perfume that no matter how many others I buy, is always my failsafe reach-for regular on any occasion.

Meet Dolce & Gabbana, The One.

The Monday Makeover - Happy Hair Day

I don’t know about you, but personally, I don’t care for putting pictures of myself minus makeup on tinternet. It goes against my highly shallow principles.

But for the purposes of The Monday Makeover I shall show you how my hairdresser (and a little makeup) helped me swap a pasty face and bad hair day for a slightly more presentable get-up. And I'll share some of my favourite products along the way…

Friday Favourite – Bourjois Foundation

In the second of my Friday Favourites, the item in question is my foundation, which is, singlehandedly, the most commented-on part of my makeup regime.

I often flick through magazines, marveling at the brilliant Photoshopping job done by all those art directors, wondering if that ‘all-natural’ model really does look that bloody brilliant when she nips out for her aubergines. Well? Does she?!?!

Chances are, like most of us, a bit of prepping when it comes to your skin can make the world of difference and can let you off with skimping on other makeup essentials when you’re feeling lazy… or popping out for those aubergines…

The Monday Makeover - Lacy Nails

After coming up with the ever-so-originally-titled ‘Friday Favourites’, I decided to commit to another regular post, focusing on something that I love / am mildly obsessed with.

Makeovers.

And to top it off, I aim to publish these every Monday when we all need a little makeover boost the most!

If you know me well, you’ll know that I do not own a television, nor do I wish to. You might also know that when I do on occasion watch television, I freaking love makeover shows.

Whether it’s Gok and his Fashion Fix, Supersize vs Superskinny, MTV Made, 10 Years Younger, or any of the numerous shows from the make-me-prettier brigade, I won’t be able to tear my eyes from the screen for a moment.

I love seeing how someone can fulfill their potential, whether it’s by changing their clothes, makeup, hair, or even their home interior. Yes, I really am that superficial.

This is my very own makeover ‘show’, starting with today’s racy, lacy nail transformation... I’m currently on leave, and thanks to that lovely break in flying, it means I can depart from the red/French/clear stale-nailmate that I’m permanently stuck with thanks to airline ‘uniform standards’. The following nail art makeover is definitely not allowed onboard!

I heart MAC... / The Beauty Of Louise

Exciting news from The Trolley Dolly! I recently teamed up with lovely Louise over at The Beauty Of Louise, detailing a joyful visit (or five) to MAC and the beautiful buys I invested in. Click hereto see my guest post and visit Louise’s gorgeous blog :)

Alongside the items bought there I also purchased these beauties from the Limited Edition Style Seeker collection and I wanted to give you a review based on my own experience of MAC, as an avid eyeshadow-buyer and Fluidline fan.

Eyeshadow Duo in On The Hunt...

The gold is hyper-pigmented and the red can be built up to the desired strength as you like it...

Fluidline in Dark Diversion...

First of all, I just have to talk about this Fluidline. ^^^ My poor mother… what I put her through whilst we were shopping. I stopped for goodness knows how long, just staring at this plummy, aubergine-y, charcoal purple-y pot of perfection. And then along came the delightful MAC salesperson… she saw me coming.

What's In My Bag?

Summer is here!

In Scotland, you never really come to terms with having no summer. It’s one of our seasons, we are supposed to have a summer, so where on earth is it?! We flock in our thousands to Spain, Greece, Turkey, Thailand, Australia… (read: anywhere without torrential rain) every year, just to get a dose of sunshine and return home smug, showing off how much browner we are than when we left.
And when we are lucky enough to experience the rarest (but most beautiful) sunshine, you will see everyone and their grandma marching out in shorts and sandals, exclaiming that this is the first time they’ve had the chance to wear anything less than a duffle coat this year. If you’re Scottish, I’m sure you’ll know what I’m talking about…

Can you spot the Burj in the background?

Here in Dubai, this is clearly not an issue. In fact, the endless supply of sunshine was one of the factors which convinced me to move. I love the fact that every day starts with a positive, bright, and er, sunny, vibe. It’s that air of holidays, freedom and no-work (even though you’re not on holiday and you’ve got to be at work by 8) that sunshine inspires in me. I love it. I love summer. And that’s one of the reasons I love Dubai.

It also means that every day I can ask myself, “pool today Nadia?”
Today I said, “yes”.

And so I thought I’d reveal what’s in my pool bag today :)

My Favourite 'Work Lipstick' - Revealed!

The real colour of the lipstick... pretty bright - but I like it!

On a recent long haul flight (working Tokyo to Dubai – 11.5hours + 2 hours as I applied it pre-departure of course... so a total of 14 hours by the time I took the photographs below), I put my favourite ‘work-lipstick’ to the ultimate test.

Tested: Maybelline SuperStay 24hour Lip Colour in Red Passion

I applied it around two hours before the flight departed… and it looked like this (no editing involved here):

World Catwalk: Destination Milano

Sitting on the train from Malpensa airport, bound for Stazione Cadorna, I psyched myself up for a very fashion-focused day of trend-spotting in one of the style capitals of the world. We always hear the hype about London, Paris, Milan, New York… so I really was expecting the ladies of this beautiful city to blow me away with their Monica Bellucci-esque Italian glamour.

Perhaps it was to do with it being an overcast Thursday which started with drizzle and dullness, or maybe it was due to the fact I was on the hunt for stylish folks too early in the afternoon, but there was a distinct lack of glam, and an abundance of casual converse! My Monica Bellucci had turned into Avril Lavigne.

I decided I needed to see more of Milan’s unique street style. And so I walked. I walked through the small back streets and office areas, strolled past cafés queued out the door at lunchtime, meandered around the tourist-thronged Duomo, and into the shopping areas past boutiques stuffed full of beautiful clothes and wonderful, wonderful shoes. All the while, scanning for this stereotypical chic, Italian style.

KonichiWOW

There is something about Japan.
Its pride.
Its people.
Its beautiful landscape.
Its quirky little obsession with manga and all-things-cartoon.
Its beautiful ladies who paint their faces so prettily.

I could keep going, as the land of the rising sun has impressed me on countless occasions, but I wanted to cut to the chase, here are my "Top 5 Reasons Why I Love Japan".

Reason 1: The Japanese ARE the politest people on earth (see also Reason 3).I love the fact that in everything the Japanese do, manners and etiquette are involved.

Slippers off at the door, please

Introducing The Trolley Dolly...

Hi everyone!

My name is Nadia, a magazine Beauty Editor in the UK for 5 years, now turned air hostess, travel writer and photographer, based in sunny Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

I decided to write this blog as a way of expressing my (slight) obsession with beauty, in the most general and not always conventional sense of the word; whether that be in the people, places or even the products, I experience.

My aim is quite simple – I wish to write about real beauty, real people and really good products. Whether it be a city review, an interview or an amazing find, I am not sponsored, nor do I answer to an Editor or anyone else, so you can expect reliable information and honest opinions from someone with experience in the field.

When it comes to product posts, don’t expect a catalogue of average items simply because they are shiny and new. Something I’ve noticed to be missing online is realistic, intelligent comment on those everyday essentials such as cleanser, moisturiser, foundation, and all the other beauty basics we depend on. That's one of the reasons I created The Trolley Dolly, so let me know if you find my posts useful, and keep in touch with feedback - I appreciate all and any!

For more news and instant updates, follow me on Twitter, Instagram (thetrolleydolly) and Tumblr 

Subscribe and enjoy!

P.s. Photographs and posts are my own, therefore copyright follows suit. Thanks!