Favorite Bodycare Products

So i'm quite lazy when it comes to bodycare and it's a step i genuinly overlook in my routine. The last few weeks i tried to do it more often, but i keep it simple and stick to the basics.

PEELING & CO

I use a body scrub once in a while in the shower and most of the time it's the Body Shop Cream Body Scrub (yep, a lot of body shop products...). Everytime i shower i try to use my peeling massaging brush to tone, tighten and make my skin smooth.

MOISTURISE

I was never a big moisturise-person especially when it comes to the body. Body lotions are too time consuming, in my mind at least and to use them just once in a while isn't helping. In-shower-bodylotions i use, but they don't have a good enough effect that i could only use this. Recently i found the Vaseline hydratant Spray & Go Moisturizer and i love it. It's perfect for lazy persons like me, who need a quick application. You just spray it on your skin, rub it in and you're done.

FOR THE REALLY DRY AREAS

 As already featured in my lipcare essentials post the Kaufmanns Haut- und Kindercreme is perfect for any dry patches. For me it's my elbow, which need a bit more care. I just put a bit of the cream on the dry area and leave it on overnight and the skin is smooth again.

PM Skincare Routine

My skincare routine in the evening is more fancy than the one in the morning and i am doing it everyday (guilty, there are some days i don't). I have more time in the evening and the products can work overnight.

#1 Double Cleansing

Double Cleansing seems to be something everybody in the beauty world swears by and practices at the moment. There a reasons, because it does make a difference. First you cleanse your face to remove makeup and second you cleanse the actual skin of your face. For the makeup removing part i use mostly cleansing oils like the Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Brighten Oil or the Body Shop Camomile Cleansing oil (yep, again). For the second step i prefer a cleansing balm like the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm or when it has to be quick i use the Loreal Sublime Soft Micellar Solution on a big cottonpad and sweep it all over my face. Cleansing done. A more detailed review about my cleansers here.

#2 Exfoliater

How often and intense you exfoliates depends on your skin, if it needs it and how sensitive it is. I use the Body Shop Aloe Gentle Exfoliater (very nice for sensitive skin) about every second or third day only on areas where i have pimpels or blackheads (mostly the nose). Plus once or twice a week all over my face to get rid of the dead skin cells.

#3 Facial Oil

At the moment i am using the Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil. Five to seven drops of it applied all over the face. Facial Oils and Serums are a great way to target a specific problem you have with your skin: dehydration, redness, blemishes, there is something for everything.

#4 Moisturiser

Hydration is key so be sure to pick the right moisturiser for you. I love the Clinique Moisture Surge at the moment. A very nice gel like texture, sinks quickly into the skin and leaves my skin feel soft, smooth and really hydrated.

If i think i need it, i use an eyecream over the face moisturiser. Currently i am using the First Aid Beauty Dual Repair Eyecream.

#5 Pimpel treatment

For any pimpels i use (as you maybe already read here) the Dr. Eckstein Azulenpaste. It looks and smells strange, but it does the job, so i can look over that.

AM Skincare Routine

In the morning i am a very lazy and sleepy person, so i don't have any motivation for a long fancy skincare routine. So i try to keep it simple but effective. I am not doing this routine every morning (although i should), because i'm always in a rush and never awake enough to motivate myself.

#1 Cleanse

Just a quick cleanse to remove leftover skincare products from the evening and any traces of sleep. A quick sweep with my favorite micellar water (L'OREAL Soft Sublime Micellar water) on a cottonpad all over the face. Done. If i have more time i use the Neutragena visibly clear Pink Grapefruit everyday face cleanser on it's own or massage it in with a facebrush.

#2 Serum

No facial oil or intense serum, because i need the products to sink in quickly so i can carry on with my makeup. The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Serum helps to get the moisture into the skin and lock it there. So it's good for the morning to do it's work throughout the day.

#3 Moisturiser

Moisturiser is in the morning the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion + . Hydrates my skin but isn't to thick so it sinks into the skin quiet quickly. I haven't tried it for too long by now, but at the moment i think i will repurchase the big version when this little guy is gone.

For me it is more or less essential to use a eyecream in the morning. I use the First Aid Beauty Dual Repair Eyecream at the moment, but it doesn't seem to work under foundation. I have to give it a few more trys and maybe let it sink in a bit more, so my skin absorbed more of it before i put on foundation.

Top 5 Body Shop skincare products

Before last year i was never really into The Body Shop and never walked into the shop and bought something. But i wanted to try it, so i got a body shop gift card. went in, bought some products and since then i am hooked. I like the philosophy of the body shop, that their products are not tested on animals and that the people who make the products get a fair vage. Something that shouldn't be overlooked is, that they have really amazing products for good prices. Today i will show you my top 5 skincare products from the body shop (a hair or makeup related post might happen at some point). Lately i am really into skincare and trying a lot of new products and a bunch of the products i use are from The Body Shop.

#1 Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil - here

When i was buying this the lady in the store was telling me how much she loved this product. I have to say, that she was right indeed. It's one of the serum/face oils that won't burn a hole in your purse and still work. I use it nearly everyday under my moisturizer after the cleansing part of my routine (more about which cleanser i use here) and it makes my skin feel so much more moisturised and plump and just really really nice.

#2 Aloe gentle Exfoliater - here

One of the few exfoliaters that i actually like. Most exfoliating products are to harsh or not making a difference. This product does make a difference but is stll nice and gentle that i doesn't make my skin look red. It is so gentle that you could probably use it as an everyday exfoliater if you like, but i wouldn't recommend doing that for multiple reasons (drains moisture, skin needs time to recover,...). You should use your exfoliater every two or three days at the maximum.

#3 Camomile Cleansing Oil - here

I am hooked on cleansing oils and balms after a lot of years only using micellar water. The Cleansing Oil from the Body Shop is the only good cleansing oil that is still affordable. If you know another one tell me in the comments. It removes all your face and eye makeup without rubbing and it leaves your skin feeling clean, but still nourished. I have mentioned this so often that you propably don't want to hear about it anymore.

#4 Seaweed Iconic Clay Mask & 3-in-1 Honey Oat Srcub Mask - here and here

I'm cheating a little bit on this one, but mask is mask. The Seaweed mask purifies your skin and cleanses clogged pores, but it doesn't seem to help against the blackheads on my nose. The mask is nothing for people with sensitive skin, because after i removed the mask after five minutes my skin was a bit red and felt tingly. The feeling disappeared after a few minutes and with my serum and moisturiser on top.

The honey mask exfoliates your skin and makes it smooth and soft (and helps with hydration a bit). It doesn't purifies as good as the seaweed maks, but it seems to help more with my blackheads. This mask is also more something for you if you have sensitive skin. It's not as aggressive as the other mask.

I really like both mask for cleansing and purifying purposes.

#5 Vitamin E Moisture Serum - here

Another Serum, but this one is supposed to help the moisturiser do it's job even better. It is supposed to get the moisture deeper into your skin and lock it in afterwards. The only thing i know is, that when i don't use it, i have the feeling that my skin isn't as moisturised as with using it. Plus my skin tends to get dry more quickly throughout the day without using the serum. You can use it under your morning or evening moisturizer or both.

Cleanser | 3 different product types

Cleansing your face is an essential step to good looking and soft skin. Not removing your makeup can lead to pimpels and over all blemishes. Yes, we are all sometimes lazy or too tired, but this extra step is really worth it. There are quite a few different types of cleansers you could use and i will show you three of them i like and what i use them for.

OIL

Since three month or so i am using cleansing oils on a daily bases on love it for makeup removal. It makes my skin feel soft, not dehydrated and i jsut like the feeling afterwards. You put the oil onto your skin massage it in, gently rub over your eyemakeup and mascara. Then rinse it off with warm water and remove excess makeup and oil with a towel. Done. I am using the Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil and the Super Facialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Brighten Cleansing Oil at the moment and i am loving both. The oil from Super Facialis makes my face feel more awake and i really like the citrus scent it has. I come to like the Cleansing Oils and i am always coming back to it then and now.

MICELLAR WATER

A long time favorite of mine before i switched mainly to cleaning oils and balms. It's easy to use and the makeup comes of so quick. Just pour a bit on a cotton pad swipe it over your face and your done. For mascara press the cotton pad on your eyelids, wait a few seconds and maybe rub it afterwards gently until the leftover mascara is gone. You can also remove lipstick with it. It's a easy and quick way, for those who are lazy (like me sometimes) or just for the extra after cleansing to remove leftover makeup. The micellar waters doesn't irritate your skin or dehydrate it in any way. My current favorite is the Loreal Sublime Soft Micellar Solution which is a dupe to the Bioderma Sensibio H2O, but there are a lot of different micellar water out there (Garnier, Nivea, etc.). Everytime i run out of my bottle i feel kind of lost without it, because nothing gets my leftover mascara or smudged mascara after the shower better off than this. Definitely a staple in my cleansing routine.

BALM

This is a quite new addition to my cleanser collection since everyone is using cleansing balms today. I wanted to see if there is a difference to the other cleansers i use and which type i prefer. So i went and picked up the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm and i figured out that i like to use the cleansing oils for the makeup removal and the balms for face cleansing afterwards. The balm in the package is quite solid and you have to press your fingers in it to get the product out, but once you massage it onto your skin it melts to a smooth balm/ oily texture. The feeling on the skin is just so spalike and if you like to use for this it gets all of my mascara, eyemakeup and facemakeup without any rubbing. So the balms get a thumbs up from me.

In the end every product type has it's benefits and it depends on your personal preference which one you want to use. I am switching between the produtcs from time to time, but at the moment i really like the oils for removing my makeup and the balm or micellar water for face cleansing.

Which type do you prefer and which cleanser is your favorite at the moment?

Lipcare Essentials

In the last breaths of winter and especially since i am in Canada (where it is a lot colder that in Germany) my lips do need a bit of care to stay nice and smooth. Nobody wants cracked up lips. I don't use a lot of products, but those i use are the ones i use for a long time now and they help everytime.

Once or twice a week i exfoliate my lips with the Lush Mint Julips Lipscrub, which is a simple sugar lip scrub with a after eight scent (there are more scents available). It's all natural and organic and you can just lick it of your lips after you massaged it over them.

Next step i do everyday (mostly sveral times a day) is a normal lip balm. This is a step where i switch up the products from time to time. At the moment i am using the EOS Pomegranate Lip balm, but i find the round shape quite strange. I think i do prefer the stick form more. The Eos lipbalm has a really nice scent and it makes my lips soft without being too heavy. What i really regret not taking with me is the Nivea Blueberry Lip Butter, i loved this product. The scent was sweet, but not too chemical sweet and it nourished and softend so nicely. Maybe i have to pick one of those up again.

For times when my lips are getting dry or twice a week in the evening i use the Kaufmann Haut- und Kindercreme that repairs everything that needs to be reapaired. Sadly this is a german product, but if you have the chance to get your hands on this, do it. It's a thick creamy texture, which leaves applied on your lips a thick white layer. It feels heavy and (for me) quite uncomfortable on the lips and that's the reason why i only use it before bed. The result is just amazing, if my lips are in real bad cracked up condition, this makes the smooth again after one time using it.

Which eyeliner is good for what

When it comes to eyeliner there is not only a lot of brands to choose from, there are also all different types of formulas, ways and products. So in today's post i want to talk about which eyeliner formula and which way is good for achieving what kind of look.

Personally i am either using a brush or an eyeliner pen to do my eyeliner because i never really got along with liquid eyeliners.

GEL EYELINER

Gel eyeliner can be a bit tricky, but ones you are used to it they are amazing. Lasts long, no smudging and you can apply it with a brush. Every look you want to go for is possible whether it's a thin line along the lashline or a big one. Best tool to apply gel eyeliner (or eyeshadow eyeliner, more about that later) with is a thin angled brush, like the Zoeva 317 wing liner. When it comes to the formula the brand you choose is key. There are great gel eyeliners out there, but also not so nice ones. The Bobbi Brown gel eyeliners are some you can trust will be good. From the drugstore i use the Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Liner.

EYESHADOW WET OR DRY

This is my most used method to do my eyeliner, because i am best at applying my eyeliner with a brush. Plus i can use every eyeshadow i have there are no limits and i am able to match the color of my eyeliner to the rest of my eye makeup. You can use it either wet or dry. With dry eyeshadow it's possible to achieve a soft and more subtle look while the wet applied eyeshadow is more opaque and sharp. Which technique you use depends on the look you are going for. The wet method lasts longer on the eyelid without smudging or disappearing. You can either use water or (what i prefer) a setting spray.

EYELINER PEN

There are felt tip pens and those which have a real brushhair tip. Personally i prefer the ones with the brush kind of tip because the felt tip ones tend to go less opaque during application. It's not fun if you are done with the one eye and then have to wait ten minutes until the ink is back in the tip. That's really annoying. The Kat von D Tattoo Liner is a nice example for the brush tip liner type.

I like to use the eyeliner pen either for a really bold eyeliner, a glossy black result or a quick application. The eyeliner pens are your best friend for big or "normal" sized eyeliner lines, but it can be hard to do a really thin line though. A drugstore option is the L'oreal Super Liner.

Which products and ways do you prefer, when doing your eyeliner?

Did you ever try Bananabread?

I found this recipe a year ago (or even more) on a blog and i don't even remember which one it was. I made it for the first time and immidiately fell in love. Bananas in cake, muffins, pancakes were my favorite before and after that there were in bread too. You can eat it as breakfast or as a snack, dessert whenever you like to eat it (maybe like me, anytime?).

INGREDIENTS

* 75g margarine

* 60g brown sugar

* pinch of salt

* a bit of cinnamon

* 1 egg

* 2 ripe bananas

* 1 packet baking soda

* 150g flour

* 50g chopped walnuts/hazelnuts

* a bit of milk

PREPARATION

Mix the margarine, sugar, salt and the cinnamon together and then ad the egg to the mixture. Cut the bananas into small pieces and add them to the bowl. Maybe you have to mash them with a fork to get a smooth mixture. Now put the flour and the baking soda in the mixing bowl and stir it until the dough is smooth. If the dough is to dry, you can add a bit of milk.  Last but not least mix the walnuts into the dough and then pour it into a with baking sheet covered baking form, bake it by 175°C  for 35-40 minutes.

It tastes best when it's still warm.

Serious helper against pimpels

I never had huge problems with pimpels, but from time to time i get some. Every time those nasty pimpels appear i know one thing that will help the pimpel disappear and make it less noticable.

I stole this cream from my mom and since then it mysteriously went over to my collection and she doesn't seem to miss it (sorry, mom).

I don't know if you can get the Azulenpaste from Dr.Eckstein in stores outside of germany, but if you can get your hands on this, you should.

It may looks a bit strange and it doesn't smell that good either, so be prepared to look like a monster with the green dots on your face. This is definitely material to scare any postman who disturbs you in your pampering time (like i did several times :D).

But i am able to ignore the look and the smell because it is working. I like to put it on top of my moisturizer before heading to bed. I dip my finger into the cream and then dab it onto the pimpel (don't be afraid to completely cover it). After a good sleep nearly all of the cream is gone and the pimpel is less red and less noticable than the evening before. It may not disappear after the first application, but the cream does take the healing process several steps forward. Depending on the state of your pimpel it should be gone after two to four applications.

Liebster Award

This is my first ever nomination for a Blog Award and i am even surprised, that i am in this situation after only two month of blogging. It is amazing how many nice people you can meet (on the internet) just by putting yourself out there and communicate. Let me say that i love how it is so easy nowadays to get involved with all different kinds of people you normally wouldn't have met. So at this point i want to give a big thanks to Brittany and Manpreet for nominating me and to all the people who follow and read my blog, because of you i don't feel so alone here. THANK YOU! Because i was nominated by those two lovely ladies and i want to honor the time they put in to come up with their questions, i decided to answer not only 11 but 22 questions in this post. So be prepared, this will be a quite long one.

THE RULES

Every game has some rules...
1. Thank and link the person who nominated you.
2. Answer the questions given by the nominator.
3. Nominate 11 small blogs (under 200 followers) who you think deserve this award.
4. Create 11 new questions for the nominees to answer.
5. Notify nominees via social media/blogs.

QUESTIONS

MANPREET'S

1. What's your favorite part about blogging?

Getting to know all those amazing people and blogger, i otherwise wouldn't have met. And i always wanted to write/talk about what i love with people who like beauty (and food) as much as i do.

2. Who's someone you look up to? (blogging or in your life)

Blogging would be Amelia Liana because i think she is just such a nice bubbly person and i really love her blog and youtube channel.
In my life i would say it's Meryl Streep, i just love her work and i would love to have a career like her.
 

3. What are you listening to right now?

Kansas City - The New Basement (obsessed with this song!)

4. What's the best blogging advice you've received?

Stop comparing yourself to others and try to be you because copying anyone else won't get you anywhere. At first i saw all those other really nice looking and successfull blogs and wanted my blog to be like that. The problem is that i just started blogging and am not able to have a blog, which looks like a 5 year old one. I am just trying to be me, to write posts i had the idea to write and just live with it.

5. What's one thing you've learned since you started blogging that you'd share as advice to a new blogger?

Just start and have fun with what you doing. Just roll. Blogging is supposed to be fun otherwise there is no sense of doing it.

6. Who is your current man/woman crush?

Woman crush definetly Nina Dobrev (since a few years now), i don't know i just love this girl. Her acting, her Personality (as far as i am able to know it), just love her.

My man crush would probably be Theo James, because he is just smocking hot. Do i have to say more?

7. What's one thing you can't live without right now?

My black studded Bershka boots, i fricking looove those shoes and i will probably where them to death.

8. Three words to describe your blog.

(my) brain in words.

9. What's one thing in your closet you couldn't live without?

Jeans. I am not that comfortable in skirts or dresses, so those are my go-to's everyday.

10. Biggest blogging pet peeve?

The on going competition feeling between bloggers. Yes, i am guilty of that too, but i discovered that you become a better blogger yourself after you stop comparing and competing with others. Another thing i didn't experienced yet (due to the fact that i'm only blogging for a few months) is the hate that comes from readers. I just can't understand how someone can spend their energy on something so negative and hurting to someone else.

11. Let's end with a simple question: what's your favorite color?!

 Always was and always will be: Red.

BRITTANY'S

1. What's one thing you would never blog about?

I may be a little shy, when it comes to sharing really personal stuff. So anything that digs to deep into my personal life and i wouldn't want anyone to know about (except family and close friends), would probably stay out of my blog corner.

2. Would you tell someone about your blog on a first date?

Probably not. Not because i am embarassed or something, but because there are more important things to talk about. If i like somebody, i would tell him on some point, when it seems appropriate.

3. What's the story behind your blog name?

I am obsessed with gold the last few month (ok year...) and i wanted a "nice" name. If i would know what a nice name is though. So not that big of a story to tell here.

4. What song describes your life?

Au Revoir - Mark Foster (german song)

5. What character from what show would you want to be for a day?

Katherine Pierce from the Vampire Diaries. Just bad, kick-ass kinda girl. Who says what she thinks, although i wouldn't kill anyone. And i want her hair and her clothes...

6. What are looking forward to this weekend?

Maybe we are going to the ski hill and then i may be snowboarding for the first time. (Woop, woop) And i hope i won't break my leg. Fingers crossed.

7. Do you have a go to food when your sad? What is it?

Ice Cream...and chocolate.

8. If you could only choose one electronic to live the rest of your life with what would it be?

I think nothing would be a good thing though. But i think i would keep either my computer or my phone. Probably my phone, because then i can skype and talk to people i don't see that often (and i am totally lost without my bus driving schedule).

9. What's your favorite quote?

"Don't stress the could haves, if it should have, it would have."

10. Who would you choose to narrate your life?

I have no idea, but after what i heard. Amy Poehler is hilarious and that can't be bad while reading a rather boring life story. (:D)

11. Which question was your favorite?

The question about keeping one electronic thing, because in my opinion we spend to much time on our phones, tvs and computer, while we could do something with friends/family or something more productive. Says someone, who has a blog...

MY QUESTIONS
1. Why did you start blogging in the first place?
2. What's your favorite food?
3. Which topic/theme do you always wanted to blog about?
4. Most read book of all time?
5. Favorite social media platform?
6. Which place/city do you want to visit next?
7. Which place/city you already visited did you like most and why?
8. What did you always wanted to do, but never did?
9. How do you imagine your life in 5 years from now?
10. Favorite Disney movie/childhood movie?
11.Answer this question really honest: "How are you?".
    
NOMINEES
These are mainly followers of my blog and in this way i wanted to thank you for following my blog so i am not talking to myself here. Really Thank You (also to the non-blogger follower out there)! There are also a few german Bloggers (go germany!) included. It would be amazing if you would check out all the mentioned bloggers. And as you can see i wasn't able to nominate 11 bloggers, becuase i am not blogging for that long and i don't know that many bloggers yet. So anyone that wants to do this, just contact me and i can nominate you.
 
Melissa | The Hopeful Wayfarer 
Aileen | The Beauty Wave 
Magda | mehr sein
Anna | skullderr 
 

January Favorites

It's time for the monthly favorites post again. January has gone by and winter is hopefully on it's way out too. I am nearly three month in Canada now and it is only getting better. I had a little problem with putting together my January favorites because either i am not using that much makeup or i'm using the things i already showed you in the last favorites post. That's the reason why this month i don't have that many products to show you.

BLUSHBABY - MAC (here)

My first MAC Blush is still a favorite of mine. It is a simple one in a mauvy pink color without any shimmer, but it makes my face seem more alive and fresh. The color is a natural blush shade so it looks like you are blushing naturally. The quality of MAC blushes is hands down amazing and this one is no exception. If you want to buy a blush from MAC and are not sure which one to buy, you won't go wrong with this one. It looks good only a lot of skin tones and is a simple but gorgeous blush.

SUPERSIZE VOLUME DELIGHT MASCARA - MANHATTEN

Another mascara in my favorites it seems to become a staple in these posts. I brought this mascara along with me from Germany and i just wanted to use it up. After i used it several times i rediscovered my love for it, but it's not the right mascara for crazy volume or length. It seperates my lashes and leaves them looking natural voluminous (if that makes sense). The application is very easy and you don't have to keep attention that you end up with three clumps of lashes. This is one for the put-on-and-out-the-door application.

AFTER SCHOOL BOY BLAZER - ESSIE

I was so happy to find this nailpolish because it was part of a limited edition in Germany, but i wasn't able to pick it up at that time. Afterwards i was desperatly searching for a similair color, but never found one. Until i recently stumbled across the nailpolish in the drugstore, being part of a new limited edition. I love essie nailpolishes (as you already could read about here) and the color is especially beautiful. It's a dark nearly black blue, with no glitter, no shimmer, just a plain dark blue.

VITAMIN-E MOISTURE SERUM - THE BODY SHOP (here)

You might have seen this product in my recent haul, but at first i wasn't sure about this product. After using it for the first time i didn't know if the effect was due to this product or to the new moisturizer i used. So i tested it alone and with my "old" moisturizer, now i am convinced. You can apply it on it's own, but there is no big difference in terms of moisture. If you use it under your daily or evening moisturizer it helps getting and locking the moisture into your skin and it leaves your skin feel so soft.

MOISTURGE SURGE - CLINIQUE (here)

Another product from my Haul is this moisturizer i picked up, because i had problems with lack of moisture. It has a more gel like texture and doesn't really feel like a cream. It sinks into your skin really quickly and little goes a long way with this. You don't need much (just dip your finger in once or twice) to have a great outcome. The lines on my forehead are completely gone and it makes my skin look so much plumper than before.

MAXCLEAN TOOTHPASTE - COLGATE

It may seems strange to include a toothpaste in my favorites post, but this one deserves it. I am always using whithening toothpastes, but one never made a huge difference since i used this one. I don't know if it's due to the ingredients and they're not allowed to put so much Fluoride in there in germany, but this one works while the german ones don't.

FILOFAX ORIGINAL - FILOFAX (here or here)

Maybe you saw this little friend used as a prop in my Top 5 Instagrammers post and it is not only good for this. I always wanted to have a filofax since i watched this video from xkarenina. My mom gave this one to me as a christmas gift and i love it ever since. It is a planner in which you can put different insert (depending on what you need or want to use) and what i like to do is personalize it with sticky notes, washi tape, quotes, printables etc.. If you want to see my setup and how i use my planner let me know in the comments.