New in: Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC

I've finally done it! After lusting over the Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac for almost a year now I finally treated myself to it and made it a christmas present to myself.
I had been looking for a good quality crossbody bag for some time and when I came across this one I immediately wanted one for myself. I decided to get it in the colour Taupe because I think that it fits with most of my outfits and can be dressed up aswell as down. I also wanted a colour that is wearable in all seasons so I wanted it to be neither too bright nor to dark.

I really like that the chain is adjustable which means that I can wear it across my body or as a shoulder bag like on the above picture. The leather is super soft which makes it feel very nice but at the same time makes it a bit delicate which is ok for me. The golden hardware is good quality too and I just love the black and blue lining.

Although it was quite an investment for me I'm sure I will get lots of use out of it for many years to come. :-)
You can get it from saksfifthavenue.com

Julie xx

15 before 2015

Today I've got a bit of a different post for you. Rather than doing a typical New Years Resolutions post I came up with 15 things I want to make happen and accomplish before next year. Some of them are fairly simple, little things. Others are more tricky and will be a challenge.
So here they are:

1) Find a job

Finding a job is one of my top priorities this year as I'm honestly fed up with the situation I'm in. I really want to improve my life and start the next chapter and I think that ending this odd phase between the end of university and the beginning of work life needs to come to an end in order to bring about those changes I want.

2) Get together with my boyfriend

We've been in a long distance relationship for 2 1/2 years now and haven't seen each other in quite a while so I think it's about time this changed.

3) Get better at painting my nails

I'm ok doing my left hand as I'm right handed but the other way around never ends up looking nice so I hope that with a little bit of practise I will be able to change that.

4) Be more brave / Stop worrying

I'm definitely the kind of person who overthinks things and worries about all sorts of things that might never happen. I'm very reluctant when it comes to getting out of my comfort zone or getting into unknown situations which might not always be a huge problem but considering that I want to find a job it might become one. I'm not looking forward to getting into a new job because I'm always afraid to not be able to deal with the demands of the job so I tend to not apply for jobs that sound interesting because I feel like I won't be able to perform well.
I want to overcome this fear and start being more brave and stop worrying about problems that might not even occur.

5) Finish decorating my flat

I've been living in my flat for about 3 years now and have almost no pictures on my walls because I could never find anything I liked. I also need a rug for my living room and at some point a new sofa to make my flat a bit more cosy and homely.

6) Learn to cook

Although I can cook a few random recipes I'm not very confident about my cooking skills. Just because I like what I cook doesn't mean that other people would like it right? (there's me worrying again...*hmpf*)
I want to try new recipes and learn to be proud of my cooking. Now I only need to find some guinea pigs (i.e family members hehehe :D) to try my new creations.

7) Meet my friend Alice in person  (pretty--wonderful.blogspot.co.uk)

Alice and I have been in contact for just under a year now and she's just such a lovely person. I really want to meet her in real life and go on a shopping spree with her.

8) Go on holiday

I haven't been on a proper sunny beach holiday for several years now so it's about time to get some much needed relaxation and a nice tan. :D

9) Find a workout I like and do it regularly

This one is pretty straight forward, I want to start working out again and actually enjoy it so I hope to find a sport or workout that will keep me motivated.

10) Try a new kind of food

When it comes to food I tend to have the same kind of things all the time. Despite not being a fussy eater and liking most things (except certain seafood yuck!) I end up ordering the safer option at restaurants rather than experimenting. I want to be a bit more adventurous this year (but maybe not "grilled cockroach" adventurous ;-) )

11) Have more self-discipline

I need to learn how to kick my own butt because I don't want to keep being lazy, eating junk or skipping workouts anymore. I think I actually have a degree of self-discipline that only needs to be reactivated somehow. If you have any tips for me, feel free to share them in the comments :-)

12) Change my hair

I'm not talking short bob or pixie cut here or any other radical change like that but I really want to improve my look. I have rather long hair at the moment but it doesn't have any real cut to it and usually just hangs limply off my head. Since I have rather thin hair too and am rubbish at hairstyling (hm maybe another goal for 2014?) I want to get a no fuss hairstyle that looks good on me.

13) Set a budget and stick to it

In 2014 there are several things I need to save up for (holiday, new camera, new laptop, the future, car insurance....) therefore I have to come up with a reasonable budget for all my expenses and try not to overspend. This can sometimes be rather tricky for example when I go food shopping on an empty stomach (bad mistake) and end up buying loads more and completely different things than I actually planned. Or when I lose all self control in the drugstore again :-/

14) Buy a MacBook Pro

I've been wanting a MacBook for quite some time now but because they are about three times as expensive as most other laptops it has remained a dream of mine so far. :-(
My current laptop is 7 years old and is super slow and keeps breaking down on me which makes blogging, reading blogs or editing and uploading videos to youtube much more difficult than it should be. So this year I hope I will be able to save up the money for it and finally be able to buy it. :-)

15) Get better at making decisions

You can ask any of my friends or family, I'm the worst at making decisions. Although I'm very clear about what I like and dislike I struggle to make a decision in a lot of situations. When I'm out for a meal I'm usually the one who hasn't decided what she wants by the time the waiter comes round to take the order.
When I recently went to the bookshop to buy a new agenda for 2014 I spent at least 15 minutes contemplating the pro's and con's of 3 different ones before I then just chose one very quickly and hoped to have made the right decision. It's crazy sometimes and I really want to learn to be less of a perfectionist and worry less about mundane everyday decisions that probably won't ruin my life if I get them wrong.

So here you are, these are my goals for 2014. Let's see how many I'm going to accomplish.

What are your goals for this year?

Julie xx

My top 5 festive nailpolishes 2013

With the festive season in full swing I've been rummaging around in my nailpolish collection to pick out my favourite nailpolishes that I now want to share with you.

China Glaze Ruby Pumps:

My first favourite is China Glaze Ruby Pumps which I only recently got. I'ts my first China Glaze nailpolish and I really like it. I love it's fine glitter and the ruby red colour which I think looks quite elegant and wintery. It is opaque in two coats and looks even nicer with a clear top coat to make it extra shiny.

Barry M Nailpaint in Red Glitter:

I bought this on recommendation of my friend Alice from Pretty Wonderful and it is just the perfect red glitter for me and looks oh so christmassy. It is slightly lighter than the China Glaze one and the glitter is chunkier too.
I like applying it on top of a plain red nailpolish to make it more opaque (another tip from Alice). As with most glitter polishes it takes some time,patience and quite a few cotton wool pads and nailpolish remover to get it off again but for me it's so worth it. With a price of under 3 Euros it's a bargain aswell.

P2 Color Victim in Free to be:

First of all I have to say that this one was incredibly hard to photograph and the pictures don't do it justice. It is a beautiful dark emerald green with a nice shimmer which makes it look very nice and wintery. I love how quickly it dries and it is fairly opaque in one coat although I prefer two coats just to make it look perfect.

P2 Color Victim in Next exit-Party:

As you can see from the pictures, this is a beautiful gold colour with some very fine glitter and a nice shimmer to it. I think the name next exit:party is very suitable because the first thing I thought when I saw it was that it would be a great colour to wear for a new years eve party. It is very easy to apply and dries very quickly aswell, leaving the nails looking great and almost like covered in golden metallic foil.

Essie Beyond Cozy:

Last but not least is Essie beyond cozy which was part of the 2012 Winter Collection. Again the pictures don't do this beautiful colour any justice. Depending on the lighting the chunky glitter looks either golden or silver and is one of the sparkliest nailpolishes I know. It applies like a dream but is a pain in the bum to remove (but I don't care ;-))
As you might be able to see on the picture, I've already used up about a third of the bottle and I will be very sad once I used it up. If any of you know any dupes for this please let me know.



So these were my top 5 festive nailpolishes. Let me know which are yours this season.

Merry Christmas to all of you. :-)

Julie XXXX

Currently on my wishlist #2

1. Origins Starting Over Age-erasing eye cream with Mimosa

I've heard loads of good things about Origins products and since I'm in need of a good eye cream I really would like to add this to my daily skincare routine.

2. Dorothy Perkins Blue Lace Dress

I'm really into lacey dresses because I think they look so nice and elegant. I'm in love with the colour aswell and think it is the perfect dress for the festive season.

3. Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner

I came across this on youtube and I liked the look of it. I like that it is less harsh than other toners and would hopefully not irritate my sensitive and rather blemish prone skin. I'm definitely going to give it a try in the future.

4. H&M Jumper

In recent years I've really been liking H&Ms winter jumper collections. They are nice and fitted and keep me cosy and warm (there aren't many things that I dislike more than being cold ) and they also come at a reasonable price, so I'll definitely invest in some of these.

5. Jo Malone Perfume

For quite some time now I've been interested in the Jo Malone perfumes. I've seen loads of people feature them on their blogs or in perfume collection videos on youtube. I find the different scents and the possible combinations of them really enticing although I must say that I didn't get the chance to smell them yet due to the fact that Jo Malone products aren't that widely available in Germany.
I hope to buy one of their fresh scents next time I'm in London though :-)

What's on your wishlist that shortly before christmas? Do you own any of the things mentioned or have you tried any of the products?

To bathe or not to bathe...

image source

Ah isn't it nice to have a nice hot bubble bath with some candles on the side and maybe an audiobook or some music playing? 

Whenever I come across a nice picture like the one above I think how nice it would be to run a bath and just relax for a bit. The same happens when I browse blogs or websites like lush.co.uk 

and see all the beautiful bath melts,bubble baths, bath bombs etc.

I also really like smelling nice bath products in the shops so overall I would think that I'm pretty fond of having relaxing baths.

Only...that I'm not.

Whenever I actually have a bath something odd happens. I run the bath, get in and then....nothing. Unlike other people I don't actually enjoy it all that much. After usually about 15 minutes in it I start getting bored and way too hot for my liking too. I can't relax either as I constantly have to keep myself in the right position so that I don't slip too low into the bath or have my neck in an uncomfortable position. (I'm fairly short you know)

I don't know why it always seems to turn out like this for me. On the one hand I think "No big deal, so you prefer showers.What's all the fuss about?" but on the other I wish I could enjoy baths more.

Since there doesn't seem to be a solution to that problem (although problem is quite a strong word for something minor like that) I think I'll give up on bubble baths for now. That is not to say that I won't give it another try in the future but for now I will concentrate on all the nice shower gels and other products that companies like lush have to offer. :-)

I wonder whether there are more people who feel like me about that?

What are your thoughts ? I would love to know :-). Do you enjoy having baths?

Have a nice day everyone :-) xx

Review: L'Oreal Absolute Make up Remover Eye and Lip

For quite some time now, I've been on the lookout for a good and gentle eye make up remover. Up until recently I've been using either normal make up remover wipes or different cheaper eye make up removers from the drugstores own brand.

Although they always managed to take off all my make up, I was never entirely satified with their performance as they either ended up ripping loads of my eyelashes out because it took quite a bit of rubbing to properly clean my eyes or they stung my sensitive eyes and left my eye area with an oily residue that I didnt like.

When I recently ran out of eye make up remover I decided to try the L'Oreal Mild Make up Remover for Eyes and Lips. It's from the same line as the much hyped 3 in 1 Micellar Solution and comes at a price of approximately 4 Euros. Compared to similar high end products the price is ok I suppose but since I was used to buying the cheapest eye make up remover there is, this products felt like a bit of a splurge to me at first.

It promises to remove longlasting lip products as well as waterproof eye make up without irritating sensitive eyes or leaving a greasy residue.

After using it for several weeks now I can say that it definitely keeps all of these promises.
I really enjoy using it because it gets the job done and is gentle on my eyes which I really like.
For me it's definitely worth the money although I think that L'Oreal should refine the opening of the bottle a bit as it spills some of the product when I apply it to a cotton wool pad. Apart from that I couldn't find anything wrong with it really and I will repurchase it in the future. :-)

Have you tried it yet? And did you like it too?

Have a nice day :-)

My favourite autumn nailpolishes 2013

 Today I thought I'd share my favourite autumn/fall nailpolishes with you. I have never been much of a fan of the rather darker and colder seasons but since last year I definitely try and embrace autumn a bit more by trying to enjoy it as much as possible and making the most of it.Where's the point in moaning about something that I can't change anyway, right? ;-)

I'm usually not the kind of person who thinks that only certain colours are appropriate for certain seasons so I like to wear whichever colour I please but my selection this year turned out to be more autumnal than I expected.

Barry M Nailpaint in Raspberry:

I love this colour so much as it is quite elegant and matches most of my outfits but at the same time it is very vibrant and brightens up those grey autumn days. It also applies like a dream and is pretty much opaque with only one coat (although I prefer to put on another one). This coupled with the pretty quick drying time and the unbeatable price makes Barry M one of my favourite nailpolish brands from the drugstore.

Kiko nail laquer No.317:

I bought this colour in the sale as my first item from Kiko at only 2 € (I just love a good bargain). I like wearing this berry colour on days when I want some colour on my nails but I'm not in the mood for the brighter Barry M shade above. I'm really impressed with the quality of this nailpolish because it is opaque in only one coat and lasts quite long on my nails despite being priced under 5€ even when it's not on sale.

Essie Damsel in a dress:

First I must say that the picture doesn't do this colour justice at all. In real life it is a beautiful dark plum colour with a subtle silvery shimmer but without any noticeable chunks of glitter in it. I like the way it looks different in different lighting and as with all of my Essie polishes so far I love how easy they are to apply. The only thing I don't particularly like is the price of 7,95€ but who am I kidding, I like even more expensive nailpoilsh brands and I don't see this changing any time soon.

Astor Fash'n Studio No.106:

I picked this colour up some time ago and hadn't been using it at all for at least two years but once I had given it another chance I started liking it again and wear it quite regularly again.
The colour is probably not very special but when I bought it I had been looking for a simple taupe colour and that's exactly what I got here. In comparison to the other nailpolishes it is lacking a bit when it comes to opacity but with 2+ coats it starts looking nice on my nails so I'm ok with that for now. I can't remember the price but it was definitely under a fiver.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nailpaint in Prickly Pear:

Ok so this colour definitely stands out from the other ones in this post (or so it would if the picture had turned out better *hmpf*) because most people would probably consider this to be a spring colour. I had been eyeing this colour for some time on the internet and really wanted it desperately as it is the perfect pastel lilac for me <3.
Unfortunately Barry M products are hard to get in Germany so I couldn't buy it, but then a few weeks ago it arrived in a little package along with some other goodies for my birthday from my lovely friend Alice from Pretty Wonderful. I was so happy when I saw it and obviously had to apply it right away. I noticed that it isn't quite opaque in just one coat but with another one on it looks super pretty. I'm really happy with it and love wearing it. Thanks so much Alice :-)
If you are interested in great reviews,tutorials,hauls and more head over to Alice's Blog that I linked above and show her some blogging community love please. She really deserves it.

P2 Color Victim No.017 elegant:

Last but not least is this P2 nailpolish that I've had for ages and rediscovered. On the picture it looks like a rather boring light grey but on the nails it has a subtle pinky-lilacy shimmer to it which just makes it look a lot more interesting in my opinion.It is also cheap as chips at 1,55€ but the drying time isn't too great.

So these are my favourite colours for autumn this year. What's your must have nailpolish this season? Please let me know in the comments as I'm always interested in growing my collection ;-).

Have a great day. :-)