Four Favorite Things in May – FMSphotoaday Day 31

Hello my Beauties,

happy friday and happy end of may to all of you. I can’t believe that it’s actually almost june (and hopefully summer) and also that our may challenge is now over. 
I’m very proud of everyone, who managed to get through this May Photo a Day Challenge (but also the Blogging Every Day in May) and really sticking to it  – which would include myself as well. The encouraging words on Twitter & email definitely helped!

So today is Day 31 and the topic is: “Four things“.
31. Four things: Choose four things and take a photo. They can be anything.

As a reader of a beauty & lifestyle blog you might already know, that by the end of a month we usually like to talk about the most used beauty products and why we loved them so much.
So in the best tradition – here are my Four May Favorites.
Let me start by saying, that besides the Naked palette and my NYX high-definition eye shadow base, these were definitely the four most-reached products of May.
So what are they exactly and why did i enjoy using them so much?

1) NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder in 725A Rose Glow is a light weight products, that can be used as powder or blush. It gives an incredibly nice rose glow on your cheeks and since i’m so fair-skinned, i can even use it for contouring my face, which makes the product really multifunctional.

The powder consists of  4 different colors, from light to dark. Some are matt and others are bit shimmery.
Of course the packaging is a little of a down point here, since it’s not really pretty or sturdy and will probably not survive a fall on a hard ground.
But on the other hand in doesn’t cost the world – around $4.99 and it also comes in other shades, like Bronze Glow, Translucent Highlighter Glow, Pink Glow. So there’s something for everybody.

2) Lip balm Papaya by Greenland is a natural lip balm with cocoa butter, jojoba oil and shea butter.
Greenland is a dutch brand, that exists since 1990 and uses only raw materials for their bath and skin care products. 
The papaya lip balm (3,9 g – 4,95 €) doesn’t have any paraffin and mineral oils in it, that for it doesn’t dehydrate your lips, which would make you want to apply even more and more balm every time ( that’s the addictive effect ). The packaging has a quite cool metal look to it, which makes it stand out from the usual lip balms in my eyes.

I find the scent to be fruity & balmy. I wouldn’t really say it smells like a real papaya though, but it’s still a nice smell and doesn’t irritate my sensitive nose (especially when it comes to lipsticks & balms).
What i prefer to do is to apply the balm right in the beginning of putting on my makeup and by the moment i use lipstick, my lips had enough time to get some hydration and my lips look a lot smoother. 

3) Volume Effect Faux Cils Luxury Volume Mascara in 4 Fascinating Violet is one of my all time favorites, when it comes to mascara, especially the colored ones. This is probably my third YSL purple mascara.
I love the traditional brush and the length of it (not too big & not too small). I also like how my rather dark lashes get that nice purple look, without being too bright and totally out there. Makes any daily look a class of it’s own. By getting a second layer on, you can even create that “B A M” – effect.

It separates the lashes nicely, doesn’t smudge and gives great volume. And what i especially like, is the fact that i don’t see any “fall outs” in the evening, after wearing the mascara all day. (Don’t we all hate that?!)
Of course it’s one of those luxury products, where every girl has to decide if $30.00 for a YSL mascara is a good investment or not.
I stand by my treat for a few years now and didn’t regret it yet.

4) Wisteria by Crabtree & Evelyn is a nice Floral fragrance, that has been on the market since 2003. (30ml – $25.00)
The fragrance features wisteria, lily, violet, gardenia, ylang-ylang, mandarin orange, pear and white musk. To me it’s a fresh and floral, spring & summer scent, that comes across even a little powdery. It appears to be clean & innocent if that makes sense.
Love the wisteria & violet accents in the fragrance.

I prefer using eau de toilette instead of the actual perfume, since i like scents to be light and not lasting for over 3-4 hours. But i guess that is just my personal preference.
You might have noticed i  like Crabtree & Evelyn a lot ( i talked about this scent before HERE ), as there is always something slightly distinctive and sophisticated about their scents and skin care products. 

These are my monthly beauty favorites. What have you been using mostly during may? Tell me about it by leaving a comment or a link to your blog posts!

Until next time – stay beautiful!

ps: If anyone like to participate in the Jule Photo a Day Challenge – HERE is where you find the needed information.

ps2: Just got the notification, that i’ve been featured in a {Feature Friday} post! How unexpected was that!! 
If you like to find out more what has been said “About the Blog & Blogger” –  click HERE.

Swap Fever and a Kiss – FMSphotoaday Day 29

Hello my Beauties,

i hope you are having a lovely mid-week. 
I have to tell you, i’m in a huge “swap fever“, which can be easily explained.
I’m currently participating in 2 especially organized swaps, one is the Summer Lovin’ Swap and the other is the Sweet Summer Swap, that was put together by Polish Alcoholic and I.
You will see posts on both events sometime in june, so please stay tuned. But that’s not it.

Somehow it happened, that a few more bloggers decided at almost the same time to send me a few goodies over, since we all love trying things from other countries and i’m not an exception to that.
(Of course i did send them something as well!)

So these days the packages started to arrive and i can’t even express how grateful i am. Always when someone takes the time to think through what kind of goodies to get, wrap it all nicely and write a sweet note…what can be more personal?!

Without further rambling, this was the surprise from one of my favorite bloggers, the Sweet Jelly Bean. I believe by now you must know her, if not – stop by & take a look on her fabulous blog.
OMG where do i even start?! Let me tell you the most important thing first, there was nothing in this box, that i didn’t like the idea of and have tried before. I guess i have only seen Dr.Organic products on other people’s blogs.
The package came all the way from the UK to me with a lovely hand-written card (love it) and Donah’s blogger-business card.
Wow, well done!! That is such a cool (and important) idea to have a “blogger card”, in case you meet right people at the right time. I guess if you start taking blogging seriously, you need this kind of “tools” in your purse!!
If you read Donah’s blog, you might know, that she is a big lover of korean skin care & cosmetics. And as i have never tried any korean products, she was so nice to include these samples of creams, serum & BB creams, so i can get an idea of what kind of beauty comes from Korea. I’m very excited to try them and as Donah always speaks so highly about their brands, my expectations are quite high as well.
As mentioned before, i saw Dr.Organic on many british blogs before & many ladies were talking pretty good things about the products. So when i saw these two babies in the box and made a little “yeay”noise.
So here we have:
Organic Lavender Skin Lotion – An intensely aromatic moisturising lotion based on Organic Lavender oil with Aloe Vera, Cocoa butter, Shea butter, Olive oil, Sunflower oil, Irish Moss, Vitamin A and Vitamin E. An intensely aromatic and moisture rich complex which combines the properties of organic lavender with cocoa butter and shea butter.
Organic Virgin Olive Oil Skin Lotion – Bioactive Organic Virgin Olive Oil is a super hydrating, intensely nutritious fruit oil, rich in Oleic Acid, a powerful antioxidant. In combination with a proprietary blend of bioactive, natural and organic ingredients this incredibly effective skin lotion.
I already looked on the official site & notice that the Olive Oil range is a bit wider that the lavender, so i guess it must be Dr.Organic’s best seller. Thank you Donah for the opportunity to try these lotions.
Next lovely product was the Bluebell Hand Balm from Cath Kidston. And look at how it was wrapped?! I guess Donah’s little son was helping her – that’s so adorable. 🙂
A fun blue tub filled with a thick cream, very moisturising for hard working hands. Contains shea butter, glycerine and vitamin E. Delightful, fresh floral fragrance with notes of freesia, fruity geranium, muguet, violet and jasmine, resting on a base of patchouli, musk, cedar wood and amber.
I didn’t want to open this cream yet, since i still have so many in use right now, but on the official site it looked like the balm has a little blue color to it & should smell heavenly floral. Loved the description.
And because Donah knows me so well, she found an incredibly nice smelling citrus ginger hand & nail cream. The tube itself reminds me a bit of the L’Occitane or Crabtree & Evelyn packaging, which i love. I’m not exactly sure what the actual name of the brand is – London Apothecary Nr.18? Donah might help with more information… I’ so happy someone remembered my love for Ginger & Lime tea’s and included that scent into a wonderful hand cream. 🙂
Last but definitely not least, there was literally the sweetest little treat. I guess it was customized, since the chocolate says: Luchessa on it. Awww!! How can i possible eat it?! Thank you so much, Donah (it didn’t break!)

My Sweet Jelly Bean, i appreciate all the thoughts you put into this package and please give the little bean a HUG for helping you wrapping everything.
I can absolutely not wait to try everything and report back about what i liked the best.
Oh and because we are still in May and it’s Day 29 of the May Photo a Day Challenge, i added a BIG KISS to my “thank you” as well.
29. Kiss: This is our charity prompt. We’re going to kiss MS goodbye. So wear red, or pop on some red lipstick and show us a ‘kiss’!
Have you used any of the products mentioned above before, my Beauties??
Has anyone done a swap lately? If so, please leave a link below, so i can have a look. Love posts like that. 

Before i go, i would also like to thank Trine-Marie for sending me her hand-made friendship bracelets, that i won a week ago.
It’s always such a nice touch, when it’s actually hand-made, don’t you think?? 
When we finally get some summer here, i will made sure to wear them with a cute summer dress.
Until next time – stay beautiful!

ps: Here are some read’s, that you might enjoy.

Win a copy of Eat Love Pray.
Link up with us in the Friendly Bunch Blog Hop.
What does the Beauty Blogger Community mean to you?

 

What you’re doing now? – FMSphotoaday Day 28

Hello my Beauties,

it’s an incredibly rainy & stormy day here today and if i’m honest with you, i feel a little tired today.
But as i’m still very motivated about the May Photo a Day Challenge, i didn’t want to miss Day 28  to blog. 
Today’s topic is:
28. What you’re doing now: Choose a moment in your day and take a photo of it.

As i just came home from work and was in serious need of a dinner, i decided to combine the two things: My food & post in one.
So here we go: 
From my time in Spain i learned to cherish their typical tortillas, as it’s also one of the most commonly served dishes there.
It’s often part of a tapa or appetizer, but as far as i experienced it – it’s really nice for dinner.

Btw, if you ever go to Spain, you can ask either for tortilla de patatas or tortilla española. (It’s the same dish.)
Sure it’s basically a potato omelet, but please try to remember not to call it an omlet in Spain, people could be offended, since the Spanish tortilla is more about potatoes than eggs. 

I really like it as a this basic dish for dinner, it’s really filling and with some fresh vegetables it’s always a little party for my belly. 🙂

Do you have a favorite spanish dish? And with the word’s of this challenge: What are you doing right now? 😉
I’m off to eat now…

Until next time – stay beautiful.

ps: Don’t miss our Friendly Bunch Blog Hop – stop by & link up.
And here is your chance to win the book Eat Love Pray & find some motivational blog posts.

Can’t live without – FMSphotoaday Day 27

Hello my Beauties,

hope your new week has started well and you are motivated & full of energy.

Today is Day 27 of the May Photo a Day Challenge and the topic is: “Can’t live without“.
27. Can’t live without: What would you rather not live without?

It’s one of those philosophical questions, where you get to decide whether you want to answer it the smart & “indispensable” way or from the beauty and lifestyle blogger (and simply a woman’s) point of view. 
Guess what – we are on a beauty journey here, so here is my short photo answer to the question, what i can’t live without. 😉
Well, those of you, who are following my blog from the beginning know exactly, what a hand cream addict i am.
I simply have to have at least one tube in each handbag, on my desk, in the bathroom, in my kitchen…i guess you get the picture. 
I can’t live without my hand creams.

I love those Hand and Nails treatments, like the Clarins one which is incredibly moisturizing, but also those  nice chocolate or fruity smelling ones. 🙂
Did you notice, these tubes know exactly how important they are, they even wear their impressive mustaches! 😉

I like trying different kind of hand creams from everywhere in the world. So far a have a few bulgarian, german, american, russian, canadian and israeli ones. I bet there are more to come! 🙂

What kind of hand creams do you love the most & why?
What are you beauty products you can’t live without?

Tell me your secrets.
Until next time – stay beautiful!

You might also like the latest posts:
The Friendly Bunch Blog Hop

The {us} in the Beauty Blogger community

Sunday Read {Vol.2}

Sunday Pampering

The {us} in the Beauty Blogger community – FMSphotoaday Day 25

Hello my Beauties,

i really hope the weekend weather forecast in your area is much better than mine.
It’s another grey, cold and rainy day in the paradise, but i try to see it from the bright side – the blogger’s perspective. 
There was no sunny saturday brunch outside, but there was room & space for a productive blogging afternoon instead. 
And that’s equally good, don’t you think? 😉

Today it’s Day 25 of the May Photo a Day Challenge and the topic is: “Us“.
25. Us: Us could mean your workmates, family, friends or otherwise. How will you show everyone your ‘us’?

To me the actual blogging experience is about sharing and finding new useful information, when it comes to lifestyle, traveling, beauty in general and fashion.
And let me tell you, by finding your blogs and discovering the personalities behind them, i learned so much, which inspired me to be dedicated & motivated about my own blog.

I really hope, that by sharing {The Us in the Blogger Community} it will help someone else not only to discover great beauty & lifestyle bloggers, but also to become inspired and be closer to their readers and friends.
Because what makes it more fun for everybody, is the interaction & being active. Just believe me 😉

There you go, here is my small selection of wonderful bloggers. 
Each one with their own story and opinion about life, beauty and fashion journey, small and big joy & happiness.

Please don’t be sad, if your name isn’t mentioned in this post. 
If i would name each and everyone, who i found so far along my blogging experience, this post would become way too long… 
But let me just point out: You’re more likely to get in one of these posts, if you keep interacting & being active on here & Twitter. 😉 
*wink wink*

From left to right:
1. Donah from Sweet Jelly Bean
2. Maria from Trine-Marie
3. Nia from Cherry Fashion
4. Laura from A Scottish Lass
5. Caroline from Style on the Side
6. Melissa from Pink Lady Beauty 
7. Kaye from Beautiful Kayekie

and here are a few more…
From left to right:
1. Ange from Hairspray and High Heels
2. Kareen from Ziba blog
3. Nykki from Nykki talks Beauty
4. Flori from Sunshine Citizen
5. Miss Angie from My so-called Chaos

This bunch of talented & very open bloggers has been so supportive and helpful, that i simply wanted to give some of it back.
So that’s it for today’s challenge. That’s my version of “us” – the beauty blogger community. I can’t wait to meet more new fabulous #Bbloggers out there.

Tell me, how would you show the world your “us”?

Until next time – stay beautiful!

Show me your nightwear! FMSphotoaday – Day 23 (PJ’s)

Hello my Beauties,

how is your thursday going? 

Can you believe, it’s already Day 23 of the May Photo a Day Challenge. How fast this month is actually flying by…
Today’s topic is “PJ’s“. A very delicate actually. 

23. PJs: Pyjamas, we all wear them? {Except you nudists!} so share them. Please.

I have to say, i love pyjamas.
Everything from very comfortable and cozy warm in winter, to a nightshirt and shorts, or a sexy night-dress.
It simply depends on my mood and occasion.
If i’m going on a summer vacation, i’m most likely to bring a shirt and shorts with me. Well, you get the point. 😉

The other day i was actually doing some basics shopping, like tank tops, scoop neck tee shirts ect and along all that,
i also got a new cute nightie.
It’s from the store Hunkemöller and they have a nice selection of underwear, nightwear and accessories. 
I’m giving you a sneak peek on my new Slipdress Modal lace.
In this light it looks quite orangy, but it’s actually much more peachy in reality.
I like the combination of a cute and comfortable looking piece.

To me it’s important, that a nightie is not too short, but not going under the knee either.
The material has to be soft and feel comfortable on my skin. The upper lace part gives the “presentation” a nice tough, which i find really adorable in this case. 
What do you think about a lace touch in your nightwear?? Are you a nightie or a  traditional 2 piece pj type of girl? 

In case you want to take a look on this piece (and see how it looks on an actual model), click HERE and browse through the Hunkemöller shop.

Don’t forget to link up in the fabulous Friendly Bunch Blog Hop!

Until next time – stay beautiful.

May Photo a Day Challenge – Day 20 ( FMSphotoaday – Light ) + NOTD bonus

Hello my Beauties,

hope your week had a successful start and you’re fully motivated to achieve your goals!

Today is already Day 20 of the May Photo a Day challenge and i’m surprised how great your feedback about it was so far. 
I have seen some of your challenge entries and i got to say: i’m impressed! 😉

20. Light: Light makes a photo beautiful, so how can you play with it in your photo. Could you find a little sunflare, play with light inside or something else. Lets make magic!
As you see, today’s topic is “Light”. Being a bigger fan of natural sun light rather than any kind of pretty lamps, i decided to share with you a recent shot, that i took while enjoying a gorgeous sunny day outside.
I love when the sun light shines through the trees and leaves a beautiful reflection on the water.
It makes every location just so much more romantic and relaxed. Don’t you feel the same way?

And because sun light can be so important, when it comes to great makeup or nail polish swatches, here is a little bonus to the “light” topic for you. 
Most of us here are big nail polish lovers and you guys know, when there is a holographic polish – light can be the “make it or break it” part of the photo. 
Sharing my “nails of the day” (#NOTD) with you!
Really hope the beautiful holographic effect is visible on this one. This is a quite unknown Lithuanian polish brand Sincero.
If anyone knows more about it, please share. The quality of it is really nice and i enjoy wearing the this color. 

Until next time – stay beautiful!

ps: Don’t forget to link up with Nia & I in our weekly Friendly Bunch Blog Hop and participate in my current mini Giveaway!

May Photo a Day Challenge – Day 18 (FMSphotoaday – Want)

Hello my Beauties,

happy weekend! It started raining here again, so i decided to stay in & take care of my blog, instead of going out.
It seems to be a romantic thing to do: to sit on your cozy couch and write, while listening to the rain outside your window…
Don’t you think so?
There are some exciting things coming up on here, so you better stay tuned to not miss anything. 

Today is Day 18 of the May Photo a Day challenge and the topic is: “Want“.
18. Want: What do you want in your life?

We all have big and small dreams in life. They also tend to change over the years. Some seem to be silly at some point, the others become our goals. But there are also some sentimental dreams and wishes, that we carry in us during all of our life’s. 

One of my sentimental “wants” is despite all the daily tasks and problems,  to keep my inner child alive. 
I guess the photo that i’ve chosen today represents this “want” somehow.
Hope you don’t mind me using a photo, that was taken with an analog camera for this post.
It was back in 2007 in Puebla, Mexico – where you could find those helium balloon sellers on almost every street corner.
And as i was a huge fan of balloons when i was a kid, of course i just had to take pics with these colorful ones there. 

What is your “want” in life? Is it something big, that you hope to achieve in future or is it something from your past, that you want to keep present? Tell me your story.

Until next time – stay beautiful.

May Photo a Day Challenge – Day 17 (FMSphotoaday – Season)

Hello my Beauties,

we made it through another week and it’s friday again. I have to say, it’s a really lovely sunny and warm day here and i’m totally in the mood for a picnic or a walk somewhere nice in the nature, outside of the city. Aren’t you?!

Besides that, it’s Day 17 of the May Photo a Day challenge and the topic is: “Season“.
17. Season: What season is it where you are? How can you share it in a photo?

It’s spring here in Germany and finally it even looks like one. 🙂
Although i’m really more of an autumn kind of girl, after a really long and cold winter i do enjoy this spring so much.

One of natural wonders that i love during spring are flowers. But not just any flowers, i’m talking about Syringa vulgaris, better known as common lilacs. I prefer the actual lilac (or purple) ones, even though the whites are pretty as well. 
When i see the lilac bushes in full bloom, i know – spring has finally arrived! And since i remember these flowers from my childhood so vividly, they are definitely my favorite spring flowers. And they smell just heavenly!

As far i know lilacs are the european version of Wisteria, that can mostly be found in Eastern United States, China, Korea and Japan, which i find incredibly pretty as well. Maybe that’s why i love my Wisteria eau de toilette by Crabtree & Evelyn during spring so much?!

(Photo taken form Crabtree & Evelyn site)
If i was a scent, i’d be Wisteria. I think it was love on the first smell. 

“The composition is built around top notes of mandarin apple, nashi pear, apple blossom followed by notes of wisteria, gardenia, jasmine, galbanum, ylang ylang in the heart before signing off with base notes of airy musks, cashmere wood accord, sandalwood, white pepper”.

What does spring mean to you? And what season are you in right now?
Share your photos and links below or via Twitter using the hash tag: #FMSphotoaday 

Until next time – stay beautiful!

ps: last chance to sign up for the Sweet Summer Swap!

May Photo a Day Challenge – Day 15 (FMSphotoaday – 7 O’Clock)

Hey my Beauties,

how is your day going? 

Can you believe, we are already half way through the challenge?! Time goes by so quickly.
Alright so today is Day 15 and the topic is “7 O’Clock“.

15. 7 o’clock: Whatever you’re doing at 7am or 7pm – share it!

Ok i have to warn you – this is not a “no makeup challenge” – but you asked for it, so here we go.
Yes, it’s early in the day. Way too early, if you ask me! It’s 7 O’Clock and a beauty blogger is right out of the shower (can you tell?!).  
It’s not my favorite time, since i’m more of a night owl, but what can you do, if you got to start early…
No makeup, and a definite need for a big mug of fresh coffee. You have seen me having really big mugs before. Like HERE.

A little bit off topic: Does anyone have a problem going out without wearing makeup?
Just asking, because i got a few emails, asking me about my makeup routine and if i wear makeup every day.

I have to say, i do love my cosmetic goodies and i enjoy applying it before going to work or out at night.
But i’m not someone, who doesn’t feel well being seen in public au naturel.

Just yesterday i met a friend for coffee. We were sitting outside a nice coffee shop, enjoying the sunshine and a great talk.
And you know what –  i was totally alright without any makeup on.

What about you? How confident are you in public? Are you brave in the city or “just” on the beach vacation?
Tell me about your experience.

Until next time – stay beautiful!

ps: Come and join Polish Alcoholic’s & my Sweet Summer Swap – there are still 2 days to sign up left.