Winter skin care for oily skin

Sooooo.....it's been a while. Apparently working full time and blogging at the same time isn't as doable as I thought it would be. Or at least for me it isn't. And the more time passed without writing blog posts the more afraid und unmotivated I grew to get back into it. But, oh well here I am. Now that I missed all the exciting autumn content I was looking forward to all summer I at least wanted to jump on the train of winter and christmas content which is why I am now ruefully crawling back into the blogosphere.

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Sunday Pamper Habits

I have a split relationship with sundays. On one hand they are divine: you can lay in bed all day, do nothing and no one is gonna say something about it because, after all, it's sunday. On the other hand sunday is followed by monday and you have this feeling of dread all day and can' believe that another weekend has passed in the blink of an eye.

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New Skincare that has me swooning

In a recent phase of spendy moods I went on the hunt for new skin care bits. I wanted to update my skin care for a while now and was happy to spend some money on a few items, that I had my eye on for a hot minute. Even though I am a total make up addict and have an unsettling collection of make up items in my vanity drawers, there is just something about skincare that puts me in an uncomparable state of bliss. When I take my make up off at the end of a day I never rush it but make a relaxing ritual out of it. It's my time to decompress and breathe.

Another difference I noticed in my attitude towards skincare compared to make up is, that even though I do like my high end make up, I also think that there can be treasures found in the drug store. Sadly for my bank account, I don't feel the same way about skincare. Drugstore skincare often is heavily scented and has lot of ingredients in it , that I don't even bother pronouncing the names of and while I don't mind putting lower quality make up on my face, skincare is a whole other story. Skincare is gonna absorb into your skin and is responsible for the way your skin is looking now and will be in the future and I don't like to risk looking dull and wrinkly because of money. So whenever I can I indulge myself in some luxe skincare and I love it.

So, as long-time readers of my blog will probably know, my two all time favourite skin care brands are Origins and Clinique. With these brands you really get your moneys worth and can rest you head on your pillow in peace at night, knowing that the products on your face will do their thing. So without further a do I will finally get to my new purchases:

The Clinique Take the Day off balm has been a beauty blogger favourite for a long time but I was always a little bit put off by its price tag; because how good can it be? But the difference I see in my skin when using this compared to micellar water is deffenietly worth the hefty pricing. My skin looks and feels squeaky clean after using this and it's especially life-changing with mascara. I hate taking my masacra off because it normally takes years and years and I lose the odd eyelash in the process but with this the thickest mascara just melts away.

Even though my skin isn't acting up that much I have times when my skin is just a disaster and I normally just wait and pray for it to pass but I have been looking for something that could help speed up that process and I'm glad I found the Origins Out of Trouble mask because this week I was heavily stressed and my skin was having none of it. Break outs EVERYWHERE! Thanks to the mask this phase has now passed and my skin looks remotely good again. It has lots of good stuff like salicylic acid and zinc in it which help to get rid off clogged pores and excess oils and basically clean out your skin while help speeding up healing break outs.

The last of my new in bits is the Body Shop Seaweed toner, which caters to oily skin. I normally use the calming aloe toner from the Body Shop or the Pixi Glow Tonic but since I ran out of both of them I thought I'd try something new. Since my skin has been exceptionally oily these last months and no powder can seem to veil this I decided to tackle the problem from within. I must say that this toner is a lot more scented than I am used from other Body Shop products but so far my skin seems to be adapting quite well to it.

What skincare have you been loving recently?

xx Laura

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Dreamy autumnal Make up

I am back! And so is autumn! I can't describe my current level of happiness and content without screaming from the rooftops. With the start of September, which was accompanied by a pretty amazing drop in temperatures and the odd rainy day, I become a completely different person. My mood takes a 180 degree turn and I feel all lit up with happiness and excitement. Some people may find it a bit extreme how much the season affects my mood, but I can't help it. The first time I truly felt autumnal this year and gave myself permission to do so because it was finally September, my eyes filled with tears of joy! (I'm insane, I know)

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The start of something new...| Life Update

I don't think I've ever been MIA for this long on my blog and that is because some exciting but at the same time scary things have happened. This week I really felt the guilt weighing on me and I really wanted to start blogging again because I absolutely love my blog and really missed it.

So what has been going on?

I got a 6 month internship in the PR deparment of a major company, which is something I have been hoping for and working towards for quite some time now and I couldn't be happier. So now that I work full time I won't be having as much time for blogging anymore but I will try my best to keep up with it on the weekends. Even my Instagram suffered from this but believe it or not there aren't many photo ops in an office. So I lay my hope in the weekends and my upcoming holiday in a few weeks to provide me with some great Insta and blog content.

But anyway, back to my new job:

As someone who isn't very keen on change and is a queen of self-doubt, scoring a new job can be quite initimidating. New tasks, new challenges, new people, a new environment. Because this is something I really want I was really quite calm and collected up until two days before my first day at the internship. It was a weird feeling of excitement and anxiety, of confidence and doubt, all at the same time. But since I promised myself to just let things come my way this year I really tried hard not to go into worry-mode and I think I did pretty well so far. Regarding this, I also had kind of an epiphany: since I decided to not let my anxiety plan out my life for me and let things come my way and be a little bit more accepting of change and unforseeable events, amazing things have happened, including this internship. It also helps to counter act on my anxiety as well. Just letting things happen once in a while leaves you no choice but to do things that you are normally scared of and to step out of your comfort zone, which generally is the best method to overcoming fears.

One thing I discovered though is that even though you might think you have it all figured out because you went to university, a job in the real world gives you a major reality check. I am still overwhelmed sometimes with the amount of new things to learn and remember, which can get quite frustrating if you think of yourself as someone who normally gets things quickly and does everything with the highest standards of perfection. But ultimately that's what an internship is for: to learn. My new boss told me that it's not a problem to make a mistake once but that you should have the demand on youself to not do the same mistake twice and this is what eventually lets you grow and evolve. As a perfectionist mistakes are sometimes hard to cope with but I found that doing something right the second time around gives you that feeling of pride and accomplishment and it also motivates you to prove yourself and do better. However I am so appreciative and happy about the things I get to learn on a daily basis now and I've never been so motivated to evolve.

I hope with this post I broke the spell and my blogging hiatus is gonna be over but I can't make any promises. Always trying though!

xx Laura

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How to up your knowledge on astrology and your star sign

Anyone who knows me well will be able to tell that I am an astrology obsessive. If there's a horoscope anywhere, I will read it, if someone tells me their star sign I will instantly check their personality traits and if there's any object connected to my star sign I will buy it (evidence A and B in the picture above)

Well, I don't believe that the position of the stars can detemine how my week will go about but astrology, somehow, holds a tremendous fascination and mystery for me. I just find it icredibly interesting in what ways the planets can affect your personality and outlook on life. In my opinion, astrology is as close to magic as we can get to in real life (even though it's more science than magic). I also always felt deeply connected to my star sign and find some form of identity and reassurance in it. Taurus are known for their loyalty, dependability, stubborness but also for their will to get back up and fight and their incredible warmth. These character traits have always been the ones I was most proud of in myself and felt most deeply ankered to.

Finding out more about your star sign is also a great way of being self-aware. Even if you disagree with your horoscope you will have to think about your inner thoughts and character traits to do so. Maybe you can even discover new aspects of yourself, that you never noticed before.

I also found that being informed about astrology made me a lot more tolerant to different kinds of characters. I always found it quite hard to understand some peoples impulsiveness, unreliability or egoism simply because I don't work that way and wasn't able to look beyond my (zodiac) plate. But astrology doesn't just give you a deeper understanding of yourself but also the people around you. In hope of not sounding to esoteric (which I am very far from) I will now explain how I got to understand my sign and ulimately myself better:














One of my lovely best friends got me the Little Book of Atsrology for my birthday and I was hooked
to it from page one. I had heard about ascendants and moon signs before but what I didn't know was that EVERY planet in our solar system and its position at the time of your birth has an effect on you and different aspects of your life. It is impossible to just be a Taurus or just a Gemini. For example: Venus is the planet of love and beauty, its position at your birth determines the way you love and feel about the people that are close to you and which things you enjoy in life. You can find out about the position of your planets with just your date, time and location of birth and a little bit of googleing. You can calculate you natal chart on this website. I found these analysis on differnt parts of my life to be so accurate that I was honestly freaked out by it. I also finally found out why I am no good with money, which is something Taurus are generally known for excelling at.

If you are just as obesessed with astrology as I am or want to get more into it then I would highly reccomend investing money in the Little Book of Astrology and time into a little bit of research. I promise you, you will be astounded by what you will able to find out about yourself and the people you love.

xx Laura

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Make Up I've been loving recently

I haven't been purchasing a whole lot of new make up in the past months because in the summer time my make up gets a lot more minimal and I tend to go back to old favourites but there are a few new bits mixed into the items that I have been loving recently, but also some that I rekindled my love with.

The Catrice Liquid Camouflage Concealer has been an absolute life saver in the warmer weather. It's full coverage, yellow-toned, waterproof, affordable and doesn't crease; what else could you wish for?

The Kiko Contouring Pencil, unfortunately was part of a limited edition but there are so many contouring sticks out there now, that I'm sure you won't have a problem finding a similiar one to this. Apart from the fact that its packaging looks really good in photos, I have been loving a cream contour in general, as it blends so easily and doesn't leave any sweat marks on your face, like powder products tend to do in the heat.

I have to make a quick mention of the Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer, which isn't in the picture above because no matter how much I love it (and I really do) I couldn't get the bright packaging to look right with my general colour scheme in the picture. Anyway, I had to literally warm up to this a bit because it is a lot more cool toned than the bronzers I usually use but after testing it a few times I fell absolutely in love with the buttery consistency and the way it blends. I even like the cooler tone much more on me now as I find it looks more naturally tanned and glowy.

My final go-to product in the last few weeks has been the MAC Color Base in Hush. It is the most gorgeous, glowy, subtle highlight for summer and since I'm a little bit more tanned now, it blends in even more perfectly with my skin tone, which I absolutely love the effect of.

Have you been discovering new make up or rekindling your love with old ones?

xx Laura

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How to spend a perfect rainy sunday inside

To my absolute and utter delight the weather had a slight change of mind and it has started to cool down quite a bit, with the not-so-odd rainy day squeezed in between. For me there is nothing more appealing than spending a (sun)day cozied up inside while the rain is dripping down my window, which is exactly why I love autumn so much.

But since my friends already got annoyed with me announcing the start of autumn in the middle of July, I am willing to tone it down a bit with my Halloween party planning, wool jumper wearing and pumpkin recepies googleing until September.

BUT since there are quite a few rainy, autumny days now it could't hurt to share how to make the most out of these.


Breakfast in bed

When I wake up on a gray sunday I always have my breakfast in bed while watching one of my cozy programs like Gilmore Girls or Gossip Girl (at least the autumn and winter episodes of them).

Take a Walk

Technically I said the perfect day 'inside' but if you crave fresh air or are like me and love walks in a rainy forrest for the sole purpose of getting back inside, warming up and drinking a cup of tea, this might be for you. Of course I'm talking drizzling rain not when it's really chucking it down.

Bath time

I draw myself a nice bubble bath and pamper myself with some masks and treatments while I soak in the water. While baths tend to be quite unrelaxing for me without any form of distraction from my thoughts, I love to listen to podcasts. They have the perfect length for a bath and listening to someones voice without the distraction of visuals helps me to unwind a lot. I have been loving Ladies Who Lunch by Ingrid Nilsen and Cat Valdes and At Home With... by Lily Pebbles and Anna Newton.

Catch up on your Reading

I have to admit I haven't been the biggest reader in the last months, which is a shame really because I love it and normally devour one book after the other. I guess, I'm not in the right mind set for reading when it's hot. But since there have been some cooler days I ordered two new books in anticipation to find my reading mojo again. I've been wanting to read A Dogs Purpose for a while and before I see the movie I want to know what I'm getting myself into, emotionally; which is why I will start reading it the next time it's gloomy outside.

Comfort Food

The day wouldn't be perfect without a grande food finale. My all time comfort food favourite is some very cheesy chicken and broccoli pasta. There is just something about melted cheese that makes you feel all warm and good inside, so that you can happily drift off to sleep later in the evening.

How do you spend your gloomy sundays?

xx Laura

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How I take care of my hair in summer

I feel like I have been complaining a lot about the struggles of summer recently but it just isn't the best time for me, personally. Of course my body reflects my uncomfortableness with this weather and makes it even more annoying. One part of my body that seems to struggle the most with the damaging UV-rays and heat is my hair. So it needs my special attention in summer and I've been trying my best to take good care of it.

My hair has a really peculiar texture. It's curly and very dry (especially in summer), so it needs something to define the curls and keep them smooth and hydrated but it is also relatively fine so I can't have anything weighing it down, which is quite a struggle because most hydrating products are heavy and designed for thick hair. So I had to do quite a bit of testing before I found my ultimate combination of products that make my hair look good while keeping it healthy as well.

The first step in my hair routine more often than not is olive oil. I apply it generously all over my hair, but with a special focus on my lengths and tips and leave it for about two to four hours. This makes sure to regenerate my hair and supply it with moisture.

I use a combination of John Frieda products, which I have been a loyal fan of for years, to shampoo and condition. To get rid of all the product residue in my hair without stripping it, while keeping my curls defined I use the John Frieda Frizz Ease Dream Curls Shampoo. It smells amazing and is the only shampoo on the market I trust to make my curls look amazing.

I have tried many conditioners which all weighed my hair down and counteracted with the curl defining shampoo. Conditioners usually have the purpose to make your hair feel smooth and silky, which I really don't have a use for because my fine hair can't hold my curls properly when super soft. But when John Frieda released their weightless Volume conditioner all my prayers had been answered. This one of a kind gel-textured conditioner detangles your hair without putting unnecessary weight on it. A genius invention. 

Speaking of detangling: I use my tangle teezer for curly hair in the shower when my hair is the smoothest. It's way easier than trying to detangle toweldry or even dry hair, leaves you with less breakage and less pain in the process. 

For styling my hair I use the Pantene curl defining mousse, which truly is the ONLY curl defining product I lay my trust in. Nothing can beat this and if it ever will be discontinued I will probably suffer a nervous breakdown. It gives the perfect definiton without scrunchiness and a perfect hold for days. 

The newest addition to my hair savior team is the OGX O2 weightless oil & lifting tonic, which I have been obsessed with. I never thought an oil could give you volume but this honestly does. Two pumps are enough to make my hair feel smooth, smell great and look shiny all while giving texture and volume at the same time. This truly is an amazing product. 

xx Laura

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4 Heat-/ Waterproof Make Up Hacks

Summer? Is that you? Oh, I didn't see you there because my foundation was running down my face into my eyes.

Sooo summer is in full swing and I am a sweaty mess. People who don't 'believe' (?) in global warming just go beyond me. This heat is insane. I would say I'm not complaining but I AM actually complaining. Just yesterday I went for a quick car ride in a boiling hot car and after ten minutes my carefully applied make up had melted into a puddle on the floor. Not even air conditioning can save us now. I just want my make up to look on fleek in summer, okay?! (is 'on fleek' still a thing? I feel like it's not).

Anyway,  in my deep despair I trialled some products and methods to keep my face remotely shine and sweat free and came to the conclusion that there is no way you can keep oily skin matte in this heat. You can however minimize the shiny disaster and with a bit of luck sell it as 'glow'. So here are some of my tips for surviving this summer:

Prime

I feel like a lot of people underestimate primer but I can honestly say that without it my make up wouldn't even make it to lunch. A pore-minimizing or mattifying primer can be your life saver in this heat. My favourite is the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer.

Powder

This should't come as a suprise but powder can help. Mindblowing, I know. But instead of just setting my foundation after it's applied I took it to the next level and started applying, or even baking powder on my face BEFORE foundation. This isn't something new in the Youtube and blogging world and it's a little bit high-maintenance but oh my word does it work. I still get shiny but WAY less than usual. My trusty NYX HD Translucent Finishing Powder is helping my through this.

Waterproof Everything


Try to get your hands on anything that's labeled 'waterproof'. If it can stop water it can also stop sweat. Don't stop with mascara, reach for the stars, get waterproof concealer. The Catrice Liquid Camouflage Concealer has been irreplaceable for me this summer. Even though its heavily scented it didn't break me out or irritate my skin and it really covers everything and stays put. If anything else goes this concealer is the last one to stand.

Pray For Autumn

I get it. Summer is wonderful and all but I am an autumn baby at heart and I will always choose freezing over sweating. Even though summer technically will be going on until September for me, where I go on holiday, I am already mentally preapring for pumpkins and boots and scarfs and all the glorious things of life that don't make me sweat.

How do you keep up in this heat?

xx Laura

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Ways to improve your Happiness

I think when people met me five years ago they would't have described me as the happiest person in the world, to make a minor understatement. Partly that was because I was still in high school and I really hated it there and felt emotionally drained and depressed everytime I thought of it but parts of it were also due to the fact that I wasn't a very happy person in general. Not because there was something particularly wrong in my life but I think I didn't really know how to be happy.

You and your mind are constantly changing and evolving, especially in such impressionable and formative times like the university years after school. When you become more independent, become more aware of the world around you and start to really make up your own mind (which is what you generally do after you leave school) you also start to become more aware of youself, the situations you find yourself in and your thought patterns.

As a very self-analytic person I've always dealt with 'me, myself and I' quite a bit from a very young age on; but when you find yourself at the crossroads of carefree high school student and proper real life adult it is inevitable to search for the roots of your problems and discontent if you want to get your life together and succeed in most parts of it. So here are a few things I've learned over time that ultimately made me a happier person:

1. Don't depend your happiness on something/someone else

There are so many people who believe that they can only be truly happy if they are in a relationship or earn a lot of money, drive their dream car etc. Of course all these things can and most probably will improve your happiness but that's only temporary. If you aren't happy with yourself and the life you designed for yourself nothing and no one will be able to fix this deep discontent. If you think that your partner is your only root of happiness and that you couldn't ever attain such happiness in a life alone, there is something wrong.

2. Cut toxic people out of your life

As I've mentioned before in my recent blogpost about friendships, there have been quite a few friendship break-up's in my life. When you're younger you don't want to lose people in fright of being a loner or social outcast, when you get older you don't want to cut people out because of the possible drama it could induce and the obligation you feel to them because you've been friends for a long time. But when you rethink all of your friendships and only find one that isn't elevating you or even worse is constantly getting you down, you should consider cutting ties with that person. I've recently read very enlightening words in Lena Dunhams newsletter about just that: 'When it comes to sisters (from other misters), hang on until you can't anymore. And if you can't, it's ok'. Simple, but very true.

3. Start searching happiness within yourself

As above mentioned, self-awareness is a major part to happiness. If you're not happy with the person you are, nothing will ever make you feel truly or long-lastingly happy. I speak from experience here. A huge part of my past unhappiness stemmed from being dissatisfied with me as a person or my appearance. I am the ultimate perfectionist and not being able to actually be perfect was really getting to me. But once I've started to do some soul-searching and accepting my quirks as something that makes me unique rather than imperfect I really started to notice a change in my general mood and outlook on life.

4. Stop making other people or bad luck responsible for your unhappiness

We've all done it. Blaming your problems on someone or something else( maybe even destiny or bad luck) is the easiest way out. But reality is, even IF someone did something to worsen a situation for you, the only person who can get you out of that mess is yourself. Whining about it will not improve your mood and certainly will not help the situation. If you're unhappy with something: change it and don't wait for someone else to fix it. In Germany there is a saying which describes this perfectly: "Jeder ist seines Glückes Schmied" which can be roughly translated to: 'You create your own luck'.

5. Find happiness in the little things in life

When I was younger I believed that happiness would only come with the huge milestones in my life. Graduating, driving my own car, getting married. Even though these events will probably be the happiest days in someones life, day-to-day happiness can only be found in the little things. Only when I got older I realised that eating a good meal, laughing with my friends, cozying up infront of the TV after a long day or even seeing the first leaves fall in autumn were the things that ultimately made me happy. I also noticed that being loved and loving in return makes for a great happiness booster as well.

6. Start seeing the bigger picture

It's easy to forget how privileged we are and what people all over the world have to go trough on a day-to-day basis, which we can't even imagine. So being aware of your privilige will help to put things in perspective again. Also seeing the bigger picture in terms of time can help. If it won't matter in five years from now, don't spend more than five minutes being upset about it.

7. Humour

I've always had a knack for gallows humour and sarcasm. Making fun of the unfortunate things that happen to you is in my opinion the best and fastest way to healing and ultimately: happiness. And if you're having trouble laughing at yourself, get yourself friends who will help with that (on a loving and respectful level, of course). Sure, I deal with enough things in my life, anxiety being one of them but I ALWAYS feel half as bad about something once I made a joke about it and I got through some of the worst times of my life with just a bit of humour.

8. Find the things that make you happy and do them!

I feel like this quote is as old as time but it doesn't get less true ' Do what makes you happy'. Be it a career aspiration, a hobby or anything else that makes you feel joy. If it doesn't hurt you or anyone else just do it. Let nothing or no one stand in the way of your personal happiness. Also let no one make you feel like your way of being happy isn't valid. You do you.

There you go. These are just a few ways I personally found to improve my happiness.

xx Laura

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Summer Refresh | My Favourite Affordable Facial Sprays

I am a huge fan of facial sprays and mists. It's my favourite part of skincare AND make up application for that matter. But you don't have to spend the big bucks on these sprays because frankly their just glorified water. Especially in the summer months a facial spray can double as a refreshing step in your day to day life. Which is why I always keep a face mist handy in my purse. My favourite for on-the-go has been the Avène Thermal Water which has been a life saver for a sunburn or an allergic irritation more than once. The Mario Badescu Facial Spray is another great hydrating and calming mist with cult status. It works wonders for every highlighter as a setting spray as well as an extra boost of hydration in your skincare routine. Finally the Body Shop Vitamin E Facial Mist is another amazing affordable option. It smells like roses and really gives a long lasting boost of hydration to your skin; just what you need in summer.

xx Laura

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Summer Skincare Regime

Oh summer, season of sweat and sunburn, how I've missed you. In contrast to most people my skin has a harder time in summer than it has in the colder seasons. I think that's due to all the excess oils and make up running down my face and clogging up my pores. With my allergies I also struggle with irritations and redness quite often.

But one thing, that my mother already told me when I was a teenager, is that a healthy amount of vitamin D can really work wonders for your skin. This is however if you take the right precautions to enjoying fun in the sun. Which is why in the summer months applying sunscreen is the most important step in my skincare routine. Apart from being traumatised from a really bad sunburn that left me looking like a raccoon, I am also really anxious about sometime in the future when I will notice my first wrinkles and I am determinded to keep my youth alive as long as humanly possible because I can already tell I am not gonna be one of those women who will keep their chill ageing.

The Vichy Bronze Gel-Fluid has been a long time skincare stable for me. This thin fluid isn't sticky and doesn't leave a white cast on your face while also helping you to get a nice tan with it's integrated melatonin activators. Perfect for under foundation as well as on make up free beach days.

But before that I apply my trusty Origins Ginzing moisturizer, which especially in summer has become an absolute lifesaver. Every morning I wake up with an allergies-caused swollen face, this moisturizer depuffs it and makes me feel fresh and ready for the day. It's gel texture is perfect for oily skin types and sinks into the skin in the course of only seconds, which is perfect for the application under foundation.

In the evenings I need a detoxifying treatment as I always feel that in summer all the city pollution mixes with sweat and make up and create a gross cocktail of misery on my face. After a good cleanse I will generously apply the Biotherm Liquid Glow Oil to make sure that it's amazing antioxidants work their wonders overnight. I defenietly notice a difference if I dont't use this in the evenings. My skin will look more dull and spots and irritations will take a longer time to heal.

Finally, when I need a complete renewal and cleanse of my skin I always gravitate to using the Origins Rose Clay mask which acts as an exfoliater and radiance boosting mask at once for that good old deep cleanse we all desperately need from time to time.

What does your summer skincare regime consists of?


xx Laura

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My undying Love for Origins Masks

As a skincare lover extraordinaire I have a special place in my heart for face masks. The whole process of applying a face mask is so calming and feels like a special treat for my skin that I will always go back to this procedure after a rough day or just whenever my skin looks and feels gross. Since I started taking my skincare very seriously I was intrigued by Origins masks. I am always a supporter of natural ingredients in skin care products and in make up and praise everything that doesn't smell like the perfume section of a department store when I put it on my face but apart form that I also completely fell in love with Origins masks because they actually work and have been a lifesaver for my skin on more than one occasion.

As I mentioned many times before on my blog, I have oily skin. So my skin usually isn't in desperate need of hydration rather than a blotting paper but from time to time my skin lacks plumpness and radiance too and this is when this Drink-Up Overnight Mask will come in very handy. I don't leave it on overnight though. 15-20 minutes are usally enough to bring my skin back to life.

The Origins Rose Clay Mask is a radiance boosting mask that's supposed to renew and turn over your skin. It has little beeds in it that exfoliate your skin while you apply it and my skin indeed looks renewed and glowy after using this. I tend to apply this when my skin is looking dull and has a few spots that are healing and have left dark marks that just won't go.

And finally there is the Clear Improvement Clay mask that will get rid off all the dirt, sweat and build up in your pores and will make your skin feel squeaky clean and smooth. This is a lifesaver for everyone with oily skin because it effectively eliminates all oilyness, cleans up all blackheads and helps speed up the process of getting rid off a breakout.

Have you tried Origins face masks?

xx Laura

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Bronzed Goddess Essentials

Can you believe it? It's summer! I'm not usually one to get excited for summer because of allergies, insects and exorbitant sweating but this year I really feel these summer vibes everyone is always talking about. Maybe that's due to the fact that I finally have a summer vacation booked and am counting down the days until I lie on the beach. But until then, where I plan on not wearing make up at all, I love to go all in with all the bronzy summer goodness.

I believe that I am one of the palest human beings that wanders this earth and that's why fake tan and bronzer are my best friends. Applying bronzer always makes me feel ten times better because it adds life and warmth to my face. I have been asbolutely loving the L'Oreal Glam Bronze Powder for quite a while now. It has a super creamy consistency and blends extremely well on foundation and bare skin as well.

Because I have oily skin and in the summer even more so, my face tends to be shiny and glowy all by itself (but mostly not in the areas I want it to). So I usually go for a more subtle and natural highlight in the warmer months. The Mac Cream Color Base in Hush is my absolute favourite highlight at the moment. It gives you the perfect summer glow without being obvious and sliding off your face.

NARS Isolde Eyeshadow Duo, I think, will forever be my favourite eyeshadow. I have been using this for years now and I still can't get enough of it. This is gourgeous for winter as well as for summer and adds perfectly to the bronzed goddess look I am all about in summer. You can easily create a dramatic smokey eye with this but I usually just blend it all over my lid and my lower lashline and call it a day. After all it's summer.

A newer edition to my collection is this KIKO 3D Hydra Gloss in the shade 18 golden sparkle. My lips get super chapped in the summer months because of all the dry heat and this is perfect for keeping my lips hydrated while also making them look good at the same time. It looks beautiful over a nude brown lipstick as well as on it's own and I will defenietly take this with me on holiday.

xx Laura

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Anti-Haul | Products and Trends I won't buy into

So the internet came up with something new: Anti-Hauls. Anti-Hauls are the exact opposite of a classic haul. Instead of showing things you bought because you liked them you show things you would never purchase or which you don't think are worth the hype or money.

Even though I am a fashion and beauty victim like the other girl there are some trends and products even I don't want to spend my money on. As I fell into a deep spiral of reading and watching Anti-Hauls because I found them to be really interesting and a nice change for my wallet I thought I'd do one myself. So here we go with the things and trends I don't like:


Embroidery and unnecessary patches

I don't know if you noticed but this year there are patches and embroidery on EVERYTHING. Don't get me wrong it looks quite nice on some pieces but I think this trend is getting a little bit out of hand. I just don't feel like buying into this trend because it seems fleeting. I don't think that I want to own a T-Shirt or a bag with cactus patches on it in in one year from now and I really don't see the necessity to even put patches on wardrobe stables like denim jackets.

Waist-Belts

I don't know. This just doesn't look right to me. I mean Kim Kardashian can pull this off but I think she remains the only one. And waist belts over jumpers? No. Please no.

Barbie Pink

This is a highly personal opinion but I really don't like bright pink. I think I watched 'Legally Blonde' one too many times and am now traumatised by this colour. Loud colours are having a moment right now and I'm not complaining about it but bright pink is just something that doesn't suit me and I honestly don't appreciate looking like a barbie doll.

This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray

I have been seeing this product everywhere for years now and I'm quite literally just not buying it. It's supposed to make you fall asleep faster with it's calming lavender scent but I really doubt that if you suffer from insomnia this will put you to sleep. I also like to keep my bed sheets and pillows clean from any scents except the one of fresh laundry and cotton. I feel like this spray would irritate me more than it would calm me.

Foreo Luna Face Brushes/Massagers

An electronic cleansing brush is one thing but these things? They come at a pricepoint of over 200 Euros and I just don't see how these could get rid off of all the build up in your pores. I could be wrong but I am not willing to spend 200 € to find out. 

Super Expensive Sheet Masks

I am not one to save money when it comes to my skin care but paying 25 €  or even more for a single sheet mask is just not something I'm willing to do. I would much rather invest in a liquid face mask that will last me weeks and months or at least a professional facial where I can see results for a longer period of time. In my opinion just not worth it. 

Are there any products or trends that you dislike or think are not worth their money?


xx Laura

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My Birthday Make Up | Glittery Smokey Eye

On Friday night I celebrated my 22nd birthday with a couple of my closest friends and I had the best time ever. The drinks were exorbitantly expensive but other than that it was the perfect night with good music, incredibly cheesy nachos and lots of love. I felt really emotional, loved and blessed when I came home that night.

But in other news I, as a perfectionist and obesessive human being, planned my outfit and my make up weeks beforehand, which is why I want to share a few products I used to create a bronzy smokey eye with lots of glitter and matching glowy skin.

It will come as no suprise that I used my all time favourite eye shadow on my birthday. If I need a gurantee to look good I will 100% use this. NARS Isolde Eyeshadow Duo is my MVP in all things bronzy and gorgeous. I used the bronze shade on the outer half of my lid and darkened the crease with matte dark brown and black eyeshadows to create a smokey night time look.

My favourite part of all evenening looks is the glitter. There is just something about a shiny, reflective eyelid that makes me extremely happy. It's the little things in life, right? This KIKO Cream Eye Shadow is a long lasting glitter, which is an inexpensive alternative to Urban Decay or Stila Glitters. Whenever I use it I'm in awe of all the sparkle and most importantly I doesn't seem to dry out which is quite impressive considering that I had it for a few months now.

To finish off the eyes I darkened my upper lashline with a black Body Shop Eye Pencil and also put a little bit of it on my waterline. For the grand finale I put on my Ardell Demi Whispies which give the right amount of oomph to your lashes without making them look to unnatural.

On your birthday there will most likely be taken pictures of you and especially in a dark environment like a bar you want your skin to glow and your highlight to pop when the flash hits your face which is why I went back to the most popping highlight I own: the Urban Decay After Glow Highlight in the shade Sin. This one compliments my skin tone perfectly and is beautifully reflecting natural and artifical light in pictures AND IRL.

Finally; for my lips I went with my newest go-to nude lipstick. The Max Factor Color Elixir Lipstick in the shade 745 Burnt Caramel, which is a beautiful rosy brown shade, which I decided to top off with a little bit of a true nude gloss on the center of my lips and then I was good to go.

* The diamand choker is from Pretty Little Thing (unfortunately sold out at the minute though)*

xx Laura

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My Struggle with Mental Health

In honour of mental health week I thought I'd use the occasion and tell a bit about my own struggle with mental health. I've wanted to write a post on this for a very long time but even though I love reading other peoples posts about mental illness and the stigma around it drastically decreased, it's still one thing to support others with their honesty but it's another to publish your very own struggle on the internet. But since there is still a huge stigma around this whole thing I thought the only way for me to help change that is by sharing my own story.

So, yes. I have a mental illness *People gasping in shock* *women fainting in the background*

Even I find it really akward to say this out loud because being metntally ill is STILL extremely stigmatized.. But the truth is every 4th human being on this planet struggles with some sort of mental illness at some point in their life and still people find it inappropriate or uncomfortble to talk about.

I don't want to go into to much detail here because it would take me hours and hours to tell all the details and things that happened that contributed to this but basically I suffer from General Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder. Even though I have always been a relatively anxious child and teen it have been my adult years who proved themselves to be the hardest for me. Anxiety is a treatable condition but treatment isn't a piece of cake and since my first full on panic attack three years ago I've put a lot of work, tears and therapy into my treatment. I'm not cured yet but at this point I feel like I'm making baby steps into the right direction everyday.

Anxiety really is something I would't even wish on my worst enemy because it's exhausting and devastating and it sucks so much joy and time out of your life and soul that you sometimes wonder how anyone could live like this without going crazy. My anxiety is reason why many things in my life aren't the way I would wish them to be or imagined them to be when I was younger. Anxiety paralyzes you into a state of constant worry and fear in which you find it impossible to act or think they way you want to. At low points it's full on controlling your life even though you don't want it to. Due to my anxiety I don't travel as much as I'd like to, I don't go out as much as I would like to, I am unable to use most forms of public transportation and I have a hard time accepting and confronting change in my life. My mind always knows best how to convince me of the worst case scenario that could possibly happen in any situation and leads me to believe that danger and death hide behind every corner since my anxiety mostly centers around a fear of death and illness and losing people that are close to me.

If all this worry and fear is intensified by external and internal factors a panic attack is likely to happen. A panic attack is to this day still the worst feeling I've experienced in my life. It literally feels like you're dying. A panic attack is your body going into fight-or-flight response which it normally only does if you're in life-threatening danger. Everyone experiences anxiety and panic attacks differently but in my case my heart is racing, my throat is closing up and I find it hard to breathe, I get extremely dizzy, my feet and hands get numb, sounds and lights become intensified and I feel like the whole world is crashing down on me. These symptoms are all real and can be measured, the only thing that's in your head at this point is the danger your brain thinks you're in. I've had panic attacks in cars, in subways, in trains, in supermarkets, at night clubs, at doctors offices, in uni, at work, at freaking ZARA and even in the comfort of my own home.

Of course there are situations in which you can predict you're likely going to have a panic attack because they trigger you. In my case these situations always involve being in a place where I can't leave like planes, the hairdresser or even queues. Which, of course makes you want to avoid these kind of situations. Avoidance isn't a strategy though and only makes the fear worse. But sometimes a panic attack is triggered by something you have no knowledge of and suprises you completely. After a panic attack my body feels drained and needs a couple of days to recover from it, which is something you can't really explain to people when they ask you why you're so tired and why you're muscles are aching. It's also hard to explain that your body produces so much adrenaline on a daily basis that you have a constantly increased heartbeat, irregular breathing and feel exhausted in the evenings even if you didn't do anything but lay in your bed.
Some people have a really hard time comprehending mental illnesses, especially if they never battled with them themselves, which makes it hard for people to openly talk about it because others can be disinformed and judgemental.

Mental health is just as in important as your general physical health, which is something many people still don't want to recognize. In my battle with anxiety I would have wished for a much more open discussion in society, especially in my country, as I find that the stigma around it is bigger here than in the UK or the USA for example. People who have mental health problems have nothing to be ashamed of and deserve help, sympathy and an open ear as anyone else who is ill. Having a mental illness doesn't make you crazy or weak; if anything it makes you stronger than the people around you as you fight a silent battle inside you everyday and still manage to function as a human being (at least most of the time). But it's also important to always meet strangers with kindness as everyone is fighting their own battle that you know nothing about.

In the last year, with the help of a therapist and my incredibly supportive family and friends, I have made major steps into the direction of overcoming my anxiety, but I also had major set backs. However I will continue to try to not let it define me and rule my life and I'm confident that one day I will live my life without fear again and that's something everyone who struggles with mental health should have hope for.


xx Laura

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Blue Obsession | How to incorporate blue make up into your day-to-day look

I don't know about you but blue is one of my favourite colours. I've been watching blue make up making it's way back on the trend list with joy and have also been seeing a lot more blue make up items in the stores. Nevertheless, a frosted blue eyeshadow look isn't particularly wearable on a day to day basis for work and uni and personally I still find it a little bit too Paris Hilton 2002. So what I like to do is to incorporate just little bits and bobs of blue.

One great way to do that is with nail polish. I've always been a major fan of blue and turquoise nail polishes but this year I'm even more obsessed. I fell absolutely in love with Essies limited edition polish in 'strike a pose-itano'. The name has been abtly chosen. It reminds me of a vespa driving down the coast of Capri.

Another beautiful shade I recently discovered is the Trend It Up soft matte polish in 015. (Don't you hate it too when product shades are numbered instead of having cute and original names?) It's a bit more muted and purpely blue and the polish fomula is matte, which is a nice change.

For 'actual' make up I recently tried to get a bit of blue on my eyes going and rediscovered this KIKO Long Lasting Eyeshadow Stick in the Shade 17 Midnight Blue in my collection. I originally purchased this for a New Years Eve make up look but it works just as well in the spring and summer time. It's a very dark blue which is perfect for someone who doesn't want an 'in your face' approach to blue eye make up. I apply it to my lower lash line and pair it with a brown/bronzy smokey eye on my lids. It makes my blue eyes really pop and I love this look to bits. While linking the stick I saw that KIKO sells loads more blue shades and I am defenietly contemplaiting buying a few brighter shades for summer.

What do you think of blue make up?

xx Laura

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5 Recent Random Favourites

I've never really talked about random favourites on my blog but I love reading them so I thought why not try it myself?


First I have to mention Chrissy Teigens cookbook 'Cravings', which I recently recieved as a present and I've been in love ever since. I don't particularly enjoy cooking but I certainly enjoy eating and that's why I managed to become a tolerable hobby cook over the last few years. Unfortunately I get bored with food very quickly and I'm always on the hunt for new recipes to try. What I love about 'Cravings' is that it contains recipes for 'food you want to eat'. It doesn't attempt to follow the healthy and clean eating route of so many others and has the most amazing meals in it (lots of butter, bacon and cheese included). Also Chrissy Teigen is hilarious and who doesn't want a portion of humour with their dinner?

I've also been loving to discover my inner child again and getting creative. When I was little I would spend hours and hours drawing and painting and I loved it so much that the memories of it still make me feel all fuzzy and warm inside. So I purchased an artist set with pencils and watercolours and had a lot of fun just creating something on a blank piece of paper. I'm not very talented but I love it and I think that's all that matters.

Another creative outlet that I discovered for myself is bullet journaling. I was contemplaiting to start bullet journaling all the way back in January but never came around to do it. But recently I found my exorbitant amount of planners and notebooks quite overwhelming and frankly annoying. So I longed for something that would have everything combined in one and where no note would go missing and so far I have been loving it. It takes some time to design the pages but I found it to be a nice sunday afternoon activity.

Youtube-Wise I have been abolutely loving Allana Davison. She has been introduced into my world by (who else could it be?) Estée when they collabed a few weeks ago and I've been hooked to her channel and her snapchat ever since. She is fricking hilarious and her snapchat stories always crack me up but she also continuously posts great beauty and lifestlye content on her channel and she seems really down to earth, which is something I really appreciate in Youtubers these days.

Last but not least I have been loving a lot of shows. First is 'the Missing' which made it's way into German TV and I am now waiting for the second episode to come by this sunday because I'm already obsessed. I  just love these 'Who did it?' shows. Secondly I am currently binge watching 'Mad Men' on Netflix and I thoroughly enjoy to travel in time with this series and swoon over all the gorgeous 60's fashion. 'Riverdale' has become a staple in my friday routine, whenever a new episode is uploaded on Netflix. I love KJ Apa, I love Cole Sprouse, I love Camilla Mendes, I love absolutely EVERYTHING about it!  Finally I have been watching (as every other human on this planet) '13 reasons why' and even though I didn't enjoy it from the very first episode because it really dragged itself and has a lot of fillers in it I really support the message behind the series and couldn't stop thinking about Hannah and Clay ever sinced I finished watching.

What have you been loving recently?

xx Laura

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Prepping my body for spring and summer

Now that the sun is shining more often than not and short skirts and tank tops aren't a distant dream anymore I like to get my body ready for the warmer weather and all the pretty summer dresses. Unfortunately I wasn't blessed with naturally tanned skin and tanning sessions in the sun often end with me rubbing aloe gel all over my burned body. Of course I use SPF but somehow a sneaky sunburn always finds it way on to my skin. In order to not blind other humans with my shiny white legs and arms in spring and summer I have to fall back on other sources of tanning. 

I have tried enough fake tanning products to confidently say that I hate the whole process of meticulously rubbing every inch of your body with a glove, smelling like fake tan for hours, ruining your bed sheets and pyjamas and being left with a streaky, orange mess after three days. And that is why I have been loving gradual tans. It is a lot more subtle, a lot less prone to tanning accidents and I find that it also looks better for a longer amount of time. 

So before I start to tan I always use a loofah and a scrub to get rid of dead skin, which is essential if your don't want to end up with dark orange patches.

I believe Zoe launched her beauty range in 2014 (?) and three year later her products finally made it into German drugstores. Praise. the. Lord. So when I discovered her products in the aisles of my nearest drugstore I immediately grabbed for the Pretty Polished Sugar Scrub from her orginal range. This stuff smells amazing and reminds me a lot of Marc Jacobs Daisy but a little bit more fresh smelling rather than floral. It gets rid of all my dead skin cells and leaves my skin feeling soft and not at all dried out. She did a good job there!

For the actual tanning I use the Dove Derma Spa Summer Revived gradual tan in the medium to dark shade. I've tried the fair skin one but I barely couldn't make out a difference, so I decided to go a little more intense. You just apply this like any other body lotion and it also hydrates the skin really nicely Of course you still have to watch out to not leave random parts of your out and to wash your hands after applying but in general it is a whole lot more forgiving to mistakes than normal fake tans. I start with my legs and work all my way up to the neck. Then I like to wash my hands and apply a little drop of product on to the back of my hands afterwards and rub them together and between my fingers so that they look naturally tanned. 

I usually go to bed after tanning and the next morning I can already see the first light wash of colour on my skin (and not on my sheets!) To lock that in and keep my skin smooth and moisturized I use the Garnier Body Tonic Lotion which is supposed to tone you up a bit. I'm not that prone to cellulite and at almost 22 I don't have any saggy skin yet but I do see a differnce when I use this. My skin just looks a little bit more smooth and toned. This only lasts for a few hours though. But it also nourishes my skin and I am obsessed with the fresh green tea scent. 

How do you like to prep your skin for spring and summer and are you fans of fake tanning or nah?

xx Laura

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