I Moved!

Hey everyone! Come visit me on my NEW BLOG!

See you there!

Xo's

Kate

Awkward OOTD

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.” - Dr. Suess

Hi beauties! Hope you're all having a wonderful day! <3

Shoes are Tommy Hilfiger, top is Brandy Melville and jeans are from Zara 

FOTD: Happy Birthday to me!

Face: Benefit Fake Up concealer

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow mix of Honey and Ivory

MAC blush in Fleur Power

Annayake Bronzer

Eyes: 

Lid and eyebrow highlight: All that Glitter

Crease: Buck (Naked Palette)

Mac Gel liner in Blacktrack

Inner corners: Fresh Ice (MAC limited edition)

Dior pencil liner in Black

Mascara: Laura Mercier waterproof mascara

Sorry about the bad quality camera, I was in the car driving across Germany on my birthday.

xo,
Kate

Bling it Yourself: Glam Shorts!

This is a quick and easy way to add sparkle to an old pair of shorts or jeans. If you buy the glue accordingly, you can also bling out your shoes, bags or any other fabric!

What you’ll need:

Rhinestones of your choice

Fabric Glue (make sure it also glues plastic, not just fabrics to each other)

An old pair of shorts

Step 1: I arrange the rhinestones the way I want to on my shorts. I do this before applying glue so I don’t end up with a glue-y mess if I change my mind.

Step 2: Next, I either glue the rhinestones on individually or put the glue where I want to add rhinestones later. On the pocket I drew a line, on the left side I glued individually.

Step 3: Wait to dry!

Tip: If you wash your shorts before hand, the glue supposedly sticks better.

Let me know how your attempts go- I would love to see!

xo, Kate

FOTD: Bold Brows and Cotton Candy Lips

A day spent at Tegeler See in the sun eating ice cream followed by a delicious steak dinner in Prenzlauer Berg.

Face: Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation in Honey

Benefit Hello Flawless Powder

MAC Fleur Power Blush

Eyebrows: MAC Omega shadow

Eyes: MAC All that Glitters

MAC Blacktrack Gel Liner

Laura Mercier Waterproof Mascara

Lips: Kiko Luscious Cream Lipstick in 519

Top: Mango

Hope you're having a great day!

xo, Kate

Haul: Black and White

As mentioned in my previous post, I went from a medium to an extra small in clothing size, so I get to go shopping for an actual reason and not feel guilty (not that shopping should make anyone feel guilty, it's a necessity after all!)

From left:

Mango: €19.99, it has gold buttons on the back. I will take my pictures soon!

American Apparel: €16, this bandeau will look great under simple shirts.

American Apparel: €28, this skirt can be worn as either a high waisted skirt and as a (very, very, very short) dress. Clearly I bought this for the skirt option.

Mango: €29.99, Where do I begin? Not is it high-low, but it's bedazzled. Im thinking of wearing this with leggings and brown boots or flats. It will also look great with the skirt I got. 

Scünci: €7, these were pretty expensive in my opinion, but I just wore one to the gym and it did not budge and didn't pull out any hair- well worth the price!

Cheap Monday: €79, I will take more pictures of this, the details are too good to miss. 

xoxo,

Kate

Tidy Closet, Happy Life?!

After losing 10 kg (or  22 pounds) this past year I was terrified of the jojo effect. But I am glad to report that I am not jojo-ing; however, my closet was a MESS. All of my clothes were too big. I was trying to make them work as oversized clothes, but most of them looked like what they were: ill-fitting.

After months of trying to make do with these clothes and realizing that I am keeping my weight, I decided to purge. It has taken me months, and I am still in the process of sorting out ill-fitting purchases, but I can say genuinely that when my closet is filled with only the things that fit, I love and I wear has made me, yes, a little bit happier.

As your closet is one of the first things you see everyday and one of the objects you see on a daily basis, I recommend keeping it in a way which you like and makes your life easier. Here are some of my best strategies which I’ve learned over the past few months:

My (crooked) rolling rack- only all of my most worn pieces, the rest are in my closet and shoe rack- this saves me time and nerves in the morning. The golden bag is my bag of clothes which do not fit, when it is full, I'll bring them to charity.

TIP #1: Fluctuating weight?

If your weight changes keep only the clothes which fit you at your current weight where you can see them. Keep them on the middle shelves, towards the front, on top, in a certain section you can see easiest—whatever works for you!

What doesn’t fit momentarily: put towards the back, lower shelves... you get the point.

TIP #2: Sentimental pieces.

Make a pile of clothes your unsure about parting with until youre sure about it, then toss. Nothing worse than giving away a sentimental piece of clothing, even it it doesn’t fit. Try getting it taken in or wearing it with a belt, sometimes you can "make it work“ (Tim Gunn we're looking at you, baby!)!

TIP #3: Coziness before all!

Uncomfortable, scratchy clothes... even if they fit—toss them! Life is too short to be uncomfortable there are way too many cute and cozy options.

TIP #4: Seasons of Love

Only clean out clothing from the season you’re currently in or the past season. You’re not going to know what you’ll want in snowy, cold weather while you’re sweating in August.

TIP #5: Toss as you go.

Tried the same blazer on 5 times and it still just looks, well, weird? Keep a bin, basket, bag, whatever in your closet to throw things in as you go.

TIP # 6: Memory loss?

Can’t remember wearing a piece of clothing? Adieu, on the pile of give away clothes it goes!

TIP #7: Classics

Do not throw out your well-made classics. What you can get altered you should. Classics are easy, fool-proof and always appropriate. There is no outfit easier to put together and look pulled together in, than a classic ensemble. I'm talking classic sweaters, blazers, slacks, jeans- all easy to combine which each other.

TIP #8: Rolling Racks

Get a rolling rack for your most worn pieces. You can see them and they won’t get dusty since you wear and wash them frequently. Add your trendier items too since your style might evolve elsewhere.

Conclusion: If you can see what you have, you will wear your clothes more and actually like what you have!

Also, try not to throw clothes away which someone else could still enjoy. Trade with friends and family or donate it to local charities. 

Good luck!

Xo, Kate

Face of the Week Marble Eyes

Eyeshadows:
*Bitter
*Rule
*Da Bling
*Coppering
*Nocturnelle (all MAC)
*Blacktrack Gel Liner (also MAC)
*Laura Mercier Waterproof mascara
*Kiko Crystal Sheer Lipstick in 409

An Ode to Benefit

Let’s face it: Benefit has always had the coolest packaging. They just suck you in with all their bright colors, whimsical patterns and fantastic names.  For some reason, until a few months ago when I was just having a „blegh“ day (don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about) I went to go get my eyebrows done at their Brow Bar. After dying, waxing and plucking my brows the sales girl freshened up my make up and it is very possible that I bought most of what she was using. Since then I am extremely impressed! So far their face products have been my absolute favorites and their service was flawless (I opted for their counter at the Galeries Lafayette on Französische Straße).

The Hello Flawless“foundation and powder are by far my favorites along with the Fake Up concealer. The foundation is marketed for dry skin, but my skin is fairly oily and I have had no problems. It’s lightweight, not full coverage, but still gets the job done. Also, the tiniest pump will go a long way, I am currently using a deluxe sample in “Honey” as I’m darker in the summer and it has lasted me almost 2 weeks now. Another plus: Plastic packaging.- I can’t even count how many bottles of my Estee Lauder foundation I smashed!

The Hello Flawless powder offers more coverage then the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish and does not break me out and keeps my skin matte for longer than any powder I’ve tried. On good skin days I can get away with only this and some concealer.

Now to the (in my opinion) best part: the „Fake Up“ Concealer. First off, the packaging... could a concealer be any cuter? I think not!

Now I was skeptical about the moisturizer around the concealer for blemishes, but the girl at the counter made a good argument: When covering up blemishes you need to smooth them out first and she was spot on (no pun intended.. or was it?) .The coverage is great and with a little setting powder it does not budge all day.

(I know this looks messy- I've used this... a lot!)  

What are other Benefit products I need to try? I picked up the World Famous Neutrals palette the other day which I have been loving and was a great deal considering it being 4 powder eyeshadows and two cream shadows, and again I fell in love with the packaging!

Xoxo,

Kate

Summer in the City Outfit

Sunglasses: Michael Kors

Earrings: Pilgrim

Top: Hollister

Bag: Longchamp

Shorts: H&M

Shoes: Topshop 

Review: Laura Mercier Waterproof Mascara

Hi all!

I have heard nothing but great things about Laura Mercier Products and when I got the chance to try one I got right on it! All I have to say about this product is A-MAZ-ING.

I have not been happy with a mascara since using the Dior Show; however, I find it quite pricey and mascara is one of those products which has to be exchanged quite frequently. I can't justify spending 30€ on a mascara.

This product has not let me down. No matter how sloppily I apply my mascara or in how big of a hurry I am it does not clump my eyelashes together. Also, it creates a really wonderful natural day look with just one or two coats, but creates an equally dramatic night-time look when layered. 

Removal: With any gentle make up remover, from my Nivea make-up removing wipes and cheap drugstore eye make up remover to MAC cleanse off oil this comes off flawlessly without tugging on my eyes. Some waterproof mascaras can be a pain to remove but this is no problem at all!

Conclusion: Great product I would recommend to anyone and only slightly more expensive than some drugstore mascaras (I paid 17€ for mine, which was completely worth the money!). I will definitely be purchasing more Laura Mercier Products in the future!!

Recent Purchase: Pilgrim Earrings

Hello there!

As I was taking a stroll down the jewelry aisle at the Galeries Lafayette today these earrings caught my eye and I just could not resist. I'm sure these have been around for a while, but I have never seen anything like these. They are dainty and elegant, yet (for lack of a better word) blingy!

They are absolutely perfect for a high bun with a casual outfit. They also come in gold and silver along with the rose gold which I got.

Tag: Products I’ve Used Up!

 Hey everyone! This tag has been floating around for a while so of course I've been saving my empties! I like this tag because it gives a more in depth review of products you've actually USED UP... and I have lots to share!

H’Suan Wen Hua Lush Hairmask: This hairmask was great on my damaged hair. I bleach it and use heat on it often so it really needs the care and hydration. The big pro of this hairmask is that you wash it out i.e. no greasy film! I feel like the greasy film may be hydrating and whatnot but I end up washing my hair due to the grease a day later anyway. In my opinion there is no point!

Disclaimer: This smells like cloves and when I say cloves I mean CLOVES. The smell lingers in your hair not too strongly but you do get a Christmassy whiff every now and then.

 

Bastiste Dry Shampoo in “Cherry”: The scent is delicious and sweet. Not much like cherry, but its still fresh and smells clean. This dry shampoo does leave a little bit of a white powdery film.—To be honest, its a little fun to imagine what youll look like with gray hair one day if your face didn’t age a bit, but that is not really what you paid for.  After that odd sidenote: I have to work this into my hair really well but then it works great! If you have a little bit of your dark roots showing it covers them too.

Aveda Damage Remedy Restructuring Conditioner: When I think of what I paid for this puppy and the difference made all I can say is: meh. It smells nice, I get the point… it does hydrate your hair but for the price I demand shampoo commercial luscious hydrated hair! ;-) Conclusion: Great smell, not so great results.

Mac Cleanse Off Oil: I know this has been reviewed about, oh, a bajillion times but I can’t get enough! This is the travel size and it works miracles and it very gentle to the sensitive skin around the eyes. I like to use mine with just my fingers without a cotton pad because its even more gentle. Takes of any sort of make up—an all around great product I would definitely recommend.

Soap and Glory “Scrub of your life”: Honestly, it’s an average scrub. It smells great, but it was not life changing. I will however repeat that the smell is de-lish-ous! Mm mm mmm! (Getting carried away as usual).  This is a small size I got in a gift box for Christmas (gift idea anyone?) and I am a huge fan of every last product I received.

Lavera “Orange Feeling” Body Lotion: This lotion smells just like a very creamy orange. What is great about this is that it is made with all natural products so it works well on sensitive skin. Lavera is a great affordable brand which is definitely worth recommending as it is also budget friendly.

Hope this was helpful to some of you!

xoxo

Review: Body Shop Body Butters

Hello hello blog world! 

These body butters are well known- if not even iconic. However, I have a special love affair with these little guys as they have helped clear up my exema and made my skin generally feel better and more hydrated (and who doesn’t want that?!)

This may seem like an obscene amount of body butters, but what can I say- ist fruity, ist hydrating- I can’t resist! Just a warning for the few who haven’t used these, they do leave a greasy film on the skin; however, if you wait a few minutes before getting dressed you won’t end up with a greasy mess.

Not to mention their fragrances are strong, although they do fade after a while they never completely fade leaving you smelling scrummy.

On to all the options!

Mango: My absolute favorite! Fresh and sweet, just like mango ice cream- delicious!

Strawberry: If you want to smell like an actual strawberry this is it. Also mixes well with the mango for fruit overload.

Cocoa: Not my favorite as I found it quite sticky. More of a winter scent with a strong (and true!) chocolate scent and caramel undertones.

Coconut: I feel like Coconut is one of those scents- you either love it or you hate it.... Thoughts? I personally love it every now and then- if you are looking for a cream with a true coconut smell which doesnt have that sickly fake smell this is super yummy.

Hope this helps! As mentioned before this works wonders on exema and other dry skin. Putting it on your feet before putting on socks before bed is also a miracle worker for cracked heels. Any other favorite body butters I need to try?  More to come on the Soap & Glory Body Butters!

(Picture: dailyupdate.ie)

xoxo, 

Kat