My Winter Beauty / Fashion / Lifestyle Essentials

Are you ready for winter? Well, I hope you are because it's starts to get freaking cold here and I kind of think that we have skipped the autumn in our region. For me, winter needs some special preparations and products, thus, today I want to show you my beauty / fashion / lifestyle essentials for winter that I really need during the winter.

Beauty
1. Tissues are an essential item in everyones handbag because when I go from the cold into the warm, my nose always starts running. And it's really impolite to snuffle all the time.
2. Hand cream is so important because of the cold weather and the dry heated air, my hands are getting so dry and rough. So I think, every one should have a little hand cream in its handbag too.
3. & 4. Because of the cold weather not only the skin is dry but also lips are chapped way much easier, so I have to have a really deep moisturizing lip balm and also a rich body butter.
5. Then I love to swap the scent from my body butter and shower gel to a more spicy, aromatic, maybe sweet and nutty scent. Or even invest in a really nice gel for beautiful foam bath.
6. You have to change your moisturizer to a richer one. Because of the wind, the cold temperatures, snow etc. your skin has to endure a lot more exertions and so it is important that you keep it well moisturized also because dry skin will cause wrinkles.

Fashion
7. Really warm boots that are giving your footbed enough support and have a good profile are essential.
8. During the winter I seriously can't live without warm socks. I just can't stand out house slippers so I have to wear my cozy, warm socks to feel comfortable at home.
9. That's quiet obvious, but in order to survive the winter everyone needs a proper scarf, some good handcuffs and, if you have a cap-face, a cool winter cap. You actually lose 10% of your body heat through your heat.
10. THE essential piece is a warm jacket. And I am not talking about a stylish, designer jacket made out of satin, no, we don't want to freeze and be sick during the whole winter, so invest in a good, warm jacket even though it is not the stylist version. Additionally, I also like to have a warmer indoor jacket like a fleece jacket where I can cuddle myself up.

Lifestyle
11. When it's getting darker outside and we are all staying more inside the house, I really enjoy lighting a candle while I am reading a book or actually writing blog posts.
12. Hot drinks are my life saver and my source of happiness during the whole winter season. I personally love to drink tea, but whether it is hot chocolate or a arm cup of coffee, I just love snuggle myself into the corner with a warm cup in my hand.
13. The best thing about winter and staying mostly at home is spending some evening night with your family watching christmas DVD or nice films in general.

All these aspects are on the one hand essential and necessary for my well-being and on the other hand just complete my christmasy winter feeling. I am really looking forward to coming into christmas mood and to experience the whole christmas spirit this year!

Wish you a wonderful day! Love,

DM + Christmas Decoration Haul

Hello guys!

Okay, I have to admit: I slowly really start to get into christmas mood which is actually weird because last year I wasn't into christmas mood at all and just felt a bit christmasy two days before Christmas Eve. Thus, even though it's a bit early to be in christmas mood, I prefer it to having it only two day before christmas. Anticipation is the greatest joy! So in order to make my room appear a bit more christmasy I bought just a few christmas items for my room (my room isn't that big) and had to walk into the drugstore ;)

Drugstore / DM:

 

Firstly, I purchased to candies for my handbag. The left one are the DM "Das gesunde Plus" candies with sea buckthorn flavour which taste really nice and sour. I also bought the new Ricola candies with liquorice flavour and sweetened with stevia which have got an interesting taste of liquorice, herbs and a bit salty. 

 

Then I bought the Essence Winter Limited Edition 24h hand protection balm in Apple Cinnamon Punch and Gingerbread Chai Latte each for 0,95€. I think these particular flavours are not available internationally, however, Essence offers these Winter Edition hand creams but just with other flavours. I will do a detailed review of these products, but I am seriously in love with the smell of both of them. I can highly recommend buying them whereas I didn't liked the smell of Caramel Hot Chocolate that much. 

 

These products are only available in Germany, so I will go on in German:

Passend zur kalten Weihnachtszeit verspürte ich das Bedürfnis nach einer schönen, süßen und reichhaltigen Körperpflege nach einem schönen heißem Bad. Und ich wurde bei Balea fündig, die passend zu jeder Jahreszeit immer neue, interessante Düfte herausbringen. Gekauft habe ich mir die Balea Bodylotion mit Feigen- und Schokoladenduft, welche zunächst etwas fruchtig aber dann wundervoll leicht nach Schokolade riecht, und dann noch die Balea Young Bodylotion Sweet Wonderland, die intensiv und einfach nur wunderbar nach Schokolade duftet. Zur Pflegewirkung kann ich noch nicht so viel sagen, aber ich denke, ich werde ein gesammelten Blogpost über meine Körpercremes schreiben.

 

As every other human being on this world I also bought a toothpaste - the Colgate MaxWhite. It claims to make your teeth a bit whiter and whiter teeth are always better.

Christmas Decoration:

 

In order to boost my christmas mood I walked into Butler's and found a few really nice items. As I am a total tea-addictive I was caught by this beautiful, christmasy, snowy, white and red cup that will be well-used and will remind me of christmas every day. It costs 3,99€.

 

The highlight of my decoration haul is this BEAUTIFUL golden and glittery deer. I love it so much! It is sweet, sparkly but in the same time kind of a "natural object". It is no on my vanity table so I see it every day and it makes me so happy just looking at it. The price of this is 9,99€.

 

Technically I have enough candles, but all my candles are from Ikea so they have a noticeable scent but that intense which is great when you have the open in your room for the whole time. Higher priced candles e.g. Yankee Candles or even this middle-priced candle have a lid on top which is great, because then you don't have to smell the intense flavour all the time. And personally, I get a headache quite fastly. Therefore, I bought this scented candle with a rich cinnamon scent for approx. 3,50€. Butler's also has some great room scents!

So this was my drugstore and christmas decoration haul. I know that it's not the hugest haul you've ever seen but I just wanted to make myself a few little presents in order to get in a better mood which is harder to get caused by this grey, cold weather. Are you already in christmas mood? 

Wish you a wonderful day! Love,

Garnier Skin Naturals Pure Shine Control Moisturizer

After a long long time I finally did a review again. I wanted to do a review of this Garnier Skin Naturals Pure Shine Control Moisturizer since summer, but never found the time and passion to fulfil it. So here we go.

Price: can't remember between 7-9€

Content: 40ml

Durability: 12 months

Garnier promises: 

"Even oily skin that’s prone to problems needs to be kept hydrated. Garnier developed a unique formula using carefully selected natural ingredients: white clay and zinc to matify skin, and salicylic acid for purifying power. The result is an ultra-efficient matte-finish moisturizer that leaves skin looking healthy and clean."

Smell, Consistency & Colour

 

The consistency is like a normal moisturizer. The moisturizer is water based so it is a really light cream and thus, perfect for combination to oily skin. The cream is white and the cream has not a strong specific smell. It smells a tiny bit "green" which has probably something to do with Pure Naturals line by Garnier.

Application

Direct application

1 minute later

I have got quiet oily skin especially during the summer and I literally just needed a fingertip of product. I will probably need more in the winter, nevertheless I am really impressed of the mattifying effect of this cream. Seriously, one minute after the application your whole skin is matt without feeling dry or not moisturized at all. 

Conclusion

This moisturizer is amazing. I think it is created as a morning moisturizer because if the mattifying effect, however, I actually use it as a night moisturizer. I think with oily skin you don't need a lot of moisturizer even in the night and a too thick moisturizer can cause pimples. The cream doesn't has a miracle effect on my blemishes, however, it does prevent from producing more of these. Thus, I can totally recommend this if you are searching for a great moisturizer for combination to oily skin.

Comment below whether you have any experience with this Garnier line?

Wish you a wonderful day!

Lots of love,

July Favourties

 

La Roche Posay Dermo- Soothing Deep Cleansing Foam

This cleanser is absolutely amazing. I bought it last month and add it directly to my daily skincare routine. After only a week I definitely noticed a difference. My skin appeared to be much more smoother, clearer and with less acne.

Garnier 24 hours Daily moisturizer

Currently I have super oily skin so I used this moisturizer as a night cream, but this cream is extremely good for oily skin. It mattifies the skin, is non-comedogenic and gives my skin the ideal amount of hydration. 

Sleek Contour Kit

This is probably the best contour colour I've ever used. Sometimes I start to use another contour colour, but lastly I always come back to it. It creates a super natural shadow underneath the cheekbones, however, it has to be applied really carefully, because of its high-pigmentation.

Chanel Lipstick Rouge Coco 05 Mademoiselle

I loved to wear my hair in curls this month and felt, because of this, a bit like in the sixties. So I needed a nice bold, but still natural lipstick that can be worn in the office. This chanel lipstick was the solution: elegant, natural, but noticeable. Perfect.

Essence Sun Club Bronzer

I don't really like to use this bronzer as a contour or in general, as a bronzer. However, applied as a blush this product gives you a natural sun kissed look. Perfect for the summer.

Catrice Intensif´eye Wet & Dry Shadow 030 Vanilla Sky Ride

I am not sure whether this product is available in every country, but this is the absolute perfect shimmery highlighting colour for the inner corner of the eye. I absolutely loved to apply it half the way over my lid, to put a brown in my crease and to draw a liquid eyeliner. Your eyes will look so awake and fresh, it is amazing.

Essence stay all day 16h foundation

I wore this foundation the whole month in the office. Because of the air-conditioner, my foundation started to crease much earlier and every spot was much more noticeable because of this baad lightning. So I needed a foundation that is full coverage, long lasting and doesn't cause any more spots. This foundation gave me all these points that I was searching for.

P2 nail polish lovely & Manhattan nail polish 59L

I loved to wear the natural rosy nail polish on my hands during my time in the office and the other colour was also natural, but noticeable on my toenails. By the way, this is the only nail polish where everyone is asking me which one it is. 

What are your favourite products for this month?

Wish you a wonderful day!
Lots of love,

What's In My Hand Luggage?

Today I want to share with you my hand luggage, at least what I take with my on a long overnight flight beauty wise. Because of the fact that I am actually not going on an overnight flight this year, I don't have every product that I mentioned in a travel size. However, you can replace these products with your preferred one in a travel size, so that the mentioned products work as guidelines.

Hand cream

Because the air is so dry in a plane and my daily sleeping routine consists of a bit of hand cream, I would always take my hand cream with me. I really can not stand out dry hands!

Antibacterial handgel

Even though you can use the soap in the toilet, you never know who has touched the doorhandles and seats before you. Especially when you are working on your face or you eat something, make sure that you sanitize your hands beforehand. I can really commend the Bath & Body Works PocketBac Deep Cleansing Hand Gel

Makeup remover

It is really important that you remove your make up before you are going to sleep even though you are seating in a plane. Therefore, I would take with me the travel-sized Bioderma Crealine Micelle Solution Makeup Remover for Face & Eyes 100ml and 2-4 cotton pads.

Cleanser + wet wipes

The next step, which shouldn't be skipped is to cleanse your skin. You don't want to have new pimples before arriving in your new destination. I don' have a travel-size cleanser even though I can really recommend The La Roche Posay Cleansing Mousse from the Effaclar line. Just use any travel-sized cleanser which you prefer. Take a few wet wipes with you in order to remove the cleanser without heading to the plane toilet.

Moisturizer

Because of the dry skin in the plane, it is also important to moisturizer your face really well in order to prevent it from dehydrating. However, firstly I wouldn't apply that much product on your face. When it is absorbed into your skin and your skin still feels dehydrated then you can always apply more.

Toothpaste + Toothbrush

Don't forget your teeth and brush them right before you go to sleep and in the morning. This also vanishes any bad breath.

Mascara

When it comes to make up, I don't want to take too much with me, because this is just to make me look a bit more a wale. You can still apply more makeup when you arrive in your hotel. So I take a mascara with me, because this really makes your eyes look more awake and lively.

Concealer

I apply a concealer on my pimples, redness and under eye circles in order to make my skin more flawless without appearing to be caky.Especially after a long flight, a concealer does wonders!

Lip Tone

Lastly I would take with me a colored lip balm, or also called lip tone. This can be applied without a mirror and has a natural effect, but gives a but of colour in the same time.

So this was my hand luggage. Of course, don'z forget to pack all these things in a clear zipper bag and keep all liquids that you take with you under 100ml.

Thank you really much for reading this post!

What do you have in you hand luggage on long flights?

All the best,

8 Effortless Ways How To Save Space In Your Luggage

Everyone knows the problem: We are packing our suitcase and even though we have planned everything it doesn't suit into our suitcase. However, you really need the four pairs of shoes and the five different trousers! So I want to show you how to save space in your luggage without cutting out any fashion items just by preparing yourself.

1. Exfoliate

Start to exfoliate your body a few times before going to vacation. This will make your skin really smooth and once you create your skin before you leave really well, you can skip the exfoliating routine for your vacation.

2. Moisturize

As well as it is important to exfoliate you will really notice a difference when you start to moisturize your body a few days before leaving for vacation. This will make your skin smooth for the holidays.

3. Self tan

Apply a light self tanner on your body or in the areas where you want to apply it. You can also just apply it on your face. With a bit of self tanner you will look healthy before arriving in your destination and when you go in a warmer country, you don't have to take self tanner with you because you are going to get tanned anywhere. Also, when you have a long flight, with a bit of a tan on your face you will look a lot fresher.

4. Fix nails

Of course you should take an emergency nail kit with you, but it is really useful when you fix your nails and do a little manicure. So you may even don't have to use your nail kit.

5. Paint your nails

Or should I better say DON'T paint your nails. What I mean is that you shouldn't paint your nails with a bold colour, because you have to carry a nail polish remover and your nail polish with you. However, a clear top coat will look really lovely on your nails.

6. Plug your eyebrows

Don't forget to plug your eyebrows before leaving to vacation. Eyebrows are the frame of your face and will enhance every eye make-up.

7. Shave

In order to jump right into the sea, you don't have to forget to shave. For a longer holiday you can use these shavers with an integrated soap than you can save space too. 

8. Don't try something new

This sounds a bit strange, but by avoiding trying out new products you can also avoiding have an allergic reaction. Any by avoiding an allergic reaction, you don't have to take with you extra concealer, make-up, anti-allergic creams etc.

Of course, when you are staying for a two weeks vacation, you might have to take on of these products with you. However, even the preparation of yourself can at least save some time and effort on your body during your vacation, so that you can totally get relaxed and don't worry about your body.

I hope this post was helpful. 

Do you any preparation on yourself before leaving for holidays?

All the best,

L'Occitane Angelica Hydration Cream - Review

Today I want to review the L'Occitane Angelica Hydration Cream which my mum bought for me. I probably hadn't invest in this cream because it costs 35€ for 50 ml. It lasts for 6 months.

Packaging

The product is in a slightly green glass bottle with a matte surface and has a silver metallic cap which closes really well. In total, this design looks with the glass bottle expensive and because of the green organic and natural which exactly represented the concept of L'Occitane. 

Description of the producer:

"Made with organic angelica from the Drôme region of France, the fresh and silky smooth Angelica Hydration Cream efficiently moisturizes and revitalizes the skin. 

L'OCCITANE’s patented angelica complex reinforces natural skin hydration by stimulating aquaporines, improves skin elasticity and protects from free radicals.
Skin is plumped, smoothed and more radiant.
Best for dry to normal skin."

Consistency

The product has a normal cream texture, but it is really based on a lot of water, so that it is really light and is absorbed by the skin quiet fastly.

Colour

white

Smell

The smell reminds me, probably because of the packaging, of "Green". It is a mixture of a hay, gras, plant and cream flavour. However, I had to get used to this smell which took me just five applications.

Application

After cleansing I apply this before going to bed, I usually just use a sunscreen in the morning. I have got combination to oily skin, so I just need a fingertip of product for the whole face. It blends into the skin really vastly, because it is so light.

Positiv

When I apply thick moisturizer e.g. the original Nivea Creme, then I start to sweat underneath the cream. Because of its light texture and the high amount of water, I don't start my odd sweating with this cream. You also just need a tiny amount of product for the whole face because it is moisturizing and light on the same time. The best thing is that I haven't had any breakouts and my skin feels quiet balanced in the morning.

Negativ

I don't have anything against the product, I rather have against the producer: L'Occitane. I know that they have a certain target, nevertheless, the product are bit overpriced. I also don't like the description "Best for dry to normal skin." because I think that this moisturizer could be way to light for a dry skin. I have got quiet oily skin and for me it is the ideal night cream.

Conclusion

I am really impressed of this product. It moisturizes my face even with a tiny amount of product, it doesn't sit on the skin, is really light and looks really nice next to the sink. I think it is a really nice day and night moisturizer for normal to oily skin and not for dry to normal skin. However, I am not use whether I would buy this product once again because of the price. I still believe that there has to exist a really good, but effort able moisturizer on the market. Thus, I keep on searching.

★★★★☆ Stars

Hope you found this review helpful! Do you like the L'Occitane products?

All the best,