Seven Christmas Presents

i really, really tried finding a stupid master thesis topic yesterday but failed miserably. then i thought: why not do something i like? yesterday was the first advent sunday and even though i'm not in a christmas mood yet (omg!) i like thinking about presents. i would love to have those things for me but i'm also a very giving person which means that i already have some ideas what to get for my loved ones. of course, i wouldn't post that here. haha.

1. cos merino kimono. as i'm always freezing in the morning when i get out of bed it would be nice to have a dressing gown someday. it doesn't have to be this particular one although i have to admit that i'm obsessed with wool right now. a few weeks ago my little sister got me a cos lamb wool scarf and i've been wearing it non-stop ever since.

2. new one rosé gold-plated stainless steel necklace. i already own enough delicate necklaces...

3. louis vuitton calendar. i've wanted this calendar for 3 years now and this time i'll finally buy it. it's completely overpriced, i'm aware of that but all the other calendars i've looked at just don't measure up to this lv version. besides, i'll probably use the calendar for the rest of my life anyway.

4. yoga kula lessons. in august i tried yoga for the first time and i enjoyed it from head to toe, especially in this yoga studio in the 1st district of vienna. however, taking yoga classes is very expensive. 

5. sabrina dehoff mountain high bracelet. i found the brand some days ago on another blog (can't remember which one, though. shame on me!) and i love jewellery with a creative twist.

6. canon 650d. i need a real camera!

7. naked basics from urban decay. looking at it right now makes me realize that this one doesn't come with a brush. oh no! i guess i prefer the naked2 eye shadow palette even though it has been on the market for months.

seems like the 'christkind' has to win the lottery this year.

xoxo, s

Is Less More?

the saying that 'less is more' might not be true for every aspect in your life but for cosmetics less is definitely more. here i am especially talking about less 'bad' ingredients like parabens, paraffins, silicones, petrochemicals, dyes, synthetic preservatives et cetera et cetera. let's take hair for example: the longer it is the more carefully you have to treat it. that means: turning the heat of your blow dryer down, using your straightening iron less often, avoiding hair spray... but you also have to change the hair products you are using. a normal shampoo with silicones won't do anymore. cheap shampoos make your hair look good at a first glance but will damage it in the long run. that's why i prefer organic hair products. one brand i particularly like is the austrian brand less is more. while i wouldn't buy their shampoos because there are cheaper products on the market with the same quality, for example grüne erde shampoos, i can recommend their leave-in and styling products. the less is more products have a natural but very strong smell: most of them contain pure essential oils. you can find three less is more products that i particularly like below.

_1_ flower whip for curly hair. it contains shea butter, beeswax and aloe vera and smells wonderful like ylang ylang, rose geranium and orange. the product can be used with damp and dry hair.

_2_ lavender smooth balm for heat protection. ever heard of split ends? i guess you know what i'm talking about. it's the same old story. especially when you dry your hair with a blow dryer very often or when you use a straightening iron, your hair ends will feel offended quite easily. but here apricot kernel oil, mallow extract and coconut oil help protect you hair during styling. the lavender smooth balm smells like lavender (duh!), rose geranium and atlas cedar.

_3_ mascobadogel for voluminous hair. the gel is a two in one. when it is used in damp hair and then blow dried your hair volume will increase. however, when it is used in dry hair it works like a normal styling gel. the gel contains mascobado cane sugar, forest honey and aloe vera juice. it smells like sicilian bergamot, blue chamomile and cypress.

as you can see all three products contain essential oils that have a fresh and energizing smell. this is probably the main reason why i want to have at least one less is more product in my cosmetics collection for the rest of my life! all of these balms and gels cost about 25€  per 150 ml, which is not a lot considering that you will have them for a very long time (i only need a hazelnut-sized amount). oh, and one last thing: the products are not just for women! men can also use the shampoo and various styling gels for example as the products neither smell womanly nor manly. my boyfriend uses the less is more kieselwax. it gives a strong but flexible hold and smells so much better than the usual hair gels for men you find at every supermarket.

nice things

oh wow, i bought these things a while ago. the first flower you see here is already blooming on my balcony. i might post a picture of it in a few days. anyway, i love plants even though i keep on killing them unintentionally. xD that's why i only buy cheap plants. but if you buy cut flowers they are already dead.

essie nail polish. they have the most amazing colors. no. the second most amazing colors. the first most amazing nail polish colors are from chanel. 

the shoes i bought on sale and wanted to give back the minute i carried them into our house.

i like how they look: classic and modern. however, these heels tried to kill my feet. i swear.

finally bought glasses for martini. it just feels different to drink martini from such an elegant glass.

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midnight recovery

yesterday i found this luxury sample of kiehl's in my mailbox. it's exactly the sample i asked for. i've already tried a uv face protector by kiehl's with sun protection factor 50. to my surprise, the facial sun block really lives up to its promise. it has an oil-free and ultra-lightweight texture, perfect for oily and blemish prone skin. so i'm really excited to test the midnight recovery concentrate. it smells so nice and contains among other things evening primrose oil, lavender essential oil and a botanical lipid (even though my bf hates the smell of roses on my skin, i'm obsessed with rose scented cosmetics, haha). the concentrate is supposed to regenerate, repair and replenish skin. 99.8% of its ingredients are naturally derived. in case you find my skin looking flawless in the future, you now know why!

xx, s

things i bought so far

at sephora i bought matching nail polish and lipstick. i was kind of desperate to at least get something new. xD i love the color! it kind of screams: i am a diva. wearing a lipstick like that makes you stick out in any crowd.

manufaktura is my new favorite shop in prague. they sell cosmetics, wooden toys and traditional crafts. moreover, they try to use natural ingredients (from the czech republic) and what is very important do not test on animals! vegetable oils are preferred over mineral oils (huge plus) and no sulfates, petroleum products, allergenes, dyes, PEG emulgators or parabens are used.

i had to buy a new lip balm even though i got one from s for easter. the body shop lemon lip balm does not really work for my lips when they are extremely dry. i just love this balm from manufaktura and the ingredients do soften my lips quite quickly.

as i love travelling (it is probably my favorite thing to do), i can always use a mug that will not break. this one is made out of enamel. i took a porcelain cup with me to prague and broke it a few days ago. see, i knew beforehand that this manufaktura mug was made for me!

the nail file i own, no, the nail file i use from home is, to be honest, disgusting. it looks old-fashioned and ugly. the minute i saw this nail file i knew i had to get it. this is my personal nail file! and it is not even made out of metal, so i hope that detectors at the airport will not see it in my bag. :D is it only metal they can see? might have to ask m about that.

this is seriously the best summer shampoo! cocktail smell and uv filter. cannot wait to test it.

nice wooden comb that cannot be used for wet hair. ^^ it failed completely. at least it was cheap

some postcards i wrote! now you can guess which one is yours. hehe. jin's and my bf's postcard are not on the picture. pssst, they are in an envelope that i had closed already.

i have always wanted to read this book. i was thinking about buying and not-buying the book for days. when i finally bought it i felt so proud and inspired. unfortunately, after reading the first chapters i realized that i had already read that book before. i am the most forgetful person in the whole world. how could i not remember that i read the book two years ago?! at least i borrowed it last time. now i own my private copy of this great piece of literature.