Black Sheer Lace Blouse

Dear Lovelies,

I first saw this lace blouse a few months ago when it was all over German fashion blogs, mostly in cream colour. Back then the lace trend hadn't hit Australia quite yet, so my only option was to order it from Asian online shops, but because it seemed such a hassle to order it from overseas, I just forgot about it. Two weeks ago when I flew to Melbourne I found this beauty in H&M and had to buy it. You know when people sometimes say that Australia is behind in fashion and they say it with that undertone? I think being behind is not necessarily a bad thing - it just means you get to fall in love with a trend twice!

H&M doesn't offer online shopping in Australia yet, but you can order this shirt from *here* (Lookbookstore).

With Love,

Coffeebeanlilly

Pastel Leopard

Dear Lovelies,

I'm clearly obsessed with all things leopard - can you tell? ;-)

Leopard is not an easy thing to combine as it can look really tacky quickly.
When I fell in love with my first leopard piece - a skirt - I played it safe and combined it with off-white *click here to see the post.
Pairing leopard with neutrals always seems to work but I wanted something different this time. Pastels work surprisingly well with leopard - try it! I bet it looks awesome with mint or baby blue too!

Blouse: Target - similar *here

Jeans: Dotti - similar *here

Shoes: Aldo - *here

Bag: Philip Lim - sold out, similar *here

Necklace: Find it on etsy - link *here

With Love,

Coffeebeanlilly

Gym Workout with G-Loves!

Dear Lovelies,

Have you ever wondered what to do with your precious bling while you're working out at the gym?

I'm talking important bling such as engagement and wedding rings!
I mean, ladies, honestly: is putting them in the gym lockers or hanging them around your neck on a necklace really an option for you?
Well it isn't for me, I find both options totally unsafe - for both my jewellery and my health, so I had a look at what my options were.

I wanted something that protects my rings from the rough metal bars of the weights and I found quite a few "workout gloves" but even if I risk sounding really superficial now: man were they ugly! Looking closer I encountered another problem: how was I supposed to get these gloves over my Tiffany-Style diamond ring? So the ones I found were simply unpractical AND very manly, simple black or grey gloves, covering both the front and back of your hands.

After an extensive Google search I stumbled upon "G-Loves" which is a US based company specialising in  - you got it - GLoves :-)

They say about themselves that "G-loves is a new activewear company that focuses on developing functional and fashionable gloves for women who participate in weight-lifting and other sweaty and not-so-sweaty pursuits."

Lightweight, durable, grip, sweat-wicking, preventing hand fatigue are all great features AND they come in 40 odd different designs!

I decided to give "Serpent" a try but the decision couldn't have been harder. Of course I'm already eyeing off another pair :-) The following pictures speak louder than words, oh and I forgot to mention the best thing: you can still show off your bling!

If you want to have a look at the designs click here: www.g-loves.com

With Love,

Coffeebeanlilly

Opening of H&M's first store in Australia

Dear Lovelies,

Let me tell you an intimate secret: I love H&M bras! They seem to be the only bras which fit my "build". I tried so many other brands, including high end brands. They're either uncomfortably cut, bad quality, or the cups make my boobies look pointy like Madonna's in the 90's.

When I moved to Australia - a far away country without H&M - a good year ago, I was already worried whether my H&M bras from Germany would survive this long or not, so you can imagine how delighted I was when H&M announced its first store to open on April 5 in Melbourne!

My flight got into Melbourne perfectly in time for the 10am opening on the 5th and the queue was already wrapped around the building several times. It took me an hour and a half to get in but I'm glad I came so early because it just got more and more packed.

Funnily I heard other Germans walking past saying to one another "Look, they're queuing for H&M, how stupid." I had a good giggle. I personally anticipated this opening of course not only because of the bras but also because H&M as a brand embodies a certain European lifestyle I grew up with. It is of course not a high quality brand and I totally understand if there's people who don't share my excitement and that's fair enough.

Enjoy the following snapshots from the opening as well as a few selected images of my haul!

Bourke Street, Melbourne | Home of Australia's first H&M

Before the opening | Image courtesy of Sydney Morning Herald www.smh.com.au

Bed Linen by H&M HOME

With Love,

Coffeebeanlilly

Leopard Love

Dear Lovelies,

I don't know about you but I'm very particular in my choice of leopard prints. It's not supposed to be too light or too dark, no fancy colours and the spots have to have a certain size.
When I saw this skirt I immediately fell in love, here's why:

Necklace: Zara

Bag: Philip Lim

Bluse: Country Road | Skirt: Target | Shoes: Zara | Bag: Philip Lim

With Love,

Coffeebeanlilly