Search Results

“One is never fully dressed without a smile” Hello beautiful! Today I would like to share with you a personal review on an efficient beauty product I had the opportunity to try. Indeed, about a month ago, I had the chance to receive some samples of Teeth Whitening Strips by Alpine White which is a Swiss brand based in Zürich. As I love to experiment and try out new beauty products, here is my review on their teeth whitening strips. For the past two years, I have seen many of my friends (especially my boyfriend but hush) trying out a variety of techniques in order to whiten their teeth. Although some toothpastes and special whitening lamps did a great job, there was always an issue in terms of price as these teeth treatments can get really pricey. I personally had tried a few toothpastes and if I remember well, when living in Singapore we tried one that was from the brand “Denivit” and it was quite good and relatively cheap but I was not amazed by it and felt like it was making my teeth whiter but weaker. Thus, I was really curious to try Alpine White – Whitening Strips and the least I can say is that I already saw a difference after only applying it the first day, after only 1 hour! Yes I know, it sounds too good to be true, at first I felt that way too. Now, I must admit that it felt quite weird when I first put it on as I had never tried teeth whitening strips before and the texture and taste felt a bit weird in the beginning. However, when I put it on the following days, it already felt better and now I cannot be more pleased with the result, so the strange taste is forgiven! I received quite a few compliments on my smile since I started to use it, so I just sincerely hope that my smile will keep on being that bright and my teeth that soft! In terms of product, Alpine White – Whitening Strips comes in a small package which includes 7 packets of whitening strips (each one includes one for your upper teeth and one for your lower teeth). You are supposed to use one pair for 1 to 2 hours per day during 7 consecutive days. However, as I already saw great results after only 4 days using it, I decided to take a short break and then applied it again a week later. Yep, that’s human… we always find it a bit boring to follow the rules, especially when we see it works faster and better than we thought, don’t we? 🙂 So if you too enjoy trying new products and are seeking to get a Hollywood smile, you can get your whitening strips kit right here: Whitening Strips Kit by Alpine White Hope you enjoyed this review! If so, feel free to click on the heart button below, it would mean a lot to me! 🙂 Also leave any comment or ask any question you may have regarding my experience when trying Alpine White – Whitening Strips. Muaks, Muaks Cindy Discover my Other Favorite Beauty Tips here #review #teethwhitening #alpinewhite #whiteningstrips #smile #swissmade #beautytips #swissblogger

Hello beautiful soul! Hope you are well today! Have you ever felt bored in your life, thinking the grass might be much greener in another country or even continent? Or have you actually decided moving abroad and now are wondering whether this decision was the right one? Whether you have answered yes in the first situation or the second, this post is for you! Throughout the past 8 years, I have lived in 5 different countries on 3 continents. I truly enjoyed each single day and moment of this amazing journey. These experiences of moving abroad around the globe, ended up teaching me more about my deepest fears, the purpose of life, the meaning of friendship, the discovery of love and what truly matters to me, than any book or school ever could. I have always been one of these kids who learned through experiences rather than from the books. I also always believed that traveling broadens our horizons, makes us more open-minded and is probably the best way to discover what truly matters to us in our life. What I ignored however, were the various side-effects of moving abroad alone. Now there are not many expatriate who will admit it, but the expat world is far from being a fairy-tale. Thus, although I have truly enjoyed living on the North American, European and Asian continents for the past 8 years, I would like to share with you 5 inevitable things that will happen if you decide to move abroad alone and start a new life far from your home. 5 Things No One Tells You When Moving Abroad: 1) Real friends will stay, others will fade away This is inevitable as it is simply part of life. A few of your friends will encourage you and will be visiting you as well as throwing a farewell and welcome back party for you but the others will soon grow apart and that is normal. After all, you have decided to embrace a journey that most people don’t dare to take or are simply not interested in, so it is important to respect their choice too. Of course there are reasons to be sad about this change but you should not, because you should take this as a blessing. The friends who will accept who you are and keep on following your adventures via social networks, blogs and Facetime or Skype calls will be your friends for life. They won’t be many, but that’s better right?! As when your big day will come, I like to think that a smaller wedding with your real friends and closest family members will always be much better than a bigger one full of hypocrites. 2) You will leave the people you love the most behind It is famous that our 20s are the selfish years of our life and I could not agree more with that. Also, I won’t lie to you, it feels amazing to just go for it and take actions in order to live your dreams. After all, way too many people around us keep on dreaming but never make the necessary steps to make their dreams happen once for all, so they end up frustrated and jealous, don’t be one of them! However, having said that, we should keep in mind once again that choosing the life we want or at least we think we want, in this case by moving abroad, won’t make anyone happy but ourselves. Although it can be heartbreaking for your relatives, it makes you grow and the only thing you can do is to think about the positive sides. Imagine how happy and proud your family will be when you will welcome them at your new city’s airport, jumping in their arms and telling them all about your fun adventure, while taking them around in your new country and spending some true quality time with them! 3) You will be surrounded by people yet feel so lonely One of the thing I loved the most about each single time I moved to a new country, was the amazing people I met there and the friendship we built. When you are far from home, it feels really great to feel close to people with who you become like a happy little family. At least, until some of these lovely people leave you one after the other for their next adventure somewhere else. The only thing you can wish for, is for them to be safe, happy and not to forget you completely. There are even a few who touched your heart so deeply that you hope to stay in touch with and see them again in a near future. However, even though you realize that you are never really alone when living abroad, you will sometimes experience some moments of deep loneliness which you most likely had never felt before. 4) Guilty and Selfish will be two adjectives that will define you daily Remember your childhood friend? The one with whom you spent all the funniest moments with? Well she is getting married and you are invited! The problem is, it is on a weekend but chances are you will be working on that weekend and it would take you at least 2 days of travel to be able to attend this happy celebration, without saying that your job far from home does not pay you well enough to afford a long haul flight this month. Your friend can’t wait for you to attend because remember, you promised you would be her bridesmaid since you were 4 years old… GUILTY feeling all over you! Then, when your beloved 95-year-old Grandma fell down on the floor at night and needed an urgent ride to the hospital, all hurt, sad and lonely, she calls you and asks “When are you coming back from holidays?” (She could not understand that you being outside your home country could be for anything else than being on holidays… and it makes total sense for her generation.) Even though it is our life and we get to decide how we live it, risks are, moving abroad will make you feel like a terrible daughter/son, friend, grand-daughter/son and an awful human being sometimes all at once. 5) Fitting in again won’t be easy Everyone who has moved abroad will agree that they have left a piece of their heart in every places they have been living in. By leaving your heart in different cities and countries around the globe, it does change you in so many more ways than you ever could imagined it would. Actually, this is a moment when you discover deep feelings about love, passion, excitement and fear you never knew could exist. It opens your eyes and mind, realizing that some beliefs that our parents, friends and society back home taught us, just do not feel right anymore. To me this is a great change but it certainly is a real and constant struggle when it comes to move back to my home country. Especially when my friends back there have been living a “normal” life, with a 9am to 6pm job and already live in an apartment with a cat and the love of their life. I guess that’s probably why most of the globetrotters I have met during the past 8 years tend to escape this “routine normal kinda life” and struggle with deep questions such as, what is the place I call home? Where do I truly belong to? Where do I want to settle down and have a family and so on. Now these are never ending questions, until we tell ourselves: “Ok, I don’t know about this yet… I will just keep on traveling more and maybe I will find this happy place I will call home the minute I see it.” (Which let’s be honest does not exist.) Now you may ask yourself, will moving abroad be worth it? Well my answer to you is YES. It will be worth the struggle because I personally would not be the person I became if I would not have chosen this path. This does not mean that I do not have some sincere regrets but this globetrotter life has taught me wonderful things about life. Things that nothing but experiencing and living this journey could teach me. If you have any question in regards to taking the step to move abroad, feel free to ask me below in the comments and I will be delighted to get back to you! Thanks for reading and don’t forget to click on the heart button below if you have enjoyed this post, it would mean a lot to me. 🙂 Muaks, Muaks Cindy Discover more about my experiences abroad HERE #movingabroad #thetruthaboutmovingabroad #expatlife #travelling #depressingfacts

Hey little Wandering Soul! Hope you are doing well! Have you ever caught yourself dreaming of Thai white sandy beaches, zipping a young coconut, listening to the ocean waves and watching the sunset while laying on a beach massage bed, all this without ruining yourself? Me too! But have you made that dream happen yet? Or are you still finding excuses, thinking that’s impossible cause only rich kids or famous peeps can have some fun on Thai Islands? Well, let me tell you something right now, YOU, yes you, can make that dream of yours come true on a budget and this, with a pinch of luxury too! And here I will tell you how through 1 video and 36 photos which will inspire you to book your tickets to the Southern Thai Islands the second you finish reading this post! Whether you only have 10 days or an entire month, here are some of the Thai Islands you cannot miss when visiting exquisite Thailand: 1) Koh Phi Phi To swim in the crystal water of Koh Phi Phi on a budget, you have two easy options: 1) You fly to Phuket Airport, take a speed boat to the islands and stay at a typical Thai bungalow on Koh Phi Phi Ley or Don. When we stayed at “the jewels of the Andaman Sea” during our first trip to the Thai Islands, we only had 10 days and had organized a pretty crazy schedule… We flew with Qatar Airways for exactly 450€ per person, including return tickets (if you book 6 months prior to your departure you can get the same and sometimes even find cheaper!)… So we flew from Barcelona to Doha, then from Doha to Bangkok and then from the Thai capital to Phuket. Once arrived in Phuket, we took a taxi that brought us to Phuket Harbor where we then took a speed boat and then near the islands, we had to leave the speed boat for a taxi-boat in order to be able to reach our hotel on Koh Phi Phi Don. Can you imagine that this trip took us 28 insane travelling hours in a row? Crazyyy I know but that’s part of the adventure and that is how we could easily afford to visit Thai Islands on a Budget, with a Pinch of Luxury! Where to stay? If you are looking for an affordable and typical Thai Bungalow when in Koh Phi Phi Don, you can check out and book the one we stayed at here: Paradise Pearl Bungalows. You can also find and book any other hotel/resort on Koh Phi Phi right here: Best Hotels in Koh Phi Phi 2) You fly to Phuket or Krabi, get an affordable typical Thai hotel there and then treat yourself with a one-day boat excursion which is worth less than 70$ per person. This is the option we picked the second time we went to Koh Phi Phi as we also wanted to enjoy some relaxing time in Phuket. There are plenty of places in Phuket which propose you One-Day Boat Excursion to the Phi Phi islands but the best and easiest way remains you to ask and get your tickets from your hotel/hostel concierge or receptionist. Then nicely bargain a little by telling the hotel staff that your friends got the tickets for 65$ per person last week and chances are the staff will offer them to you for the same price, especially during the low season. By booking it with your hotel, you know it is safe and you will be picked up at your hotel directly on the day of the trip and brought back there too. Where to stay? If you are looking for affordable and beautiful typical Thai Resorts in Phuket, you can check out and book the ones we stayed at here: Kata Lucky Villa & Pool Access and/or Thavorn Beach Village Resort & Spa Phuket Want to compare the above hotels with others in Phuket? Check it out here: Best Hotels in Phuket 2) Phuket Best Beaches in Phuket? When in Phuket, soak up the sun at Kata Beach and Freedom Beach. Best Thai Food restaurant & Massage Place on a budget in Patong – Phuket? Although Patong offers a great quantity of restaurants, it is a bit difficult to find one that offers authentic and tasty Thai food. Thus, we were really happy to find some great reviews on Blue Horizon – Authentic Thai Food Restaurant which was only one and a half street away from my absolute favorite massage and beautician place called “Vayo Massage” in Patong. The restaurant is a bit hidden and is situated in a street full of other restaurants not far from the beach of Patong. The menu looked so yummy and the prices were really attractive, we sincerely wished we could eat it all! 🙂 But being big Pad Thai lovers we could not escape to our tradition and thus ordered 2 plates accompanied by refreshing Coconut water. I was in paradise! The food was really tasty and fresh. The presentation of the food was nice and the place was cosy and a bit away from the noise of Patong and all the tourists. I will definitely eat there again when we will be back in Phuket so I highly recommend this restaurant to you too! 3) Koh Samui Koh Samui is one of the most developed Thai island and it is where you will find many beach clubs and night life. When you go there you cannot miss the fire show at Chaweng Beach and the cocktails at Fisherman’s Village in Bophut. Where to stay? Looking for an affordable and beautiful typical Thai Resort in Koh Samui? Check out and book the one we stayed at here: Samui Palm Beach Resort Want to compare some more Koh Samui hotels? Check them out here: Best Hotels in Koh Samui Where to eat? Everywhere but especially the Cafe 69 in Bophut! It’s foodgasmic! So thank me later! 😉 4) Koh Phangan Have you ever heard of the crazy and colorful Thai Full and Half Moon Parties? Well Koh Phangan is the home of it! Now, a ticket to access this insane party is about $30 and the fluorescent body paint is not included in the price! We went there with our group of backpacker friends and it was really special… I personally did not enjoyed it that much as it is full of crazy young Westerners who get drunk AsF and drug is sold all over the place. So if you are going there with a group of friends like we did it is fine but I would not recommend it to you if you are only 2 peeps. Now although there is a lot of party on this islands, there are also places which I truly loved such as the Amsterdam Bar, where you get to experience stunning sunset and chill with some reggae music on the top of a hill and drink right under a sky full of shining stars. Then there was a hippie chocolate bar called “The Organic Chocolate House“, where you realize Swiss Chocolate truly sucks compared to this artisanal Thai Dark Chocolate, which melts in your mouth! The biggest similarity between the Swiss and this yummy Thai Chocolate is probably the price as it is quite expensive, but totally worth every bite! Where to stay? Looking for THE pinch of luxury of your stay in Koh Phangan? Use some extra dollars and book the stunning boutique hotel we stayed at here: Buri Rasa Koh Phangan If you are looking for a budget option, you can book your hotel here: Best Budget Hotels in Koh Phangan See it’s that easy! Oh by the way, I forgot to mention that on the Thai Islands, a 1-hour Thai or Coconut Oil Massage will only cost you $5! So now you really have no more excuses; Select some dates well in advance, book your tickets and discover how life should really be lived! 🙂 Want to discover more heavenly destinations? Just click on your dream destination here: Bali / Singapore / Barcelona What are the Thai Islands you dream to visit? And which are your favorite Thai Islands if you’ve been already? Looking forward to have you sharing it with me here on Bellezarebel.com! Enjoy your flights, get lots of massages and take tones of photos! Muaks, Muaks Cindy #travelblogger #kohsamui #southeastasia #travelvlog #phuket #thaiislands #thailand #kohphangan #swissblogger #travelblog #kohphiphi

Hello beautiful soul! Although we are already in September, summer clearly isn’t over yet, so let’s talk about…bikinis! For way too many years we girls have been only wearing two-pieces bikinis as it was a great option to tan and let’s admit it, most bikinis were stunning compared to one-piece swimsuits which weren’t really fashionable and were mainly designed for little girls and elderly women. Thus, by having to show that much skin, most of us often felt uncomfortable when at the beach and we wouldn’t truly enjoy the moment. However, this summer 2016 the One-Piece Swimsuit magically became one of the coolest trend of the year and to be honest with you, I could not hide my excitement! So there you go, here are 3 swimwear brands which will set a smile on your pretty face in 2016, making you rock your next day at the beach like Be-yon-cé! 1) Feel Classy & Pretty with Oroblù I discovered this fresh and colorful Italian brand just a month ago and really wish I had heard about it before! Like many of you, I always “secretly” try to look as pretty as a mermaid and feel as comfortable as a fish in the sea when spending a day at the beach and this is exactly how I felt when wearing my Oroblù One-Piece Swimsuit! Now Oroblù is not specialized only in swimwear but also in underwear, sandals & more and if there is one thing this cool Italian brand understood, it is how to make a woman feel confident, gorgeous and comfy all at once! Shop the look here 2) Feel Sexy & Cool with Boohoo Boohoo is for the cool and hipster souls out there! If you are looking for a 90’s trendy, fun & sexy beach look, Boohoo’s One-Piece Swimsuit will be your perfect match! You will be able to find many One-Piece Swimsuits with a sexy V-shape and fun quotes or words printed on. To finish up this beach look, wear your Boohoo One-Piece Swimsuit with a High Waist Skinny Jeans, grab your favorite sunglasses and don’t forget to put your favorite Choker on! Shop the look: Lemonade Swimsuit, Coconut Swimsuit, Choker 3) Feel Irresistible with Triangl Now although one-piece swimsuits are my absolute new favorite, when I decide to wear a bikini to get some proper tan, it better be one that is beautiful and that’s why I fell for “Estella – Sorbetto” from Triangl’s New Summer 2016 Collection. I am still pinching myself as I have been offered a collaboration this Summer with Triangl to join their awesome “Triangl Girls Team” so for this occasion, I am sharing with you the love I have for this brand since its debut in the beachwear industry as well as my addiction to their stunning SS 2016 Collection! This new collection is really fresh, colorful and full of beautiful flower prints. I was a huge fan of their “classic” neoprene bikini a year ago but then felt like it wasn’t really funny to be on a beach and hear every 2 minutes “look you girls are all matching…”! However, this time Triangl’s Summer 2016 Collection has much more models and shapes to choose from and whether you are skinny or curvy, you surely will be pleased with their new collection! Shop the look here Want to know how I keep my hair looking great even when at the beach? Read this! What about you? Have you fallen for Bikinis or One-Piece Swimsuits this Summer 2016? Muaks, Muaks Cindy #swimsuits #collaboration #trianglgirls #triangl #summer2016 #oroblu #bikini #boohoo #zara #hipanema #Barcelona #beachwear

Barcelona is famous for many lovely things and its delicious and tasty food surely is one of them. So in order to make your life easier, here are some delicious and typical restaurants (some are locals other a bit touristic) for you to try and fall in love with… El Cangrejo Loco Have some tapas and a paella with a stunning view on the terrace right by the Sea. Don’t drink too much Sangria but you surely must have some when in Barcelona! 😉 La Taberna Alibaba This local restaurant situated in the north of Barcelona is not known by tourists and it’s a pure jewel! When you go there, try their “Embutido Iberico” which is a delicious tapas plate with Catalan meat and cheese. You will thank me later! Pura Brasa You cannot go to Barcelona and not eat in this restaurant. Pura Brasa is an affordable gastronomic grill situated at la Rambla Catalunya Street. Here you will be delighted to try some delicious seafood tapas, burgers and so much more. If you want something light, try their Salmon tartar with avocado, it’s the BOMB! Maur Because Barcelona is not only about seafood, paella and tapas, you should try the Butifara Menu at only 11,50€ at Maur restaurant. Only then can you say that you have experienced typical Catalan food. La Boqueria Mercat Whether you eat what you just bought or decide to stop by one of the bars at La Boqueria, you cannot go wrong and you will be amazed by the beauty and taste of any plate you will eat there. The only down side is that it is quite famous so prices will be slightly more expensive than bars in less touristic streets. Mirablau Fancy eating with a stunning view on Barcelona and sitting right next to Messi, Gerard Piqué and Shakira (to only name a few)? Mirablau is your place to eat and once again, thank me later! Quimet & Quimet This restaurant is one of the most famous place to eat in Barcelona as its tapas’ taste are probably the tastiest and most authentic you can find in the city. My advice to you would be to go there around 7pm as it quickly gets super crowded. (I know, it’s way too early to have dinner in Spain but trust me that’s the only way you can enjoy an evening there!) Fosbury If you are spending a day at Playa de Castelldefels, you must go to Fosbury Café and try their fresh and tasty paella! I agree this super fancy and design beach restaurant seen from the outside seems to be a super expensive one but the good news is that it is truly affordable and it is a great “quality-experience-price” deal. I think we went back to eat there at least 4 times within the same week when in Castelldefels! If you don’t fancy a paella, no worries, there are plenty of other yummy choices such as the salmon tartar with avocado and tomatoes, the delicious caramelized goat cheese salad with mango sauce or the juicy burgers. Cherry on the pie, their Crema Catalana and 3 Chocolates Mousse are to fall for! Now Discover the Top 12 Must Visit Places Tips when in Barcelona and check out the Video! What’s your favorite restaurant in beautiful Barcelona? Muaks, Muaks Cindy #Barcelona #Castelldefels #GoodRestaurants

Hello beautiful reader! For the past 26 years, I have been and lived in many cities around the globe but somehow I instantly felt a strong connection with beautiful Barcelona when I first visited it back in 2007. Ever since, every time I go back there, it’s magical. So this time, I’ve decided to share the Top 12 Must Visit Places with you, with the hope that you will discover something new to visit during your next trip there. Of course, you might have already visited or heard of some of these places but unless you are a local, you surely haven’t heard about my absolute favorite “Secret Place” in Barcelona yet. 😉 1) Eat and shop with locals at Sant Antoni Market This market is similar to La Boqueria but is less known by tourists, so it’s a great option for you to eat fresh seafood and drink some refreshment with the lovely locals. 2) Wander and get lost in El Barrio Gotico These streets are some of my favorites in Barcelona as the architecture is stunning. However, it can get pretty dangerous at night, thus I recommend you to wander there during the day and don’t forget to shop some cool stuff and have a yummy ice cream! 3) Fall in love with the architecture at El Passeig de Gracia 4) Get amazed by the colors, smells and flavors at La Boqueria Although it is a pretty touristic market, you still should give it a try as you will find delicious fresh juices, Spanish specialties and yummy sweets (especially their Marzipan in shapes of fruits, Mario Kart and Ice creams!). Click here to discover more about La Boqueria as well as some of my Favorite Restaurants to Eat in Barcelona 5) Shop the latest fashion trends at Portal de l’Àngel 6) Zigzag between the tourists on La Rambla I am not a big fan of La Rambla as it is always over crowded but it is a nice walk if you go all the way down from Plaça Catalunya to the Mediterranean Sea. 7) Soak up the sun, get on your bicycle and wander between the palm trees at the Port Olympic and Barceloneta 8) Run in the middle of the doves and enjoy the architecture all around you at Plaça Catalunya 9) Climb all the way up to the magical El Bunker view point El Bunker is mainly known by locals and it is my absolute favorite “Secret Place” in Barcelona. Here you will get totally amazed by the view, so take lots of pictures and thank me later! 😉 10) Spend a romantic sunset moment at Montjuic 11) Jump in the sea and get sun-kissed at Playa de Castelldefels If you are like me and tend to avoid the super busy beaches (to be polite and not say “hate being in the middle of a touristic crowd”), I suggest you to rent a car and escape the hectic Barcelona beaches to enjoy some relaxing time at Playa de Castelldefels. Once you are there have a mojito and some tapas at one of their beach clubs like el Tiburon or Enjoy Beach! 🙂 12) Discover Gaudi’s Colorful Mosaic architecture and enjoy the view at el Park Guël What’s your favorite place in Barcelona? Muaks, Muaks Cindy #Barcelona #spain #top12mustvisitplaces

“When I grow up I will be a Wedding Planner” At the age of 12, I saw a TV Show where two women had just opened their Wedding Planning Business and I instantly felt captivated and silently realized deep inside my little girl’s heart that Wedding Planner was going to be my vocation. I mean how cool is it to be paid to style and decor a ceremony, pick fresh flowers, talk about bridal dresses, hair and makeup, while organizing dream weddings in stunning venues and maybe even around the globe? To me, it surely sounded much more attractive than working behind a computer in a room without windows and controlling numbers. So just about 10 years later, at the age of 22, my Wedding Planning career started and here is what it is truly like to be a Wedding Planner. 26 Truths about Being a Wedding Planner 1) You smile a lot and secretly hope that one day one amazing man will look at you the way your clients look at each other I can’t tell you how often I found myself smiling like a hopeless romantic just by looking at the way he looks at her… Of course this only lasts a few seconds as I quickly remember I am here to organize it all and there’s lots on my plate so back to work! 2) You organize weddings from all types of religions and beliefs and make some funny mistakes By working as a Wedding Planner in Spain, Singapore and Switzerland I had the opportunity to learn so much about different religions, cultures and traditions… I surely won’t ever try to handshake with a Rabat again nor tell a Chinese Groom he will be amazed when seeing his bride’s dress or ask him if he wants a dance floor at his wedding… Discover my Chinese Wedding Traditions experience while I worked in Singapore here. 3) You only build trust by being honest and yourself There are plenty of Planners everywhere, thus you might sometimes wonder how you can get to have couples choosing you as their Organizer. From my experience, it is all about the vibes you and your potential couple have. It’s an important relationship you are building with them so make sure you are honest and yourself. If they don’t feel comfortable with you, they will choose another planner but if they like you, then you can happily start the planning hand in hand and there shouldn’t be any bad surprises. 4) You are Passionate about making people happy This truth is what keeps me motivated even when some bridezillas are driving me nuts… J Because there truly isn’t anything greater to me than to see smiles on my couples and guests faces. 5) You consider “Style Me Pretty” as important as your Bible if not more I mean, you cannot be a real Planner nor a Bride Wanna Be if you have not heard of Style Me Pretty yet! 6) You thank God everyday Pinterest exists Whether I am talking to other Wedding Planners or to my Brides, both of them had one thing in common, they would spend hours and hours creating Pinterest boards to get all the trendiest and most awesome wedding ideas. These boards are then used to make the Wedding Styling part come to life and create a real WOW effect. You can also follow me on Pinterest for more celebrations, travel and beauty inspiration: BellezaRebel 7) You are so good at switching your mood in a second that you could be a Hollywood Movie Star That’s definitely not always easy but it surely comes with time. 😉 8) You get to take amazing wedding styling pictures to share your stunning work on your social media accounts As a Wedding Planner, you are lucky enough to create beautiful occasions and decors, so take lots of pictures of your work and share it on your website and social media accounts as there are no better pictures than the ones you take from your own work. (The below pics is one of the weddings I organized with Reviva Weddings back in 2012 in Marbella, Spain) 9) Your daily tasks are not only to take care of glamorous details Again, yes we make everything look pretty but as a Wedding Planner, you spend most of your time fighting with suppliers to get answers to your requests, try to reply to all your couples ‘emails within a 24hours policy (no matter how many questions they have) and to take care of all the logistic and so much more. 10) Your clients become your friends When you organize a couples’wedding, you are creating a strong relationship. It is not like organizing a corporate or other social event as you are organizing THE wedding of their dreams. Personally, I have always felt a strong connection with my couples and most of them became friends for life. This is a magic and important part as in the end, you will take part to the most important day of their life and you will be surprised how quickly handshakes becomes hugs. 11) You struggle having a private life It’s your BF’s birthday and he is out with his friends, calling you on and on and texting you, asking if you are still alive and reminding you that you are late… when you are actually stuck with a last minute appointment because the grandmother of one of your brides suddenly showed up in your office (when you had already switched off your laptop and the light) and tells you she wants to know more about the menu ingredients or why the price of the flower is so expensive because to her this clearly is an emergency cause yes there are “only” 7 months till the big day… 12) You spend most of your time doing People Management For a wedding to be a great success, as a Wedding Planner you must have great people’s skills as you can’t make it all happen on your own. This is a tricky part of the job but it is also one of my favorite as most of the time you get to meet lovely couples as well as many talented wedding vendors with who you start building a rocking dream team. 13) You have it all under control and if not, you’d rather figure it out in a second Last minutes problems always happen, no matter how much you have planned the big day… breathe deeply and figure something out quietly and with a smile. Don’t forget your clients might not have noticed the issue yet, so don’t freak out and run, just think and think out of the box, this will lead you to a good solution. You can do it! 14) You are very Caring, Patient and Listen a lot Being a Wedding Planner is a job where you wear many hats. You act like a Mother, Counselor, Personal Assistant, Baby-Sitter, Pharmacist, Tailor, Designer and Psychologist… sometimes all at once! 15) People you meet wish they had your life, because you make it all pretty and it is like in a movie right? I can’t count how many times I heard: “Wow you are a Wedding Planner? That’s such a dream job!” Funny how people think it is such a glamorous job when it actually isn’t 85% of the time… Remember we only show you our prettiest smile, always. 16) You receive much more compliments on your work than you would by doing any other jobs Apart of being a celebrity… there aren’t many jobs where you get applauded by a crowd, and I must admit it, when you are a Wedding or Events Planner you get that a lot and that is pretty cool! 17) You get to try lots of cake flavors and take part to food tastings, for FREE As an epicurean, that is definitely one of my fav’ aspect too! Especially the cake tasting part! 😉 18) You cannot sleep at night Will the flowers be delivered on time tomorrow? Did I mention they had to be cream or did I say white? At what time does the tailor open? Do I have gas in my car to bring the bridesmaids to the Tailor? And it goes on… and never ends! 19) You replace your frustration with proudness and satisfaction It’s often a long road full of struggles and frustrations but in the end, it feels so good to see it all come to life and know that you are the one who made this celebration come to life. 20) You get expensive fresh and beautiful flowers for FREE After each weddings, there are always a few flowers left over. Some throw them away but I always try to take them home or to my office, cause they truly deserve a second life and yes… I love to décor my space with gorgeous flowers I got for “free”. 21) You are the woman of the situation I mean, we get paid for that, don’t we?! So ensure you have your first aid kit, a flat pair of shoes at the bride size, reassure the auntie she looks gorgeous in her dress, all the important phone numbers and everything else the perfect planner must have. 22) You make your clients’ dream wedding come true Once again, that is what we are paid for, so you’d better use your magic potion to make it wonderful and exceed their expectations. (Picture is from a Wedding we organized with Reviva Weddings) 23) You cry a lot Well, yes, like a lot and almost daily… Whether it is because your own love life sucks or when you are about to collapse because of the pressure or when the bride’s dad brings her down the aisle and you see the groom and relatives in tears. You cry but try to pretend it’s all cool, cause yes you are used to it right? But then again, you cry….Wise advise from me to you, if you are wearing mascara, make sure it is waterproof and be ready to give some tissues around you but ensure you keep one for yourself too. 24) Stress never leaves you alone As a Wedding Planner you ironically sometimes feel like you have as much pressure as a pilot or a doctor. In the end, it is a one in a lifetime event and if you screw it up risks are, your whole career will end with it. So although it is not a question of life or death in terms of human beings, it still is a huge stress and if you happen to do something wrong, you might start to think of a new career right away. 25) Work never stops A Wedding Planner is a Mother, Babysitter, Psychologist and so on remember? So if a bride texts you at 11:30pm on a Friday night to meet you the next morning at 8am and you are supposed to be off that weekend, guess what, you are on and can say goodbye to your Saturday morning cozy bed hours. 26) But you still feel like having one of the most beautiful and romantic job on this earth Although it clearly is not an easy job, to me it will always be one of the greatest job one can do and in the end, the satisfaction you get from it is worth all the struggle. (Picture is from a Wedding we organized with Reviva Weddings) Hope you enjoyed this post! If so please click on the heart button below, it would mean a lot to me and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comment section below. 🙂 Have a happy week ahead! Muaks, Muaks Cindy All pictures have either been taken by myself or at weddings I organized/attended. #wedding #WeddingPlanner #weddingplanning

Online Customer Reviews are great but should we really trust them? Nowadays, whether you travel frequently or enjoy trying new places near your town, chances are you spend some time online looking for authentic customer reviews. Now the challenge is to figure out whether the good and bad reviews about the hotel, restaurant or attraction you are about to book are written by real people or by great Marketing Manager or Public Relations (PR) Specialists. Thanks to the internet, online customer reviews are easily accessible, but it has also created a sea of true and not so true information. So, after spending many hours figuring out an efficient strategy to find out what’s the truth and what’s pure advertising, here are 4 of my easy tips for you to get the most out of online customer reviews in order to avoid getting bad surprises when booking your next outing. 1) Check the bad reviews, then the good After having had one absolute awful experience at a hotel in Mallorca (Spain) back in 2014, I started to look at online customer reviews on TripAdvisor and Booking.com in a complete different way. Indeed, I used to mainly focus on traveler comments that stated how awesome a place was, naively thinking the more good reviews one venue had, the better it was, ignoring the very few bad reviews. However, I learned the hard way and ever since this upsetting experience, my attention has gone to reading why I perhaps should not pick a particular hotel. Then once I read the bad, I quickly have a look at the number of good reviews and always check the reviewers’ account to see other reviews they wrote elsewhere. This helps you to see whether the person is real and if their expectations are as high as yours or if it is just a profile created to leave a good comment (by venue staff or PR) or bad review (by haters or competitors). 2) Filter why some are negative While I believe bad reviews are important, they often make me laugh when certain reviewers are complaining that a USD 25 per night room in a fancy city only offers one not so fresh croissant at breakfast. This clearly does not mean this room is not a good deal… I mean what can you expect for this price anyway? If these reviewers are not happy with that, maybe they should have booked a slightly more expensive hotel and would have gotten what they wanted. Also, I once read a bad review on an Indian restaurant in Singapore from a customer who was looking for “Real Indian Food” and was disappointed. Although India is a few hours away from Singapore, perhaps that person should have jumped in a plane if “Authentic Indian Food” was what he was looking for. 3) Check the review date Whenever I am reading the good and bad reviews, I always verify the date it has been posted and so should you. Perhaps the place you are looking at was under construction or had poor service at the time of the review, but maybe the venue is now all pretty and finished and the General Manager hired some really outstanding employees since then. However, when a really negative old review makes me feel like looking at another hotel right away, I often check a few more recent online customer reviews to see if people are still complaining about it. Another little trick is to try to figure out when the reviewer actually visited the venue and not when they wrote the review as things might have changed since then. Although there are many websites where you can find reviews on, my favorites will always remain Booking.com and TripAdvisor where I shared a great amount of hotels, restaurants and attractions experiences as well. 4) Trust your 6th sense As much online customer reviews are great to help you plan your next trip, personally, if I have heard excellent comments from my friends or a person I trust, but happened to read a few negative reviews online, I obviously trust my friends more than any another reviewers. Then, if for example you have a strange feeling that you might regret not trying a certain venue, just go for it, because as Cold Play sings so magically, if you never try, you will never know… When in this situation, I tend to not expect too much and 9 times out of 10 I end up being surprised in a really positive way and so will you. Last but not least, keep in mind that everyone has different expectations and preferences when outing, so the way to go is to look for reviewers ‘profiles which closely match yours and then you can be pretty sure you will have a good time! Which review site do you trust the most? Share in the comments below! Muaks, Muaks Cindy #bookingcom #onlinecustomerreviews #travelbookingreviews #tripadvisor

”Dominican Republic. Hair gets lighter. Skin gets darker. Water gets warmer. Drinks get colder. Life gets better.” Bienvenidos a Republica Dominicana! Leave everything you are doing right now. Life is short, so grab your passport, pack your bag and follow me to Dominican Republic! Does this sound too crazy? Here’s a little taste of my exciting trip to Punta Cana and Saona Island! If you need some advice on where to stay and eat when in Dominican Republic, I am your mermaid guide so leave your comments and questions in the comment section below, I will be delighted to help you out! ? Because in the end, we are all Summer kinda people… ? Muaks, Muaks Cindy #beachgirl #dominicanrepublic #puntacana #saonaisland

Have you ever wondered how different cultures celebrate their big day? I personally did not think there would be much differences from one to the other until I moved to Singapore. I mean, in the past, I got to organize Jewish, Catholics, Orthodox and Atheist weddings in Spain and Switzerland but in the end, there were more similarities than differences. However, when I was working as a Wedding Planner (I am probably the first ever “Ang Moh”* organizing locals’ weddings on this Island by the way!) at the most luxurious Hotel in Singapore, where only guests with high incomes, coming from good families or high society can afford a night, I learned 10 things on Chinese Weddings Traditions, which I will never forget. *Ang Moh = “Red Head”, term used by Singaporeans to talk about Western People, also called Caucasians. So here are the 10 things I learned on Chinese Weddings Traditions: 1) Auspicious Dates In Western countries, couples tend to pick a specific date if they like a particular number. Otherwise, they just pick whichever date is available at the church or the town hall, obviously trying to avoid Friday 13 for the few superstitious ones. In Asia, however, especially in Singapore, Singaporeans are known for being very superstitious and do therefore only pick dates called “Auspicious Dates”. These latter form part of the Chinese Year Calendar and in most Singaporeans’ believes, you cannot have a prosperous, lucky and happy wedding if you do not get married on one of these specific dates. I let you imagine the struggle I had to help my couples get the date they wanted as many Auspicious Dates were already booked far in advance by other couples. When organizing Chinese Traditional Weddings, it is imperative to know that couples are afraid of the number 4 (it is like 13 to Western people) and are attached to the number 8 (like number 7 to Western people). Another important thing is that Singaporeans avoid getting married or even getting in touch with their Wedding Planner in April (The 4th month of the year) and August (Ghost Month). They however love to get married in July, October (8th month on the Chinese calendar), November and December. Because of this tricky Auspicious Dates issue, I unfortunately had to turn down a few lovely couples because the date they wanted was already taken. 2) Money is everything We all know how powerful money is in this world we live in. However, one of the 10 things I learned on Chinese Weddings Traditions, is that Chinese and Singaporeans’ lives truly are about prosperity. Now, my Singaporeans friends reading this post will probably laugh a bit and say that this has been written and seen through the eyes of an “Ang Moh”, which by the way yes is totally true. So, from what I have been told when I started my Wedding Planner job in Singapore, Chinese Traditional Weddings are always paid by the father of the groom. Before the wedding, this latter welcomes the father of the bride at his house. The father of the bride brings a basket full of oranges (an orange in Chinese culture means prosperity) as well as a few gold (money) to the father of the groom. Then the whole “wedding negotiation” starts… and it is mainly a question of how many tables of 10 will the father of the groom “nicely” offer to the bride’s family. This to me was really interesting as it felt really different from the Swiss and Spanish weddings where, in most cases, it is the couples who pay for everything and not their parents. Additionally, in the hotel I worked for, weddings receptions started around S$ 23,000++ and couples could sometimes spend up to S$ 100,000++ and more… so I let you imagine how tricky the whole wedding negotiations are between the two families. 3) Family before Friends Here again, in Western countries, couples do invite their close relatives to their wedding, however they are only a minority, as much more young crowds (friends) are invited to a Western couple’s big day. In Chinese Traditional Weddings however, couples mainly get married for their parents, who invite their own friends. Thus, the young crowd is minor in Chinese Traditional Weddings. Now the funny part is that when I first started, one of my question to my co-workers was: “How do you manage wedding guests if they are a bit tipsy and don’t want to leave the hotel when they are supposed to?” The answer was simple: “This never happens at Chinese Traditional Weddings, as people usually don’t drink much as the guests have a certain age and they usually tend to leave right after the last course is served.” Now, I must admit, this answer left me a bit speechless as I was used to organize weddings in the South of Spain, where people dance the night away. 4) 120 to 300 Guests Singaporean couples not only have big families and many people their parents want to invite but they also believe that the more there is, the better it is. Thus, although I feel like the wedding trend is now to have smaller and more intimate weddings, there are still many couples who easily expect between 120 to 300 guests if not more. I cannot say that this is different from other cultures’ weddings though, as the number of guests at a wedding varies more on the couple than on anything else. 5) Tea Ceremony Remember? Family before friends. When I heard about this ritual the first time, I felt like the Tea Ceremony was a really sweet and meaningful part of Chinese Weddings Traditions. This ceremony is when both newlyweds serve Lotus seeds and red dates tea to the opposite family party, in order to form one family from that moment on. The tea ceremony usually takes place in the morning before the solemnization but this varies from couples and their family’s own traditions. 6) Chinese Cuisine and Serving Style If one day you have the opportunity to attend a Chinese Traditional Wedding, you will not only discover that most of the guests tend to arrive quite late at the wedding reception but also that Chinese Set Menu have between 6 to 8 courses and sometimes even more! Also, there are two different serving styles. One is called the “Family Style”, which is when the Chef shows a plate to a table of 10 and then individually apportion to each of the 10 guests. This serving style is often the first choice of Singaporeans as it represent their culture well. Then the second serving style is the individually plated which is like the Western Cuisine; each guest receives their own plate, nicely presented. In terms of Chinese delicacy, I had the chance to taste an entire wedding menu of 8 courses and I was really surprised. Some plates were absolutely delicious and can be easily eaten by “Ang Moh”. However, when my beloved Mentor brought me Sea Cucumber, I felt like I was going to faint! This thing is literally a slug from the sea with spikes on it! Seriously, just writing about it now gives me terrible goosebumps… 🙂 7) The Dummy Cake What would a wedding be without a wedding cake? Have you ever wondered how people can possibly eat a 5-tier wedding cake? Well let me tell you something… This part is one of the thing that surprised me the most! The cakes in Singapore and in most of the tropical countries are either partially real or sometimes totally dummy (made of polystyrene)! Basically, in Singapore, the cake is just there to take some pictures with and that’s it. So for cake lovers, this is not acceptable and they choose to opt for a smaller cake but entirely eatable. However, the reason why cakes in Singapore are almost all dummies is because the sugar cannot stand the high and ultra humid temperature and if you choose a real cake, another risk is that it will not taste fresh for your guests on your wedding day. Now if you are an “Ang Moh” like me and are a bit surprised by this latter revelation, there is something else that is really different in terms of cake between Western and Chinese Weddings Traditions. Westerners hide their wedding cake until dessert time and the tradition is to organize a major cake entrance, to get your guests say “WOW”, whereas Chinese start their wedding reception by “cutting” the cake first. This latter is already on the stage, so no surprise effect. 8) Champagne Fountain Every Chinese weddings I organized had a champagne fountain which was placed on the stage, next to the cake and the couple’s champagne toast usually takes place after their second march in. 9) No Party Time As previously mentioned, Chinese Weddings Traditions are all about the newlyweds’ parents and their own friends, thus the crowd is older than the one from other cultures’ weddings. Hence, every time I was asking my couples if they would require a dance floor, they were laughing at me and telling me; “hell no”! Which each single time surprised me… because once again, in my beliefs, a wedding is a happy and fun celebration. 10) Token Box for “Ang Bao” Last but really not least… Singaporean wedding guests do not offer any gifts to the newlyweds. Instead, they bring a “Ang Bao” (red packet with money inside) and they place these envelops in a “Token Box”. To be honest, I think this is a far better idea than to give presents that the couple might not appreciate. Additionally, this personally did not shock me much as in Spain, each wedding guest often directly pays for their own menu. By sharing this experience with you here, I realize once again that I have been really lucky to be able to work and live in such a different environment. I will never forget when I was pretending to understand mandarin when taking notes on each course during all the food tastings I have conducted as the Chef only spoke mandarin and so did the couples with their families. And me… the little Swiss girl, in the middle of all this interesting people, I was smiling and thinking to myself; What a truly unique experience I am living right now. Do you have any other anecdotes on Chinese Weddings Traditions? I would love to read all about it in the comment section below! Muaks, Muaks Cindy #BestHotelInSingapore2016 #workingabroad #WeddingPlanner #10ThingsILearnedonChineseWeddingsTraditions #singapore

Welcome to Greece! If you have not been to Greece yet, this little gallery shall make you urge to get your plane tickets and fly to the Greek Islands… 🙂 All pictures are mine. #AghiosIoannis #greece #MonasteriodeMeteora #mykonos

8 Travel Beauty Tips when you are on the Go Whether you’re traveling halfway around the world or taking the train for a sweet escape, traveling is a great way to meet people. Let’s admit it once for all, we girls all want to travel flawless! Cause yes, who knows, we might be meeting some handsome cutie pies on the way to our destination and may start a lovely journey together! So to ensure you will always travel flawless, here are 8 of my favorite travel beauty tips to help you look your very best when traveling. 1) Cream it up! Hydrate your skin by applying a cream the night before and on the day you are going to travel. This will help you feel at ease during your journey despite the strong and dry air-conditioning and the cabin pressure if you are flying. 2) Primer + Foundation = ½ Travel Flawless Here I suggest you two options which will vary on your mood to travel flawless. You can either skip your foundation routine and only use moisturizer or you can decide to wear a primer and then your foundation. If you pick this latter option, which personally is my favorite way to go, ensure to put on your primer first, which is a silicone-based cream or liquid that sets a protection between your skin and your makeup. If you follow this easy process, both your foundation and blush will last longer and cherry on the pie, by putting primer + foundation you will help keeping your skin well hydrated. 3) Pack Your Beauty Essentials If you are traveling outside your country, I would highly recommend you to take your high-end beauty essentials with you, because if you don’t, once abroad you may have to spend much more money for the exact same products. Of course the amount will depend on the country you are heading to but if you have some space and weight left in your luggage, why not simplify your life? 4) Avoid Long-Lasting Lipsticks Now for many years flying around the globe, I always wore my favorite MAC lipsticks. I used to think it was great because it is long-lasting, so I would look good during a 14 hours flight without having to retouch my lips. Although it helped to travel flawless for a few hours, my lips would become all dry and I ended up with a parched mouth when landing. So girls please, don’t follow my previous “lipstick long-lasting theory” and instead, use a lip stain to color your lips by adding several coats, let dry, then apply your transparent gloss. To ensure you travel flawless, reapply the gloss during your journey and once you landed, you will look really fresh and pretty! 5) Mascara is a big No, No! Have you ever worn mascara during a long journey? Feeling confident, thinking you look super pretty until you see your face in a mirror? Trust me, I feel you girls! Here again you have two options: avoid wearing mascara and cream eye shadows while traveling or opt for beautiful Lash Extensions. Although loving your natural lashes is the easiest way to go, having Lash Extensions on will however truly ensure you travel flawless! 6) Keep Your Hands to Yourself When traveling, chances are you are siting where other people seated before and they might have left some unwanted germs. Thus, to minimize getting sick or developing skin problems, avoid touching your skin while traveling. If you want to apply makeup while you are in transit, I would suggest you to use an antibacterial hand wash to firstly moisturize your hands. This latter will ensure no bacteria gets to you and will get you one step closer to travel flawless too. 7) Sleeping-Travel Beauty One can hardly resist to the temptation of falling asleep during a long trip. Hence, if you’re going to nap during your journey, apply your night cream around your eyes and then use a sleeping blindfold. Some airlines company such as Qatar Airways offer blindfolds and blankets which makes it really easy and cozy to fall asleep, even in economy class! 8) Braid on the go! Whenever I go for a long trip, I braid my hair on the side as this helps me to avoid looking like I just put my fingers into a plug full of electricity. Jokes apart, I always keep my dearest brush in my handbag and avoid touching my hair during the journey. Although my friends know this latter is a super huge challenge for me! Now, by braiding your hair, you will not only keep it well in place but also you will land with gorgeous wavy hair and that’s the way to travel flawless you pretty ladies out there! What are your secrets to travel flawless? Muaks, Muaks Cindy QATAR AIRWAYS #MAC #loreal #qatarairways #colourpop #opi #luzlashes #Chloé #travelbeautytips #doseofcolor #lesnaturelles #clinique #benefit #travelflaweless #nivea #balmain #garnier