How to stay inspired?

Inspiration is the key to success in today's world. It doesn't matter whether you are talking about inspiring yourself to study, create, work out, eat better, think positive etc. If you want to get ahead in life, you have to have a goal, an inspiration, call it however you want. 
Bare in mind that I am not an expert, but in the following weeks I plan to give you an insight into what keeps me motivated and helps me get ahead when I am stuck in a rut, having a bad day or am simply bored. 

I am sure this has happened to everyone, you are lying in your bed, with your laptop on your lap, watching youtube videos about how to be healthy, how to be successful, how to be happy....
Well, nothing is really going to change unless you do something about it, so these are some of my personal experiences that I would like to share with the world. Also, I will be posting some additional links and inspirational people who might help in the process. 

In this first post I have decided to give a general overview about the things you can do every day in order to keep going towards the goals that you want to achieve, in the next ones I will be speaking of more specific things. Stay tuned for that as well. So here are my first few tips to stay inspired:

1. DO!
This is the first and probably most important thing. And nobody but you can make it happen! While there are some tips and tricks that can keep you going, you and only YOU have to take that first step to get where you want to be. This is much harder than it sounds, I know, believe me. But once you take it, every next step is going to be so much easier. It applies to pretty much everything. You want to start working out? Do it! Don't you even start looking for excuses! You don't have the equipment, you don't need it - use your bodies weight! You have to go to the gym to work out but don't have the time? Do an at home work out! There is an answer to every excuse, and you know it, you just have to choose to protest!
The same thing applies to everything else, studying, working, eating healthy, organizing....

2. Set realistic goals and take baby steps!
...and when you can't reach those, keep trying. If not, you are setting yourself up for failure before you even begin. Now I think it is really, really, really important to have goals. They make you work hard for what you want, but we should have boundaries and be very aware of what we are trying to achieve when setting them. It's hard not to be self critical and while that will take you far, remember to really think it through before you start criticizing. 
So don't expect things to happen over night. Work for them! But take one step at a time. 

3. Plan ahead!
This is something I find very helpful. If you have 1000000.. of things going on in your head, it is very soon going to turn into a huuuuge mess. So, first thing to do is to buy or make a planer (I personally prefer those weekly planners, but it is completely your choice) and start writing down what you have to and want to do. Another good thing to do is set reminders on your phone, so you can stay organized and know what's coming. This way every change you are making is going to be incorporated into your routine. There are so many helpful apps that can help you with this as well.

4. Have fun!
Your goals are the final destination you want to reach. But not being happy and enjoying the journey that will get you there is terrible. Try to enjoy the process. Choose what you love to be the path. If your goal is to get a degree, suck up the knowledge that is being offered to you every step of the way. Be a sponge! Don't just go through college thinking about the final result. Find what you like in every step of the way and research, inform yourself, put yourself out there. 

5. Mutual inspiration
Grab your friend, colleague, boyfriend, parent, sister... Whoever has the same aspirations as you do. Feed off of their positive energy and thoughts. But stay away from negativity and criticism. Don't let those into your life. If you want to stay on the right way towards your achievements, don't allow anyone to tell you what you can and can't do! 
Finding someone to keep you company is going to also help you enjoy the process.

6.Find your muse
This is very different for everyone, but try to find your own muse. Maybe the word muse doesn't really perfectly describe what I'm trying to say, but I think you get the picture. This can be anyone, it can be the person you chose to go through the inspiration process with, it can be a famous person, a person you know who inspires you, social media (I personally really like Pinterest), a fictional character and it can also be religion. Find what inspires you most. But don't bluntly follow others. Always keep your own personality and brain involved in the process! 

7. Think!
But don't overthink! Think about what you are doing and how your current actions are benefiting the present and future you. Instead of playing a computer game, call some friends and play a board game. Instead of drinking a can of soda, pour yourself a glass of water. The choices you consciously make are the ones that are important. 
But don't get wrapped up in your thoughts, because this can bring you to negative thinking and that you do not want in your life!

8. Relax
Allow yourself non productive moments. Go out, play a game, listen to some music or (my personal favorite) take a nap. While these things will not directly bring you closer to your goal, they will help your process. Sometimes you just need to chill so you don't get all stressed out and give up. So don't forget to make place for those moments in your day as well (as hard as that might sound).

So these are some basic tips for staying inspired that I have acquired in my life. In the following weeks I will be giving some specific tips about how to inspire your body and mind. 

That's all for now, 
stay inspired! 

Top 6 Spring/Summer trends 2014 !

It seems like I always come back with these trend report posts. It is not always easy to keep up the pace and upload posts. I promise to try harder and hope to succeed this time.
So without much introduction (since the title obviously says it all), here are the fashion trends for the upcoming season that I like best!


1. Pastels and metallics
This is a hit every spring and summer! They keep coming back and everyone seems to like it. This year, however, there is also a twist to the traditional pastel colors. Some call it metallic, some call it ''iced''colors. Which ever term you prefer, there are a lot of options to choose from this year!

Nonoo

Tory Burch

Gianvito Rossi

 2. Orange
Are you going to be subtle and wear a muted tone of orange, or are you going to stand out with a bright coat? It is all up to you! Another way to incorporate orange into your outfit is to wear orange lipstick! Orange is back, so wear it!

Creatures of the Wind

Rebecca Minkoff

Antipodium

 3. Black and white / MONOCHROME
If you don't like colors, this is the thing for you! Black and white, or.. just white.. is so in this season.

BCBG

Phillip Lim

Missoni

 4. Hints of PINK!

Hot pink or baby pink?
Not all out pink, but little hints to make your feminine side stand out a little!

MM6 Maison Martin Margiela

Sister by Sibling

Karen Walker

5. PRINTS
PRINTS! PRINTS! PRINTS!

River Island

Alexander Wang

KENZO

 6. Designer DIY
I absolutely love this! Why? Because this trend means you can incorporate ''do it yourself'' pieces into your wardrobe without having to go through a lot of trouble. Sure, it would be nice to have a designer DIY Chanel bag, but let's face it, not everyone can afford one of those. So why don't you just create your own?

KENZO

Chanel

Chanel

Chanel

 So there you have it! A quick view of the trends you should look out for this summer! :)

The 5 Best Nail Polish Brands

Have you ever bought a nail polish thinking the color was beautiful, put it on enthusiastically, gotten loads of compliments on the color only to wake up the next day and realize: two of your nails have already chipped? Not fun. While for some it may not be a problem at all, it really bothers me. I believe there are going to be a lot of people out there who will share my opinion.

Inspired by a new discovery of a super-affordable, but at the same time great quality nail polish, I decided to write this post.

Although I did mostly rely on my personal opinion, I also did a little bit of research by looking up other people's opinions.After quite a while of searching and trying out different nail polish brands, I have found the following to be the best.


1. ESSIE

Essie had to be my number one. Living in Croatia, there wasn't a possibility to try ESSIE nail polishes until a few months ago. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to travel to the United States and try out some of their product. Every nail polish I tried was absolutely perfect. Only two coats of nail polish were enough to give the full color. I did not experience any chipping for more than a week, and the color did not fade at all. I have had them for more than a year now, and although they are used frequently, I did not notice them changing in consistency. Some of the colors I own are Tart Deco, Mademoiselle, Sand Tropez, Turquoise and Coico... They cost around 8$, but I often found discounts allowing me to purchase them for less. I am also absolutely in love with their new collections and cannot wait to make some purchases!

2. Revlon

Revlon has really been stepping up their game lately. In addition to loving their make up, I also happen to absolutely adore their nail polishes. They are really affordable and are (obviously) some of the best nail polishes I have ever tried. I always find their shades to be a little more sophisticated, or maybe it's because their bottles look sophisticated? While only being able to try and love their basic line, I have heard and read a lot of good things about the other ones (especially the Colorstay line). The color stays put for at least a week and the colors don't fade either.

3. O.P.I.

O.P.I is a very obvious choice for a nail polish favorite, but I really do like it. The only downside to these nail polishes is their price as they are some of the most expensive ones on the market. I heard some people complaining about the quality, but I generally find them to be really good. However, they seem to change the nail polish consistency depending on the shade or collections coming out. The color range is amazing as they have almost every color available. The colors I own have not dissapointed me yet, they are quite easy to wipe of with nail polish remover, stay on for a really long time. All of the ones I own do last for at least five days, even longer depending on the shade. The colors don't fade and go on smoothly. Two coats of nail polish are enough to get the full color in most cases. Also, I find the names they give to their nail polishes and their collections
really innovative and thoughtful.

4. Rimmel

Rimmel is another brand that a lot of people seem to love. Not only nail polish products are really good, but also make up. Unfortunately, they are pretty hard to get your hands on because they don't sell in every store. Nevertheless, they stay on for quite a long time, don't fade and have a really nice color selection. I find every line they came out with to be really good.

5. Eveline

This is the brand I was talking about in the introduction. I went to a drugstore the other day and saw a nail polish I really liked and it was really cheap. I was very sceptical as I usually end up throwing away cheap nail polishes because they chip in a matter of hours. I tried the nail polish, went back the other day to buy three more. All of the ones I bought were really good! Eveline is a quite unknown brand and I am unsure about where you can buy it. It is a Polish brand, and their online site says they are available world-wide. If you are interested in trying this brand, search for it at your drugstore. Also, every other product I tried from this brand was really good. The nail polishes I really like and enjoy wearing are from the Mini Max Quick Dry line. They do dry very quickly, apply nicely and last for at least 5 days without chipping. The colors do not change or fade either. The color selection is also really good.

There are other brands I heard are amazing, such as Butter London, the Top Shop nail polishes, Barry M, etc. Unfortunately, they aren't available in Croatia. This is why I can't give an opinion about them. Also note that I do use a base coat underneath every nail polish.

Thank you for reading!
Clarissa