Avene Skin Care Travel Kit Giveaway

Hello my Beauties,

are you enjoying the first week of june? Is it already flip-flop weather in your area? It looks like it’s getting better here and we are slowly moving away from “november weather” to “march”…yeay. I don’t give up hope to have a really warm june here. *Fingers crossed*

So today i have good news for you.
You can be the {June – Winner} of the Avene Skin Care Travel Kit, which i talked about a few months ago.
And as that post had a lot of great feedback, i’ve decided to give one of you the chance to get your hands on these Avene products, which i find are great for warm summer weather.

The kit contains Thermal Spring Water (50ml), an Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion (50ml) and a Skin Recovery soothing Cream/Mask (5ml).  And these products come in a fun little pouch, that’s just perfect size to have in your purse.
I use Avene products for quite some time now and can really recommend them. 
You can read the whole post and decide whether you want to enter or not. 😉
Take a look: ♥ Avene Skin Care Travel Kit ♥.

The giveaway is as usual international (not sponsored) and will run until June 23th.
In case you would like to enter, click on the {Rafflecopter}.

Good luck everyone.
Until next time – stay beautiful.

Sunday Read {Vol.3}

Hey my Beauties,

it’s sunday again and you know what that means. It’s time for our weekly {Sunday Read}, where i share with you some great posts, written by my fellow bloggers.
Sometimes it’s just a mix of random beauty & lifestyle topics, or like today – a special subject.
As usual, you can always go ahead and take part in this sunday read event. Grab this Sunday Read photo!
The rules are very simple:
Pick out some of your most favorite posts written by others &  tell me exactly why you picked them.
Then all you need to do is to link up down below. 

I have always been a big lover of homemade face masks and body scrubs, but if i find a really great sheet mask or a clay in store, i will go for it. 😉 So let’s talk Face Masks. (I think it suits the “sunday pampering” mood anyways.)

My treasures this week:

1) So there is this Korea-Canada blog, ( i guess the writers name behind it is Sonya) that i just recently discovered and stumbled over an interesting topic:
{Paper face masks: A Korean beauty secret},  which apparently hit the US-market last year. You have to know, that these affordable paper face masks, are incredibly popular especially in Korea and target busy women, who want great & fast results for very friendly prices are totally in love with them. Of course we have that type of masks here in Europe as well (I bet same in the States), but i have to admit, the clay type of masks are actually more represented in stores. Every woman wants “hydration, brightening, wrinkle fighting or pore tightening” effect and it was interesting to see how forward the korean market there already is. 

2) Sophia from Tattooed Tea Lady wrote a great Skincare Series post, where she talked about her favorite {Masks}. I liked the variety of different brands and types she described. All of them “do different things, targeting different skin concerns and issues.” I think it’s important to pick the right type of face mask, focusing on what you’re actually wanting to improve.
Sophia shared her detailed opinion on Origins,  Dr Jart+, REN and other brands, so there should be something for everybody. 

3) Kelly and Gemma from Pages and Perfume shared their thoughts on {‘Love Lettuce’ Face Mask by LUSH} that “contains something called ‘fullers earth’, an ingredient consisting of a number of clays which is meant to absorb grease and debris, and also tighten the skin.” For all you LUSH lovers out there, this should be a product, you already heard about. If you are up for an easy pampering and exfoliating experience, that could be your go-to product. 

4) Meghan from Painted lady – besides being an aspiring medical esthetician, is also a lover of great face masks, so when i saw her post on {Face Mask Friday! Wild Rose and Honey}, i knew i had to share it with you. I have to admit, i have never heard of the brand Wild Carrot Herbals before, but a “mild exfoliant + loaded with enzymes” definitely sounded good to me. It’s a thick great smelling honey based mask, with an antibacterial & calming effect. If you are a honey scent lover, you might enjoy this one!

5) And as i love fresh homemade masks, i’m going to share with you one more post, that i found on another “new to me” blog – Carpe Diem For All (how great is that blog name?!). I spotted this {At Home Oatmeal Face Mask} with organic and healthy products in it. The pictures, that have been used for the post are lovely and the actual recipe seems to be like something everyone should already have in the kitchen.
So if you like “your skin soft and glowing” – take a closer look at that blog post and say “YES please” to oats, mild & honey!
(Pictures taken from each of the sites, all rights on these belong to the mentioned bloggers.)

There you go, my Beauties. That was our Sunday Read for this week. Hope you like the idea of one topic post.
Say HI to everyone, when you visit their blogs and enjoy the recipes & mask ideas. 

What posts’ did you like over the past week, my gorgeous readers? 
Please link up and let’s all benefit from it.

Until next time – stay beautiful!

Sunday Read {Vol. 2}

Hello my Beauties,

happy sunday to you. Another week went by and so much has happened in the bloggers community. 
Of course i have found a few really great posts, written by talented bloggers, that are worth sharing. 🙂
So grab your favorite smoothie and let’s get started with our weekly {Sunday Read}.

As usual, you can always go ahead and take part in this sunday read event. Grab this Sunday Read photo!
The rules are very simple:
Pick out some of your most favorite posts written by others &  tell me exactly why you picked them.
Then all you need to do is to link up down below. 

My treasures this week:

1) When it comes to our jobs, we often think back of th every first one and how we felt, when we made those little mistakes, from which we learned afterwards. Am I right? We all learned how to become a better team player and worked on our social skills, which are as important as all the needed IQ for the particular job. And as little as it looks, we learned to smile that confident and friendly smile, that makes us a “human colleague”. Jade from Jade Isabelle talked about these and many other interesting topics in her
{5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started My First Job} post, that i found really worth sharing with all of you. 

2) Most of us love to travel. It’s a great way to experience new cultures, great local food, meet people and get inspired by the way they see life, even fashion and beauty tendencies can be incredibly different from what we see day by day in our own countries. 
Traveling opens your eyes to the important things in life, if you give that destination a real change to show its whole beauty to you.
That and what discovering of great new landscapes can really mean, is what Organised Clutter talked about in her
{Why You Should Travel Out of Your Comfort Zone}.

3) While scrolling down my Blogroll a quote caught immediately my eye. It was saying: “Comparison is the thief of joy”.
So i had to stop and look at that blog post.
The quote consisted of just a few words, but there was so much meaning behind them.
It basically challenges you to believe in yourself, your knowledge and power to move things, to come forward in life and by being  just yourself – being happy. Tianna from Storybook Apothecary made her point very sharp and clear and left me somehow very inspired for the rest of the day. Read for yourself: {Stay Inspired}.

4) What do you think about challenging yourself to go a whole week without complaining and being negative?
What about trying to see all what’s happening around you in a bright and positive way?
I came across this great {7 Days No-Negative Challenge} over on Brooklyn’s blog This little Blonde and thought, that i had to share this with my readers and remind myself to go more positive through my working week and take things easy.
Try it, challenge yourself and have a wonderful & happy new week!
(Pictures taken from each of the sites, all rights on these belong to the mentioned bloggers.)

I hope you find the motivating posts interesting to read and enjoy checking out these blogs.
Don’t forget to say HI from me.

What posts’ did you like over the past week, my gorgeous readers? 
Please link up and let’s all benefit from it.

Until next time – stay beautiful!

ps: To celebrate the week of motivation and positive thinking i’ll be giving away 1 (english) copy of Elizabeth Gilbert’s book:
“Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia”
How liberating it would be to just cast off the reins of your current life and go on a year-long trip to three far flung countries of the world? Elizabeth Gilbert does that in Eat Pray Love, by embarking on her journey with specific purposes – one country for pleasure of the senses, another for spiritual enlightenment and the third to restore balance in her life. 

How to enter:
Leave me a comment saying what are the motivating things in life, that help you in your sad moments.
What makes you feel better? (Please write a little more than just 5 words, would love to hear about your “remedy”!)
Winner will be chosen on friday May 31st via random.org

Good luck!

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!

Sunday Read

Hello my Beauties,

welcome to my weekly “Sunday Read“,
where i share with you some of my favorite blog posts, that caught my eye during the past week.
In case you don’t know those bloggers or simply didn’t have time to read their posts, this is your chance to catch up on different subjects! Hope you enjoy!
You can always go ahead and take part in this sunday read event.
The rules are very simple:
Pick out some of your most favorite posts written by other bloggers and tell me why you picked them.
Then all you need to do is to link up down below. 

My treasures this week:

1) I know we ALL are looking for that one great mascara, that is going to make out lashes super long, curly and full like a fan. 
But as everyone has different kind of lashes, it’s hard to tell whether it’s going to work for you, if it’s working for me.
But every now and then a good tip can make your decision easier what to look for.
Tina from What Tina Loves discovered Maybelline The Hyper Curl Volum’ Express Mascara and shared in a review her thoughts on a product, that seems to actually do what it claims to. (We know it’s not always the case!) 

2) Let’s stay with the Mascara-theme for a moment. Some of you might know, how much i love using blue, green or purple mascara. Mostly for my lower lashes, to spice up a toned down eye look.
So when i discovered Jacqueline from A Brilliant Brunette and her recent makeup look wearing a bold & bright sky blue mascara from CK One, (CK One Mascara in Electrify) i thought YES, i’d have done the same thing. 
That’s a great look for spring time, that will make your eyes pop.

3) Let’s be honest. Everyone loves Freebies. Especially when you’re a beauty junkie and there are free beauty items to have! You simply need to know how and where to get them. Ange from Hairspray and Highheels wrote down a few ideas on where to hunt for beauty and entertainment goodies in a How To Get Products For Free post. Keep in mind, that most ideas in her post can be applied in the United States, but i’m pretty sure each country has their own “Sephoras” and different kind of “coupon systems”, so just keep your eyes open. 

4) By now everyone knows how important it is to keep our skin moisturized, so finding your most suitable (facial) cream became one of the goals, when it comes to cosmetics. 
Stacey from Beautiful Solutions shared her thought & experience on expensive (eye) creams vs. affordable ones.
She talks about studies on the effects of creams from different price ranges. I thought it was a good reminder to really read what’s on the ingredients list, when buying a new product in general, since most of the times the expensive items don’t carry a “magic solution” in them and your drugstore product will leave your skin fresh & moisturized just as good.
I agree with Stacey’s verdict, that it’s always worth to invest in a solid eye (or facial) cream, but the key is to find what works for you & your age and your skin type, instead of running after brands and internet hype of them.
(Pictures taken from each of the sites, all rights on these belong to the mentioned bloggers.)
I hope you find a few interesting posts to read this time and enjoy checking out these blogs.
Don’t forget to say HI from me.

What posts’ did you like over the past week, my gorgeous readers?
Please link up and let’s all benefit from it.

Until next time – stay beautiful!

ps: Don’t miss your chance on winning in my mini Giveaway!

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.

May Photo a Day Challenge – Day 13 (FMSphotoaday – Sunset)

Hello my Beauties,

happy new week! Wishing you a great fresh & successful start today.

It’s already Day 13 of the May Photo a Day challenge and the topic is: “Sunset“.

This is how the creator of the challenge describes the task:
13. Sunrise/Sunset: Choose one or both, and take some time to see the sun wake or go to sleep.
Alright, so because it’s such an incredibly gloomy, grey & dark day here, i’m sure no one wants to see the rainy sky…
That’s why i decided to go with a picture of this beautiful sunset, taken some time ago in La Palma the most north-westerly of the Canary Islands.
It’s a wonderful volcanic ocean island, with great views and those big palm trees, that i love so much.

This is basically how i see the perfect sunset.
Sitting at the ocean, listening to the beat of the waves and watching the sun slowly going to sleep.
That’s definitely the part i miss the  most, when i think about vacation…

What about you, my Beauties? What is your favorite place to watch a colorful sunset or maybe even a sunrise? 
Share your photos with me via Twitter using the hash tag: #FMSphotoaday.

Until next time – stay beautiful!

ps: don’t forget to stop by the Polish Alcoholic & mine Sweet Summer Swap to sign up. The more the merrier.

May Photo a Day Challenge – Day 12 (FMSphotoaday – Mother)

Hello my Beauties,

“Mother is just a simple word
yet it’s especially dear… 
And it seems to mean much
more with each passing year…

Each word of Love and Affection
describes you mother…

It’s a word that’s filled with love, 
a word that reflects everything that’s
wonderful – Wonderful just like you.”

Today it’s not just any sunday, but Mother’s Day.
And so many of us all around world are celebrating this such important day and the gorgeous women, who gave life to us. 

Of course  Chantelle from Fat Mum Slim who actually came up with the idea for the
May Photo a Day challenge, has thought of this special day & included the topic:
“Mother” on May 12th! (btw: Here is my Day 1 in case you missed it)

12. Mother: It’s Mother’s Day. Take a photo of a mother figure, or if you’re a mum – perhaps yourself.
Or what the word mother means to you.

I really wanted to find some special photos of my mom, that really show the site of her, that i really love.
Her ability to make me laugh. 
Sometimes it can be a crazy family story or something ridiculously funny from my early childhood, that makes us sit for hours in the kitchen, have tea and laugh. I treasure moments like these so much!

This is a picture of my mom, when she was around 24 and i bet she was singing or telling a funny story to my dad, while he took pictures of her.  Don’t you just wish you could have been there, that very moment, when you see those old pictures of your parents?!

Love & respect your mother’s – they earned it! Have a wonderful sunday & enjoy Mother’s Day!
Tell me, what is your most favorite photo of your mother?

Please share your links below or via Twitter using the hash tag: #FMSphotoaday.
I would really love to see your posts!

Until next time – stay beautiful!

ps: If you would like to participate in the Sweet Summer Swap – you’re invited to sign up.

MAY PHOTO A DAY CHALLENGE – Day 8 (FMSphotoaday – Shape)

Hello my Beauties,

it’s wednesday and we are just a few day’s away from the weekend. Hope the week is going well for you so far!

Let’s see, what we got today. It’s Day 8 of the May Photo a Day challenge and today’s topic is: Shape!
I’m sharing with you one of my most favorite things, that are in my apartment.
It’s a bohemian art glass vase, which is more like an interesting shaped bowl, rather than a vase. It’s very eye-catchy.
(Doesn’t it look like a mini jet on the lower right picture to you?!)

Since the 13’s century the decorative glass was produced in regions of Bohemia & Silesia, now in the current state of the Czech Republic.
To these day’s blown and crystal glass is still one of the most sold souvenirs from that region.
It’s always so beautifully colorful. Each piece is unique.
Usually i would have some candy or small fruits in there, since it makes such a great decoration on the dining room table.

What’s the shape you are most excited about, that can be found at your home or in your surrounding? Leave me a comment.
Share your pictures on Twitter (#FMSphotoaday) or with a link below. I would love to see them. 

Until next time – stay beautiful!!

ps: missed the previous day’s of the challenge? Check out: Day 5, Day 6, Day 7.