May Beauty Favorites

Looking back at it, I'm seriously shocked at how quickly not only this month, but the entire year has been flying by. I feel like it was my birthday just a few weeks ago, but that was all the way back in February. Say what?

For me, May has been such a refreshing, feel-good kind of month.
I've had the past two weeks off which means that I've had some time to take a few breaths, take a step back and treat myself a little, and it's definitely helped me both mentally and physically.
It's also been the month my skin condition finally started looking up - and that's mainly because of the products I introduced into my routine!

Face Up! Acne Device (179€)

I've mentioned all the problems I've had with my skin ever since the beginning of the year here and there - after being acne free for years, I had an insane flare-up at the end of January that would continue bugging me for months.
At times, most of my face was made up of red, inflammable patches and spots. Yuck.

I tried pretty much everything I could get my hands on, most of which made my skin look even worse, so you can imagine how desperate I was. Desperate enough to take the plunge and purchase this little device when someone pointed it out to me.

I'm going to give an in-depth description of how this works in a review of it next week, but it basically works with warmth and magnetic fields to get everything that's clogging up your pores out, get rid of your spots and treat your skin to keep your skin acne-free in the long term.

I didn't believe this would get rid of my acne, but it actually did - after a month of using this every night, all that is left of it are some small red areas where spots once were and my skin still needs time to heal.
This is definitely worth every single cent I spent on it!

Lush Bunch of Carrots Reusable Bubble Bar (9,99€)

I got these carrot-shaped bubble bars for Easter - originally, there was a pink one as well, but I've already used that one up, woops. I'm so sad that they're only available around Easter because they're absolutely amazing!

They all share the same wonderfully pleasant smell of lemon, bergamont and buchu which is very refreshing and definitely also fit for people who don't like very heavy scents; and they make the water feel soo soft on the skin so you get out of the bath feeling absolutely luxurious.

The 'Bunch of Carrots' is a little more pricey than Lush's other bubble bars, but as you can easily use each carrot for two baths, you can get up to six baths out of this, which is really good value for money if you ask me!

MAC Lipstick in 'Kinda Sexy' (20€)

This must be one of the most featured products of all times on my blog (I actually have a full review of it up here) and some of you must be getting tired of seeing this, but I'll never stop preaching about how much I love it. Soz.

'Kinda Sexy' is the ideal nude shade for very pale people like me - it's a mauve-ish pink with some brown undertones, but I've also come to find that it looks different on people with different skin tones, so you should definitely check it out for yourself.

On top of that, it also has a matte formula, which is my absolute favorite of MAC's formulas because it's incredibly long-lasting without being majorly drying on the lips.

VK Cosmetic's 'No For Problematic Skin' Care Range (37€)

I've mentioned how much I adore this skin care range before, but it's helped me so much that it more than deserves a place amongst my monthly favorites.

It includes a cleanser, a toner (which has not been available for a while, so I don't actually own it yet) and a skin cream, all of which are designed to treat acne-prone, inflammable and oily skin - and these products work a treat!
They've been nothing but good for my skin - I haven't experienced any allergic reactions to it and have beeen using it for over a month now, which is extremly rare for me.

What's also a huge plus about this range for me is its smell.
Products that are designed to treat acne usually stink, if I'm being honest here, but these products smell of raspberry! It's such a light, pleasant smell that lingers on my skin for quite a while after application.

What products have you been loving this past month?

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The Wardrobe Edit #3

I think we're past the state of denial here - all of you know that I'm somewhat of a shopaholic by now, especially since my previous two wardrobe edits, which you can find here.

However, I’ve hardly had any time to so much as just check out one single store ever since my finals started in April, so my bank account had some time to rest. Thank god, because during my much needed two weeks off I picked up a few pieces here and there, some when I was away on holiday and some when I randomly decided to hit the town with my Mom.

First off I have some really laid-back pieces that go somewhat against my usual love for more elegant clothing.

I couldn’t resist picking up this hoodie from Soxx for 49,99€ while I visited the Europa Park with my family – if you’re interested in finding out more about that glorious theme park, I already shared my experiences last Friday!. It’s actually from a limited edition range that’s only available in the park itself and says “A thrilling experience – more than one hundred attractions – incredible roller coasters – excitement, great amusement & enjoyments”. Not only is it a nice souvenir that’ll remind me of my time at the park, but it’s also of really good quality and keeps you really warm and cozy!

And how adorable is this tank top? As someone who lives and breathes everything Harry Potter, this Hogwarts University of Witchcraft and Wizardy just had to come home with me, and at a price of 19,99€, it wasn’t even as expensive as a lot of Harry Potter merch is. I stumbled upon this one in a store called “Elbenwald” downtown – it’s basically the place to be if you, like me, are a total geek as they sell merch for all kinds of different franchises such as Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead and Doctor Who!

This next top has already become one of my favorite items in my entire closet!

I’ve been looking for an off-the-shoulder top for absolute ages until my Mom pointed this one out to me when we were browsing our local Urban Outfitters, and it’s an absolute dream at 29€. Not only does its material feel so soft and flowy, but its color is absolutely adorable. This light, somewhat washed out pink has been of my favorites for a while now – if you’ve seen my latest wardrobe edit, you’ll already know that it’s overtaking my wardrobe.

These last two items are from C&A.

I’ve been looking for some khaki colored pants for a while now, and I was so disappointed when I saw that these cute shorts weren’t available in my size anymore – but turns out I actually fit into ones that are a size smaller because of how wide and flowy these are. Neat! And they were only 15€, which is a really great price for a pair of shorts as well.

The sunglasses were a bit of an impulse buy, even for me, because I literally saw and grabbed them while the cashier was already taking the shorts out of my hand. Totally not sorry, though, as they were only 5€ and look so damn dreamy with the rose gold frame and rosy glasses.

What's a store that never fails you when it comes to amazing pieces of clothing? Please let me know in the comments so I can check it out!

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Recent Reads #10 | The Serpent King

I don't think I've ever gone into a book completely blind, as in I literally knew nothing about it besides the title and the author because I didn't read any summaries or previews.

Due to that, "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner has definitely been a first for me - the book showed up as a recommendation on my Goodreads feed and it had suprisingly high ratings, so as I was looking for new books for my "to be read" bookshelf anyways, I just decided to order it without even knowing the slightest thing about the plot.

Let me tell you, I was in for a suprise.
Going with the title, I had suspected everything but the story that unfolded before me as I started reading the first few pages, but I'm glad that that didn't make me put down the book because once again, Goodreads wasn't lying.

This book was great on a lot of levels, and you're about to find out why.

The the story is told from the points of view of three teenagers from a smalltown in Tennessee, all struggling with different problems - some sad, some sadder and some absolutely neck-breaking.

Dill's father, a preacher, serves a prison term for owning child pornography, leaving Dill and his mother struggling not to drown in the "family debt" - so much even that Dill's mother urges him to drop out of school to work full time.
Lydia is a popular fashion blogger, harassed in her tiny hometown for speaking up about things she doesn't want to put up with anymore and dreaming to finally break free from the smalltown to go to college in New York.

Travis prefers reading fantasy novels to escape his real life, in which his older brother has died serving the military, leading his father to turn to alcohol and abusing his son and wife.

It seems that those three don't have anything in common, but that's what makes their friendship so extraordinary. All three are outcasts, struggling to break free from everything that's holing them back, and their friendship is the one thing that carries them through it.

The novel is a breath taking portrayl of how smalltown life can make, break or shape its inhabitants in different ways, some predictable and some so unpredictable they hit you in the face while you're reading, and hard.


So, now that I've tried to lay out the plot in a way that doesn't give away too many spoilers - because the book is so amazing that I think everyone should experience the story for themselves - what makes this damn book so special?

First off, I love how this book depicts smalltown life - most of the books I read are set in really big cities that tend to feel a little disconnected and overwhelming, but in "The Serpent King", you find yourself in a tiny town where everyone know everything about everyone - or so it seems.
Also, as someone who has a soft spot for the South of the US after spending some time in there ,myself, I adored how realistic the area's portrayal was - the fact that Jeff Zentner actually lives in Tennessee made it feel ten times more authentic.

I don't think I've ever read a book that covers religious themes, even though I'm a quite religious person myself - I explained how religion was a very personal thing for me before on here.
Because of that, I was somewhat sceptical about the book once I realised how religion was a major part of it, but I was overwhelmed how great the author handled it.
The book in no way tries to force beliefs onto the reader but rather deals with how people can also struggle to have faith and question their religion, which I really enjoyed.

If you're not new to my 'Recent Reads' series, you'll know that for me, characters either make or break a novel.
As for "The Serpent King", I was sort of unsure of how I felt about the three main characters, especially during the first few chapters when you still know so little about what's hiding under the surface, but I've come to really feel for them.
While Lydia, with her ambition and willpower and fear of failure was one of the most 'me' characters I've ever stumbled upon, all three of them are so raw and relatable, they feel like they were taken right out of the real world, like they could be your neighbors.


Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who isn't afraid to delve a little deeper into all different kinds of angst and to touch base on topics that could essentially concern all of us, no matter how heartbreaking and breath taking they sound.
"The Serpent King" is available for 11.40€ on Amazon.


Have you read any outstanding novels lately? Please let me know, I'll happily add them to my 'to read' list!

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4 Things That Help During Your Period

When the idea for this post popped into my head as I laid crouched over my desk, pondering how I had not fainted from the pain in my stomach and lower back yet, I thought that people would probably wrinkle their noses at the title at first.

But judging by the fact that 95% of my readers are female, at least according to Google Analytics, I figured that I might as well go for it.

Periods are something that all of us girls have to go through for a period of our lives, some with less, some with worse side effects, ranging from cramps to moodswings to breakours.

As someone who was cursed with extremly bad period cramps that often leave me lying in fetus position for the first two day of that time of the month, I thought I'd be a nice idea to share the top five things that keep me from losing it during the most difficult time of the month.

1. Cozy up

I think this one is pretty obvious - when you feel pretty much like crap and just want to crawl under a blanket and cry, that's what you should do. Seriously, your period is the time you should be good to yourself.

Grab yourself a hot beverage, a hot water bottle and crawl under a blanket on your sofa, or even into your bed and do something that makes you feel at ease, like reading a good book or watching an episode of your favorite TV show. Being in constant pain isn't fun, but taking some time to tune out of everything life's throwing at you on top of it can be very soothing.

2. Light exercise

I know that a lot of people will think that I'm nuts for even mentioning exercise to someone who's on their period, and I don't blame you because exercise, or moving in general, is the last thing I want to do when I'm on my period.

But light exercise such as stretching, yoga or pilates will help you relieve cramps and often even prevent them - studies have shown that your menstrual afflictions, such as cramping and heavy flow, can often be prevented if you are more active.

3. Have a hot bath

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of bathing and relaxing in steamy water, so naturally, I choose to treat myself to a luxurious bath with a bath bomb or bath melt, rose petals, candles and all that good stuff at least once during the worst week of the month.

Baths work the same way against your period pains as they do against aching muscles or illnesses, they calm you and leave you feeling refreshed and rested while also relieving cramps the way a hot water bottle would.

4. Watch what you eat

When on my period, I often crave foods that include heavy levels of sugar and salt or drinks such as coffee - but no matter how much I want them, these foods will actually make me feel a lot worse.
Salt, for example, causes water retention, leaving you feeling even more bloated up - yuck!

Instead of foods that include the above, try to keep to healthier options and eat those more regularly, as in five smaller meals as opposed to three large ones - it keeps your metabolism up and running which gives you energy and thus, makes you feel better.

On top of that, you should try to keep hydrated - even more than you usually should, anyways! Dehydration will also make you feel worn out and tired.


Is there anything that helps you when you're on you period? Please share it in the comments so myself, and maybe even some others, can try those methods out!

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Visiting Europe's Biggest Theme Park - Europa Park

If there's one place in the world that I would call my happy place, it would have to be the Europa Park.
It's been a huge part of my life ever since I first visited it when I was eight years old - that was almost a decade ago, how am I so old? I've returned to the park almost every summer since then.

For those of you who don't know the park - it is a theme park located in the very South West of Germany, only a few kilometers from the boarders to France and Switzerland. It's Europe's biggest and most visited amusement park only rivalled by Disneyland Paris and is divided up into several areas, which are all themed around different European countries such as Italy, France and Portugal, featuring not only rides but also national foods and other things that add to the overall atmosphere.

I've already talked about how excited I am that this year's summer is reserved all for our holiday to Teneriffe, so my parents suprised my brother and me with a two-day trip to Europa Park during our spring holidays - how adorable are they?

We set off for the trip around 4am on Saturday, and I swear I could not sit still for the entire weekend ever since then.

As we've already been to the park five times prior to this one, my family and I had already planned out a lot of our trip to save as much time as possible because waiting times are your enemy here.

We entered the park as soon as it opened at 9am and took the park's very own overhead railway to the very end of the park so we could go on all the rides there while all the other visitors took their sweet time walking.

 

As you can see, I'm quite a big fan of rollercoasters, both your normal ones and water rollercoasters.
If you're looking for a real thrill, Blue Fire and Euro Mir are your friends - while the former includes loopings and a lot of air time, the latter sends you flying down right next to the facade of a sky scraper. They're breathtaking - but sadly, so are their waiting times. My brother waited 70 minutes for a ride on Blue Fire on our second day!

The water rollercoasters were not as popular during our two day stay because it rained on and off, but as it wasn't too cold my we enjoyed riding both Poseidon (the blue one) and Atlantica Supersplash (the turquoise one) without having to wait at all!

Looking back at our lunch, which we had at the "Petite France", I really have to praise the park's catering. All the restaurants serve such a broad variety of foods and have a whole load of vegeterian and vegan options, so you can dine very well during your stay and don't have to only eat fast food - unless that's what you into, because there's loads of that to be had as well!
They also do really well on snacks and desert - I loved the Mini Donuts they sell. I could in fact eat these right now, the picture makes me that hungry.

 

During the afternoon of our first day, my Mom and I explored the park on our own because we wanted to explore all the themed areas without my little brother dragging us right into the next ride.

What is so special about this park is that there are so many little details that you can still discover things you've never seen before, even if you've been there before.
Also, the architecture of the different areas gives of the atmosphere of the countries they represent - after a while, with all of the smells of traditional food and the buildings around you, you'll actually start feeling like your in Greece, Finnland or Russia.

After finishing the day off with a few more rides on our favorite rollercoasters, it was already time for us to head back to our hotel - but before that, I took the chance and finally had my photo taken with some of the park's mascots, which I met at random on my way out. Ed Euromaus, the mouse, has been the parks symbol ever since the beginning and was one of my childhood heroes, so you can imagine how happy I was!

The park had a lot more visitors during Sunday, our second day in the park, so we opted for some of the more relaxing rides as we had actually managed to fit in almost all of the thrilling rides into our first, jam-packed day!

Because of that, we rode the Djungle Raft-Trip, which is actually soo relaxing and cute, even though it's mostly aimed at kids, rode the mono-rail (which you have the most amazing view over the park from, might I add) and watched a 4D movie in the park's very own cinema, which was incredible and will have a sequel that's coming to cinemas worldwide!

 

We did a lot more things, but really, this post would go on for hours and I don't think anyone would bother to read that, so I'll just leave with these photos of some of the other amazing rides that park has to offer that I didn't even get to touch base on yet.

Overall, these two days were some of the best I've had in a very long time.
Not only the park and its atmosphere, but also its staff members do everything to make you feel welcome and wonderful, so this has been yet another amazing, magical experience for me that makes me want to come back to the park forevermore.

Have you ever been to Europa Park? If so, how was your stay?

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