Carolien let herself go this week and an hour later already regretted it… Join her in her never-a-dull-moment-Amayzine-diary…

For years we have been celebrating Halloween with a fixed, select group including costumes, pumpkin soup, and a dice game (most of you do this game around Sinterklaas, I know. We can't wait that long.). By now, Marly and I have been texting since summer about how we will dress up this year. Last year we were Cruella de Vil and the newborn Sammy-Rose was our dalmatian. This time we were inspired by our Kaiser of Fashion: Karl Lagerfeld. Fortunately, we already had a large part of the costume hanging in our closet: the only thing I had to order were the perfect leather gloves from Laimböck and a signature white Karl wig. Nothing could go wrong… Until the wig didn’t arrive! So I hurriedly grabbed two white spray cans to transform our own hair into something à la Lagerfeld. And the result is quite nice! A major downside: my entire bathroom was covered in white paint, that will be scrubbing…

Finally, the moment had arrived: I had a few days off, so I immediately booked a ticket to London to visit my girlfriend who lives there. I packed my prettiest outfits, brought gifts for her new little house, and with a well-filled suitcase, I drove unsuspectingly to Schiphol. Once at customs, I saw a huge crowd: apparently, many flights were canceled or delayed, so there was a line of at least an hour. Now, I am always on time, but even I started to feel a bit anxious… Once through customs, I had only five minutes to get to my gate, so in blind panic, I sprinted. Completely sweaty and exhausted, I arrived only to read that my flight had been canceled. You can imagine that crying was closer than laughing. Sad and grumpy, I returned to Amsterdam (without a suitcase, because that had miraculously arrived in London) and decided to celebrate my vacation in my own city instead. Day 1: a lovely lunch at the Waldorf Hotel and believe me, you must try this tuna tartare!

Day 2: an ultimate relaxation day at the Akasha Spa. When I walked into the room, all the tension from the day before immediately melted away. I got to enjoy a wonderful facial from Natura Bissé, a brand I had never heard of before. But this Spanish beauty brand is truly a recommendation! I received a peeling based on fruit acids and the treatment was concluded with what I now call a real miracle cream that makes your face glow as if you just spent five days under a palm tree in the Seychelles. After the treatment, I stayed a little longer for the hammam and a round of sauna, but I also had texts to learn. And what better location to do that than by a pool in a velvety soft bathrobe! I need to celebrate vacation in my own city more often!

For months, the entire fashion world has been looking forward to this: the launch of the designer collection for H&M. Years ago, I got my mother and sister to stand in line with me at 5:00 AM (!!) for the Jimmy Choo x H&M collection. Standing outside in line was actually the most fun part of that day: we made friends for life, prosecco (which makes you quite tipsy at 7:00 AM on an empty stomach…) was handed out, along with magazines and blankets. They almost set up a campfire and sang ’Kumbaya,“ but the atmosphere was definitely there. When the doors opened, those new friends turned into devils one by one and easily pushed you aside to score that one dress in size 36. Fortunately, it was much calmer yesterday: together with 100 invited guests, we were the first to shop the Balmain collection in the new H&M flagship store Bonneterie The Hague. In the end, you become so greedy from all those exclusive items that I also gave in and took home three huge bags. Luckily Jon is not home, so I have enough time to hide everything. Although he will find out when he is served sandwiches with peanut butter for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next two weeks.

Another advantage of my canceled trip to London: I got to attend my favorite clothing sale that I would have otherwise missed. Years ago, I was at the very first PINC Sale in the Pijp, in a space of less than 40 square meters. Now they are in a huge building on the Zuidas and have a huge collection hanging from brands like Avelon, Anecdote, Modström, Sessùn, and many more amazing brands with at least 50 percent discount. I was allowed to sneak a peek today, so I can see what I want to score. But after a quick round through the space, I had already found three outfits that I really can't live without. I will come back to this: my canceled trip to London is life-threatening for my wallet… The PINC Sale is from November 6 to 10 and the address is Claude Debussylaan 33 in Amsterdam.