B's Monki Haul

As promised, a little quick picture haul of a few of the items I picked up from Monki (and other random stores) during my week of holidaying in gorgeous Finland. I keep going on about them, but they truly are my very favorite brand, ever. Wish they did free shipping to Europe on their website, argh! Probably going to head to Utrecht or Amsterdam or Rotterdam one of these days to pick up a few more things, I am just too crazy about them not to.
One thing which I've mentioned before but will mention again as it's quite important, though: their sizing runs a little different than for most other stores, I find. I think it's great, as I actually think it's a lot more accurate and representative of real life, but basically their size XS is about a UK size 8, their size S is about a UK 10-12, their size M is roughly a UK 14-16, and their size L is more like an 18, so be careful not to buy anything too big! I, who sometimes struggle to find something that fits nicely in other stores because they run quite small (Forever 21 runs pretty tiny in my opinion), buy most of my Monki clothes in a size M (or wow, even the odd piece in S) and only get the L sizes when I deliberately want the item to be extra long, or extra slouchy. They also use average or 'normal' size models a lot of the time, which is really refreshing and is part of why I rate this brand so highly. Anyway, here goes: 

"Tough Love" print jumper, 30€ via Monki (love this, as it's very similar to the muuuch more expensive jumpers with prints and slogans by Wildfox Couture. This is such a steal if you compare the prices!) And I could really use a bit of a pop of such a bold color in my wardrobe, as it's usually 99% black and the odd bit of blue or white. This is also 100% cotton, which is great quality for this price.

All over kitty-print canvas tote bag, 8€ via Monki. I am and always have been a cat lady so I genuinely just couldn't resist this. I'm also obsessed with totes, so it's pretty much perfect for me. They're so cute!

Grey acid wash 3/4 length sleeve tshirt, 15€ via Monki. I love everything and anything acid wash, and grey is such a nice transition color to wear in late summer all the way to winter. So gorgeous tucked into some jeans with some cut-out boots and a piece of statement jewelry. Love the high neckline, too.

Did I mention I am genuinely obsessed with socks? Here's a few I picked up recently. The first ones are from a random store, but the chain and the pattern ones are from Monki, too, for just 3€ each!! 

Black and white patterned vest, 15€, via Monki. I love all things monochrome and rarely wear color, so this crazy patterns is a great way to include a bit of pop into an otherwise boring outfit i.e. jeans. 

And here a few other random things I picked up while in Finland: Moomintroll postcards, glass and keychains, because I really love them! Finnish postcards from the Design District, as well as the goooorgeous Monki payment receipt (it's got cute little birds and adorable figures printed on the back!) as well as the gorgeous plastic bag that my clothes came in. Did I mention I loooove that shop?

And finally, the velvet-y biker jacket which I picked up from H&M on the main shopping street in Helsinki. I actually just went in to buy a boring pair of black basic tights, but saw this, then thought it would be waaay to expensive, but had to get it when I realized it was only 19,95€. Genuinely one of the best bargains recently. Lovely material, I really love the shoulder detailing, too. It's also a perfect transition piece to wear on chilly late summer nights all the way til autumn and even winter!

So yes, that's what I picked up, sorry for going on and on and on and on forever about Monki, I can't help myself, it's become a little of an unhealthy (for my wallet) obsession. I keep and keep and keep buying more of their stuff! The quality is just amazing, and the designs so fresh and new and gorgeous. You can find all of the above items on their online shop: http://www.monki.com/

K's Weekly Wishlist #4 US Edition!

Glitter Nail Polish | Glow-in-the-Dark Nail Polish | Brushes | Coat | Essie Nail Polish | BB Cream | Boots | Hair Dye | Perfume | Purple and Glitter Nail Polish | Make-Up Box | Confetti Nail Polish | Mascara | Pouch

The time has come. Tomorrow I will leave for New York City and it will be the start of the roadtrip from New York to Los Angeles with my father! I am so excited and also so afraid that I will forget anything, you know that feeling right? My suitcase is packed. It is not even half full but I am sure it will come back home totally crammed.
In my wishlist you can find items I have wished for for quite a long time actually and that I am sure I will find in the United States.
I have always been a fan of glitter nail polishes and obviously they had to be in the photo set. Lately I am into the confetti ranges and into those, in which the polish is another color than the glitter. I will also replace my old A List Essie nail polish with a new one; it is like the best shade of red I have ever found. Since special nail polishes have always been my taste, I will also try the glow in the dark type. So excited!
Cut-out boots are the latest trend I really don't want to miss it. I am looking for flat ones and I really hope to find some.
Beauty products should not be missing on the wishlist since there is a much wider and more different range in the United States than it is here in Austria. I will totally take advantage of that, and honestly: who wouldn't. I will go for Benefit and Smashbox Camera Ready products, as well as Daisy by Marc Jacobs.
I have talked about the Real Techniques Brushes set before and this time it will not only be on my wishlist, it will be in my make up bag! I have also mentioned dying my ombré-ed hair pink and Urban Outfitters has a really good product to do so, at least that's what the reviews say.
I have not talked about the make up pouch yet, it only stands for the infinite number of products I want to buy from Forever 21.
And last but definitely not least: the coat. Bianca has purchased it already but I fancied it for quite some time already and after trying it on in stores I want it really badly. Her and me will run around like twins in autumn/winter then, so what.

What has been on your wishlist lately?

B's Weekly Wishlist #4

Yay, it's wishlist time again. 

I thoroughly enjoy doing them, even though I usually don't end up buying more than half of what's on it because #moneyisshort. This week's wishlist is quite obviously influenced by the autumn/winter collections that are starting to show up in the shops. Which is frustrating, as the weather is still way too warm for any of it, but I am already fully in autumn clothes mood! I adore layering, cardigans, coats, scarves, fur collars, boots, and anything autumn-y.

                                                                                                                                                                 

Black Jeans | Blue Jeans | Bronzing Powder | Circle Scarf | Quilted Shoes | Hair Clips | 

Instant Tan | Lip Creme | Wake Me Up Foundation | Turban Headband | Lace Up Shoes

I don't know if I mentioned yet, but my forever absolute wardrobe staples are: skinny jeans, leggings/disco pants, crop tops in all shapes and patterns, jumpers and ankle boots. Winter through summer, that's what I love to wear. I am aaaalways searching for another perfect pair of jeans (though I have to say, the best cut jeans I have ever bought are the ASOS high waisted Ridley jeans, which I own in about 6 different color ways and washes because they just fit so fucking perfectly!). As you all know, I'm obsessed with Monki, and their prices for denim are excellent, so I'm really keen on buying these two pairs: lovely black ones with ripped knees, and these ones from their new super skinny stretchy line, which looks fab as well. Love this light wash.
Continuing in the Monki addiction: I'm planning on getting this gorgeous monochrome patterned snood, which just totally makes me long for winter already, as well as their super cute matching hair clips for high ponytails and a very trendy 90's vibe. I'm also seriously considering investing into their platform quilted lace up booties. So.Perfect. I don't even know how to describe my love for them.
Though these white doc martens style patent leather lace-ups are also calling.... I have an addiction to cute socks: printed, patterned, frilly, knee-high, thick knit, pop colors, lace, etc... I just adore them, so I need a new pair of shoes that can show them all off well, and these are perfect.
A fashion staple that I really want to wear during the coming autumn and winter season are knitted turban headbands, such as this one from H&M. It's also just a fiver, so a total bargain. Really rad!
What with all this winter talk, I do still have to admit that I don't want to let go of the summer warmth, the sun and the blue skies yet. Oh and: I don't want to lose my tan, I'm not ready to return to being pale... so I'm planning to pick up the Bourjois Delice de Soleil Bronzing Powder to help the glow a little, as well as the Rimmel Instant Tan to keep the tan just a little bit longer.
Even though I just picked up the Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation, I also really want the ever-so-raved-about Wake Me Up Foundation. I just haven't picked it up yet because I have had a few hormonal skin break-outs recently and have been told it's not so great for oily skin, so I'm just waiting for my skin to calm down again before I get this one for my make-up bag.
Lastly, as you all know, Kym is heading to the US this week-end, and one of the few things I asked her to bring me back are the NYX Soft Matte Lipcreams (ideal color Antwerp!), because you can't really get them in Europe. Hope she can find it!

Sorry for the long post again, and sorry to be posting winter clothes already, I am just really an autumn fanatic and find it hard to contain my excitement about the upcoming fashion season.
What's on your wish list this week?

B ♡ Finland

Hey guys!

As I mentioned a billion times (I got a bit carried away, I was just so excited) I went to Finland on a holiday last week. Me and my boyfriend and his parents went on a little city trip: we flew from Amsterdam to Helsinki, stayed there for two days in a little flat which we rented (it had a sauna, what an absolute dream luxury, I went like 3 times a day). Helsinki is genuinely one of the best cities I have ever visited, and I have seen quite a few! It's such a gorgeous mix between a scandinavian sea-side city, but it also has many eastern european, especially russian, architectural influences. I would describe it like the best possible mix between Copenhagen and Moscow! The design district is pretty incredible - sleek, practical, gorgeous designs to be bought at every street corner. It's also the birthplace of the Moomins, a childrens tv program I loved dearly. Instead of making a whole big photo heavy post, I decided to do little snap-shot collages:

After a few days in Helsinki, we took the ferry over to Tallinn, which is the capital of Estonia. Tallinn looks a lot more like some of my austrian neighbor places, such as the Czech Republic (especially Prague). The old town is gorgeous and quite medieval looking, but sadly it's floooooded with a bunch of (especially Australian actually!) tourists who come to get drunk on the very cheap alcohol. Great hotel though, with a Spa and sauna area once again. Definitely a wellness holiday for me! I really needed it, too - I recently took a break from my birth control (I try to do it every six months or so to give myself a little break from hormones) which has made me gain a few pounds and my skin break out, so I've felt a bit horrible during my holiday :( The sauna has helped a little though, and I'm back on track dieting and exercising with my old annoying pal Jillian Michaels.

After two nights in Tallinn, we got the ferry back to Helsinki, where we stayed at the most breaaaathtaking hotel: the Glo Art Hotel Helsinki which is sooooo modern, sooooo gorgeous, suuuuch great food, and it looks like this. The next day we hopped on a train and went to Turku, for our last two finnish nights. Turku is the old capital of Finland, further on the western coast. It's really cute, too, but it definitely doesn't come close to Helsinki. I also bought quite a few Moomintroll items, like a little printed glass, a key chain, plenty of post cards, a hair spray and tissues haha. Couldn't help myself, they are just the cuuuuuutest! Secretly wish I could have gone to Moominland hahaha.

Admittedly, one of my favorite parts of the trip was to get the chance to finally go into the Monki shops! Since they're a scandinavian brand, they're a bit hard to come by in central Europe, so I went a little nuts and shopped quite a bit. I bought a canvas tote bag, a printed tank top, an acid wash tee, a semi-transparent swing dress, some funky tights, two pairs of patterned socks, a red knitted light weight jumper in red with a slogan (very similar to the wildfox couture ones actually) and a crop top. Went a bit mad, as I said! I am currently shooting pictures of all the items to upload soon, to bear with me!

Mini Haul

Hey everyone!

I got back from Finland on tuesday night (so sad to have had to leave Helsinki, I absolutely fell in love with that place)... I will be uploading a couple of pictures of the holiday really soon to give you a little idea of how it's been! In the meanwhile, I thought I would do a brief little picture post of a couple of things I bought before I left for Finland. Nothing special, just a couple of drugstore beauty products and jewelry. 

This lipstick in a dark red-ish / purple is from Hema, a Dutch kind of department store that sells all kind of stuff, including a few bits and bobs of cheap make-up. My brow gel is from there and it's really pretty decent, so I picked up a few more pieces of make-up the other day. The formula is very moisturizing but the color is also quite pigmented, which gives a nice sheen to the lips. The lasting power isn't overwhelmingly good, but the color is just what I was looking for, a dark, velvety purple/red, and for only approx. 3€ it's quite a bargain, so I picked up a second one:

A creamy peach color, which is sort of a summery version of most "your-lips-but-better" colors. Moisturizing, cheap, average lasting power, gorgeous color, so all in all, another catch.
Then I went on to the nail varnish section, where they had a sale for the long-lasting ones, which only cost between 1€ - 1,50€ so I snapped two up that actually match the lipsticks really well!

The dark color looks nearly brown-black in the bottle, but applied it's more of a very deep, dark red/purple with a hint of brown sheen and very small sparkles. Surprisingly great lasting power! I haven't tried out the other color yet, but on the tester nail it looked like a nice, shiny nude tone.
The last couple of things I bought were a ring set from Hema, and a Moon-ring from H&M which just matches my moon tattoo perfectly...

Voilà! If you live in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium or Luxembourg and know about Hema, I suggest you go have a look because some of their make-up is actually quite surprisingly good and just sooooo cheap!
As for my traveling stories, I will get on uploading my photos soon and posting a few more articles, as I am excited to say that I got to go into the Monki Stores in Helsinki and went a little mad! It truly is my new absolutely favorite brand. Will be posting another little haul soon :) I hope you've had a great summer - let us know if there's any things you bought that you absolutely want to share. If you have a blog you want us to check out, leave your link in a comment below!

The Body Shop Haul

One of my best friends Fiona has bought a 21€ gift card at The Body Shop and gave it to me on Saturday at my pre-birthday-party. Since I wished for it and already knew what I wanted to buy, I went shopping today. This is my acquisition! A facial wash, a lip butter, a conditioner and a gift set containing two shampoo, two conditioners and a comb. The Body Shop products are not tested on animals, support fair trade, protect the planet (the packaging as well) and the human rights and are said to boost your self esteem since you can feel beautiful after using them. The concept is really appealing then.

Banana Conditioner 250ml, 6€

I was given advice in the shop and the nice employee explained to me that this product is perfect for damaged and dry hair such as my bleached ombré tips. Body Shop products have never disappointed me, so I decided to go for it and try it out. The smell is amazing as usual, it smells like dried banana chips.

Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash 60ml, 3,50€

This range of products is breathtakingly good. Many beauty blogs are talking about the spot removal stick, but for selective elimination I use the famous model-method: toothpaste. It works with all different kinds, you should totally give it a try. Toothpaste dries out the spots over night. Please don't use it as mask you will ruin your skin! Anyway, I have already used up this facial wash before and it worked quite well on my skin. The smell is weird though, it has a tea smell and some UK readers will hate me now but I have never been such a big fan of tea.

Chocomania Lip Butter 10ml, 6€

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes to Body Shop Lip Butter. The smell and the taste are super good, the price is really high, but if you want something on your lips that makes you want to eat them up instantly than I present you here the product you have been looking for. Any scent/taste is good!

Rainforest Oil Balance Shampoo and Conditioner 60ml plus Comb, 5€

This try-it-out set was half-priced so it was my duty as a person with really oily hair to at least give it a try. I am surprised that there were two of the shampoo and also two of the conditioner bottles inside since this is a probe/gift set, but on the other hand I am happy about it if this range is useful. I have already tried out two Shampoos out of the Rainforest Collection and they worked really fine, so I think I will not be disappointed this time.

probe of the Vineyard Peach Body Butter, free

After every (I think every, but maybe not really every) purchase in the shop, you get a small free probe of one of their newest products. This time the employee threw a 5ml pot of the Vineyard Peach Body Butter into the bag and I will totally try it out because have I mentioned before how good The Body Shop products smell? Yes this one does too. They smell like the Sour Peaches from Haribo taste, if you know them. I hope m boyfriend won't eat me up!

What are your favorite The Body Shop products?

K's "currently vibing"

Hello Sweeties!

Bianca already made a 'currently vibing' post some time ago and asked me to do the same but at that time I was quite stressed with life and I couldn't think of much I am obsessed with. Now I have finally sat down and thought about what I am thinking and hyping about most lately.

Corgi Breed

pictures form corgis-everywhere

Yes, this has nothing to do on a fashion/beauty blog but I really don't care because I am so crazy about these dogs! My close ones know that I am actually obsessed with dachshunds, but corgis have conquered a big part of my heart already. FYI: I have grown up with dogs, precisely with dachshunds and a jack russel terrier, and I have learnt a lot about this species. I have a huge heart for animals and especially dogs, so you will see me getting one quite soon. I think about adopting a puppy next year, but I am not sure yet since I have absolutely no idea of how my life will look like one year from now, and there is no way I will be a doxie mommy when the situation isn't right for the dog!

Canvas Tote Bags

pictures from tumblr

I may be late to the trend although it is still going on. The tote bags that appeal to me have to be cheap canvas with a nice, funny text line. I am not that into drawings, pattern or anything else only those shown in the picture.

Pink Ombré Hair

pictures from tumblr

I have recently ombré-ed (I don't think this is a word but nevermind) my hair again. Now they are the usual middle-brown-to-bright-blonde color and I think it's beautiful but sometimes I look at it in the mirror and find it a bit boring. I have always imagined getting my hair dyed in a poppy, more unusual color than brown, black, dark red or blonde (I haven't had the last one yet because I think it would look ridiculous with my olive-toned skin). Back when I was 15 or 16, when I went through my so called 'emo' phase, and yes I was a victim as well, I dreamt about having light to bright pink hair but my mother said no, not in the simple way though but 'no are you insane you're gonna ruin your hair people will think you're a chav this is ugly and disgusting', so now that I am an adult I will make my youth-wishes come true soon and get my hair pink ombré-ed!

Rose Tattoos

pictures from tumblr

Lame, boring, ordinary or however you may call this kind of tattoo I will call it beautiful, classic, timeless and I cannot get enough! I am so in love with it that I will get one of these done hopefully at Smith Street Tattoo when I will be in New York in about a week.

Left Boy

album artworks from leftboy

This is an artist I'm like 99,9% sure you have never heard about and if you did, congratulations because this is really good music, with trashy explicit lyrics though. Short introduction: Left Boy is an Austrian rapper, singer and producer from Vienna, currently based in Brooklyn where he also goes to University. His sounds are mostly rap/hiphop/electronic. He started with his music in 2010, often uses samples of famous songs in his pieces (like Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen or Girlfriend by Justin Bieber) and has performed at many festivals ever since. I have been to one of them and that's when I encountered his work; not for the first time, I have heard of him before, but I considered his music to be something entirely different which I really would never ever listen to. I was wrong and I can only hardly recommend him to anybody!

What are you obsessed about recently?

Catrice Cosmetics Appreciation

I have actually sworn to myself not to buy anything before my trip to the United States since clothes and beauty products are much cheaper there, but I have a really good excuse: Catrice Cosmetics are not sold in the US and I grew really fond of them lately! Plus they are really cheap compared to other brands like Maybelline, L'Oréal or even MAC Cosmetics. In the past few weeks I acquired their foundation, pressed powder, camouflage cream, two primers, eyebrow set and the three mascaras shown in the picture, and I use all of them on an everyday basis.

I will start to talk about their face make-up. On the top left, you can see the Photo Finish 18h Liquid Foundation (I am using the shade 020 Rosy Beige). I get really unsure when it comes to picking a new foundation. My Maybelline Super Stay 24h Make-Up has been a total disappointment especially for the price, so I decided to search for a new one. I immediately thought about Catrice, so I have spent one evening scrolling through hundreds of reviews of this product (yes, I do have that much spare time lately) and then decided to go for it. I have to say it was one of the best decision I made about make-up, it has a medium coverage and makes my skin look soft and smooth with an oil-free solution. When it comes to the Camouflage Cream (bottom left), I might have bought a too dark shade (030 Rosy Beige) because I went after the name and not the number. Nevermind that, it covers up perfectly while blending with my skin tone and is also works fine as concealer. Bianca has recommended using primers to me so I totally went for it and chose the Prime and Fine Eyeshadow Base and the Prime and Fine Smoothing Refiner for invisible pores and lines. I am impressed by how long my eyeshadow stays in places without wandering to the crease with this product! As you can see I have used the facial primer already but I haven't seen any results worth talking about yet. My latest acquisition is the All Matt Plus Shine Control Powder I haven't used much yet because unfortunately I am too tanned. I will let you know about how it works.

As you can see the eyeshadows palettes on the left and on the right side are a bit older and used up. The left one isn't even sold anymore and the right one, the Absolute Nude Eyeshadow Palette, is my absolute favorite combination of colors of all time, I actually wear it every day. In the middle there is the Eye Brow Set, and the colors in my picture are much closer to reality than the ones on the website! I am totally happy about the small tweezer and the small brush and comb combination, they work really fine and the darker color merges with the one of my eyebrows.

This pictures shows perfectly that I am a fan of big brushes. I am certain that the bigger the brush the bigger the volume and I have not been proven wrong yet. The Better Than False Lashes Mascara in ultra black on the left reminds me a lot of my Maybelline Volum' Express Colossal Mascara, that I entirely used up some days ago, but this one is a much cheaper version. So is The Giant Extreme Volume Mascara, although the brush itself is too big to get to the outer corner and color the tinier hair, which is a bit of a disappointment. The Glamour Doll Volume Mascara on the right has been in my make-up treasure for a while now and I use it to define and brush my lashes.

Last but not least: Catrice nail polishes. I don't own many but the colors are beautiful and quick-drying, f.l.t.r: 07 Genius in a Bottle, 090 Karl Says Très Chic, 03 Papa Don't Peach, 810 ACid/DC and 620 Captain Sparrow's Boat. The peach and yellow-green-ish one were gifts from Bianca. I recommend applying a base coat for all of them, especially for ACid/DC. I love shadowy-color-changing effect of the first one from the left and the shimmery metallic look of the two ones on the right. I am not that much into orange but I cannot deny that it is a perfect color for summer, but what I am is a fan of pink/red tones so the Ultimate Nude pink shade is  totally my type. It says "new brush" but this is a really old version of this nail polish so now it's the normal Catrice nail polish brush.

I am aware that this post is quite long but I wanted to share with you the love I have for this brand. I can recommend any product they have. Day after day I fall in love with the items I own even more and I use most of them daily. Do you have any brand you canot go without?

B's Week In Pictures

And because it's sunday evening and I won't be there for a whole week after this, here a little picture post: my week in photos + my favorite songs of the last couple of days:

Red lips, collar tips and bunny shirts - pix for "what's in my make-up bag" tag - showing off one of my new piercings and my 3mm taper - new hareem pants and crazy tribal patterns - tea, movies and cigarettes - doing my statement necklace DIY - new white sweater and silly face - painting my nails - new beanie from asos.

Top 5 Tunes of the week (these are all taken from the playlist my boyfriend created for summer 2013):

Bibio - You
Dubbel Dutch - Self Help Riddim
Tom Trago - Use Me Again (And Again)
The XX - Chained (John Talabot & Pional Blinded Remix)
Toro Y Moi - Such Bad Handling

                                                                   

B's ''What's in my Make-up Bag''

Hi everyone!

I am leaving for Finland early on tuesday morning, and because I need a little time off, won't be taking my macbook with me. Tomorrow is my boyfriend's little brother's birthday, and because we're really good friends, I have spent the last two days shopping for presents and making a huuuuuge pass-the-parcel! I also bought a gorgeous pair of black and white tribal print hareem trousers with cuffed ankles which are so great for relaxing and perfect for the last days of hot weather because of the light and floaty material. Since I'm leaving on tuesday, I thought I would try to squeeze in one or two more posts before being MIA for a week, so I decided to do a little "what's in my make-up bag" post. Relevant, since that will be the bare necessities I will take with me to Finland because I want to travel super light.

Here are my bare essentials:
Short blusher brush: I use this for contouring, to apply bronzer, to buff foundation in case I need to reapply during the day an to blend my blush or apply highlighter to my cheekbones.

Benefit "Sugarbomb" Lipgloss: I usually really dislike lipglosses, as I nearly always find them incredibly sticky, get my hair caught in it, and find it drying on my lips. This one, however, blows my mind. It has a subtle sparkle and the color is very "your lips but better" kind of dark-pink nude. Lovely to just throw on and go, and it definitely adds a little glamorous sheen to your lips. Plus it smells de-li-cious.

MAC "Creme In Your Coffee": my favorite lipstick by MAC. I have naturally very light lips, so this is an essential for me to look alive haha! It's a dark red/pink-ish nude and because it is a cremesheen, it's incredibly moisturizing. This has been in my make-up bag non-stop, so I need to re-buy this soon.

MAC "Creme Cup": This is a recent acquisition of mine, and since it's a cremesheen as well, it's super moisturizing too. The color is more a light-pink kind of nude, very girly and gorgeous in summer. 

Maybelline Great Lash Separating Mascara: I use this in combination with another mascara for length and volume, because I'm typically not too fond of plastic wands. This however is pretty great because it separates my lashes like nothing else I've ever tried, and with a topcoat my lashes look great!

Maybelline Fit Me Powder: I love this powder. It adapts to your skintone, gives a nice matte finish and stays in place all day long. Definitely recommend (and as you can see, I need to buy it again really soon.)

Chanel Pencil Sharpener: self explanatory. I use this for my brow pencil, my kohl, and my white eye-liner which I use in my waterline for a bigger-eye effect.

Chanel "Allure" Eau de Toilette Sample: I like to always  have a small sample of one of my favorite perfumes in my make-up bag, so I can retouch during the day without having to carry the full size in my handbag. This one is sweet and summery and absolutely lovely.

Benefit "High Beam" Highlighter: again, I like to carry smaller or sample sizes of my favorite products to make my make-up bag lighter. This is one of my absolute favorite ever products. It's creamy and gives the most gorgeous dewy look. I use it on the back of my nose, my brow bones and my cheeks.

Maybelline LumiTouch Highlighting Concealer: did I mention I am pretty fond of Maybelline products? This is great because it conceals my dark circles under my eyes as well as uneven pigment spots really well, and gives a nice "awake" effect in photographs. Staple piece in my make-up bag.

Maybelline Matte Mousse Foundation in "Ivory": I have been loving this product, because I can use it without any primer (it glides on really well), I don't even need to use a brush because it's very easy to apply evenly, and I don't need to use any setting powder as it has a great matte finish. All in one!

MAC Blusher brush: I use this for contour powder, blush and highlighting powder.

MAC "Expensive Pink" Eyeshadow: Lovely when you want a light but slightly sparkly eye to wear with a more dominant (for ex. purple or red) lipstick for a gorgeous evening look.

MAC "Brulé" Eyeshadow: my favorite MAC eyeshadow. Gorgeous slightly matte, slightly satin-y finish, light creamy/nude-y color. Great for a neutral-nude eye and a more bold lip.

MAC "Bronze" Eyeshadow: bronze-y brown eyeshadow, which is great for a brown smokey eye or to use in the crease for every day wear.

Hema Eyebrow Gel in Brown: this is just a supermarket product, but it's actually a great brow gel, with a slight tint. It's super easy to use and you can just pop it on and go without too much of a fuss.

FM4 Frequency Festival

Hello Sweeties! I'm back!

As I mentioned in my last article, my boyfriend and me went to the FM4 Frequency Festival in St. Pölten, Austria. Three days full of heat and sun during the day (about 30°C in the shadow, but there weren't many you could hide in) and freezing weather during the night, and yes I am not exaggerating, temperatures dropped to 7°C! We were not prepared for this, although we know it always gets cold at festivals during the night, we were not expecting such coldness in summer. This meant shivering in the tent during the night and waking up from sweating because of the heat at about 8am every morning.

I will not start moaning now, although there are many downsides to being at a festival and sleeping in a tent. The festival itself was a blast! I love how people change so much when being on a festival and this not only because they were drunk, they get friendlier because things don't matter, really laid back and ready to have a good time all the time. Of course there are the aggressive and bitchy ones as well but they are only the minority.

Now to the bands. There were two parks, the day park and the night park; the first one features rock and indie bands and you can find electronic music artists in the second one. Among the headliners were System of a Down, Die Toten Hosen (they are incredibly famous among german speaking countries), Tenacious D, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Franz Ferdinand and Flogging Molly, plus the DJs in the night park like Major Lazer, Zeds Dead, Skism, Subfocus and many more. You can find a poster with nearly the entire line-up here.

I was mainly there to see Fall Out Boy and Billy Talent perform because I am a long time fan and so happy about FOB's reunion. The artists I have seen perform were System of a Down, Tenacious D, Billy Talent  and Fall Out Boy (as I mentioned before), Left Boy (I can really recommend him!), Kraftklub, The Fratellis, 3 Feet Smaller, Laura Mvular, Skunk Anasie, Awolnation, Delta Heavy and Skism. I would have loved to see more but my feet hurt so bad and also my boyfriend has an injury on his ankle so we had to filter out the ones we wanted to see most.

I am totally happy to have been there, I had so much fun despite my major sunburn and some pain in my feet. Below you find the few pictures I have shot!

Billy Talent performance - the street names in our "tent hotel" - outfit of day two with disco leggings and gem necklace - my boyfriend chilling with a beer in front of our tent - "save rock'n'roll" banner for Fall Out Boy which many people approved to - my boyfriend and me - me exposed to the sun - Kraftklub performance aka my iPhone not being able to take good pictures at night - punk-y me with war paint on my cheeks and again a Fall Out Boy (and festival-)themed banner

B ♡ DIY

Hi everyone!

Did I mention I am sick? Yeah it hasn't really gotten better. But as I mentioned yesterday, I have had plenty of time to do a few DIY projects. A few days ago, my boyfriend's mum and I decided to make home-made ravioli: rolling out the dough, cutting out the little ravioli shapes, and filling them with a spinach ricotta and creamy mushroom filling. They were really delicious, and because we used healthy fillings and little oil to make them, they didn't really interfere too much with my dieting! Here a little picture of the filling process. Served with a little tomato puree and a basil leaf, these were quite nice.

My second DIY project was a sunny, yellow beaded necklace. I found a DIY guide for it on this cute blog, and the directions to it were great, it was really easy, so big shout-out to Secretlyafashionista for this adorable statement necklace! Summer is coming to an end, so I tried to keep a little sunshine with me with these shiny little yellow beads. For the full guide to do it, just check out her blog, but here a couple of pictures of me creating the necklace!

 

I also found two little green, blue, white, yellow and red tartan buttons in an old box of buttons, and hotglued them to a set of tiny ear-studs! They now match my new tartan scarf that the boyfriend's parents brought me back from Edinburgh and which I can't wait to wear in Autumn and Winter.

 Admittedly, after the first 30 or so little beaded strands, I got sooooo bored, but in a way it's kind of therapeutic too because you don't even really need to think about what you're doing. Other than needing a little patience, this is a super easy way to make a really cute statement necklace to keep the sunshine in. (Excuse my horribly chipped nail polish guys, I've been lazy and not re-done them...)

And here a couple of pictures of me wearing the finished necklace (this was before I got really ill). Do you guys have any good DIY projects and jewelry tutorials? I've been loving doing little crafty things lately and I'm constantly looking for more. I might do a GIVEAWAY of a necklace like this one, would you be interested? Comment below and let me know if you'd like me to do that!