June Favorites

Hear hear, Franzi went on a massive beauty shopping spree. How unheard of.
Well, if you look at the fact that I hardly wore any make up during the past three months - I actually explained why I stopped wearing it and how that affected me - , these few little sprees of mine weren't all that bad, right? It's totally okay to spend a little more in one month if you didn't buy any new products for the past ones?

As I felt like I missed out on some pretty nice new releases, I thought it'd be a good idea to give some of them a shot - which worked really well up until that point where I re-discovered some of my old favorites that were hidden away in my drawers and fell back in love with them.
Hashtag beauty blogger problems.

I feel like my favorite products from June are quite the accurate representation of all my new and old loves - so let's get into them!




Essence XXXL Longlasting Lipgloss Matte Effect in '06 Soft Nude' (2,69€)

I actually bought this right at the beginning of the year when a lot of my friends were raving about these lipglosses, but it somehow ended up in the depths of my drawers and that was the beginning of the end.

However, I've been all about liquid lipsticks lately; and even though this technically isn't a lipstick rather than a gloss, it dries to a matte finish, thus looking like a matte lipstick.
Not only is this a very lovely dark rose shade, the quality you get for such a low price is absolutely outstanding - the gloss is super long-lasting and doesn't smudge or budge at all!


Marc Jacobs Splash Collection Pear Eau de Toilette (54,95€)

This was actually such a spontaneous buy, but I don't regret it one bit.
I was actually browsing the Marc Jacobs counter, debating whether or not I should re-stock on my beloved 'Daisy Dream' when I came across their Splash Collection. While all four of the perfumes were definitely interesting, 'Pear' stood out to me.

This has such an interesting scent.
It obviously smells of pear, as the name suggests, but it also has notes of other citrus fruits as well as teakwood and musk - it's both fresh and smoky at the same time, which makes it very unique.

I also like that it isn't too overpowering, so I don't leave a trail of the scent behind me everywhere I go. However, it is pretty long-lasting - some days I will spritz some of it onto my wrists and will still linger on my skin when I shower in the evening!


Essence 'Shape & Shadows' Eye Contouring Palette (4,99€)

This is hands down one of my all time favorite products I've ever come across in the drugstore - and it's also limited edition. Boo.

I adore this so much that I actually wrote an in-depth review about it if you want to know the whole deal.
If you want the short version - this is an eye palette which includes shadows that can be used either as eyeshadows or to fill in the brows as well as a brow wax and a highlighter. How neat is that?

Despite the low price, the quality of the products included is insane - they're so longlasting and give a great color pay-off.


Essence 'The Glow Must Go On' Bronzing & Highlighting Palette (4,99€)

This palette is from the same limited edition as the eye palette I just mentioned - whcih sucks, because this one is amazing as well.

It includes three shades of bronzer as well as one highlighter, and on top of that it also comes with two eyeshadows - one is a orange-y shade and the other is a medium brown.

While I haven't tried out the eyeshadows yet, I'm in love with the bronzers and the highlighter.
I like the fact that they've included a shade of bronzer that is fit for very pale people like myself, which is very rare to find on the highstreet. Gone are the days of orange bronzers!



Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 'Transparent' (5,27€)

If you're no stranger to my blog, you'll probably know how much I adore this powder.
It's an absolute life saver for someone like me, who has a rather oily T-Zone, especially during the hotter season when my forehead looks like it's permanently covered in sweat. Nice.

What I love about this is that it mattifies my skin without clogging up my pores and/or making my skin break out, which you don't get too often from drugstore powders.
Besides that, it also doesn't change the color of your foundation or concealer as it is, as the name says, transparent - that's especially great for very fair people like me who struggle to find a powder that matches their skin tone.


Have you loved any specific products this month?

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The Wardrobe Edit #4

It hasn't even been a full month at the time I'm writing this post - it's been written last week because while you're reading this, I'll be in Rome, drinking up the sun and the food and the culture - since I last talked you through the newest additions to my wardrobe. Whoops.

I was about to say that I can't even come up with excuses for how many clothes I've been buying anymore, but one just crossed my mind - technically, these were all inspired by the travels I have planned for this summer!

German summers aren't exactly the bee's knees - we get some really hot days and weeks, but not nearly enough to invest into a full on summer wardrobe.
However, with my trips to Italy and Spain this summer, I'll need a lot of clothes that are light and short so I won't melt away in the heat - so what did I do?

I went shopping, obviously.

How adorable is this playsuit I picked up from C&A? I'm in love with the salmon shade, it's unlike anything else I own! I can't wait until it's hot enough to wear it.
It's rather simplistic, which I like, but the lace detailling at the neck gives it a nice sophisticated touch - and the cloth it's made of is heavenly soft. For a price of  19€, this doesn't just look incredible but also is of very good quality for such an affordable price.

The top is from C&A as well - it's actually a little shorter at the front than it is at the back and thus is pretty much a crop top, so I'll have to wear this with some high-waisted jeans or shorts as I'm not too keen on showing off my belly.
I also like the quote on it - I'm usually not one to buy tops that have any form of writing on them, but I actually quite like "we're all made of star stuff" - I don't know why it's so inspirational to me, but it is nonetheless!

I might've cheated a little bit on this next clothing item - it's actually supposed to be a plus sized shirt, but when I saw it in Adler I at first thought it was a dress - so when I tried it on and it actually looked like an actual dress on me as well, I just decided to go with it!
Besides that, it was cheaper than a lot of the dresses I own priced at 25.95€.

Because it's technically not a "real dress", it's pretty short. However, that makes up for the fact that the material is a little thicker so I hopefully won't sweat as much when wearing it this summer.
This turquoise shade is also very unusual for monochrome me, but it's such summer shade while stilk being somewhat subtle - and the folkore-ish stitching near them hem is such a nice touch!

You probably thought that you were looking at a backpack in the picture above, am I right? Well, it can technically be used as both a backpack and a handbag!
This clever '2-in-1' bag can be folded to be used as a backpack as well.

I picked this up from Tchibo for 29,95€ for when I'm in Rome - I'm someone who always carries around huge, heavy handbags; however I wanted to only carry the bare necessities with me, and the rather small space in this bag will force me to do that.
Besides that. it also functioning as a bagpack will allow me to carry it in front of my stomach in order to protect my belongings from pickpockets, which my teacher has already warned me about.


I wasn't so sure whether I should include the last few pieces into this post, but then I told myself that all of us wear underwear, so it shouldn't be a topic I have to avoid.

I've been eyeing up Calvin Klein underwear ever since I got my first bra from them - which I'm absolutely in love with - but as one of the only places the brand is available here is at Urban Outfitters, and one of the normal slips is priced at 32€ there.

That's why I decided to order  from Zalando - I got CAROUSEL 3 Pack for 39,95€. That's three slips for a few Euros more than I would've paid for one at Urban Outfitters - how great of a deal is that?
Besides the fact that I got them for such a great price, they're such good qaulity as well - they're so incredibly comfortable!


Have you picked up any new clothes recently? If so, please let me know - you might know I'm always on the hunt for new clothes by now!

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Suitcase Packing 101

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person on this planet who loves packing for a holiday.
 Every time my friends and I travel together, all of them complain how tedious and mind-numbing the process of packing is while I'm bouncing off the walls in excitement. How can you not get super pumped for your travels while packing?

As this year definitely marks an all time high in travelling for me - I had a total of five trips planned out, of which two have already happened; in fact, I'm currently packing my suitcase right now as I'm leaving for Rome tomorrow - I'll have a whole load of packing to do, which made me think about some tricks that'll help me use the room in my suitcase properly and keep me from overpacking.

And because packing can be quite the nemesis for quite a lot of people, I thought I'd share my tips and tricks for how to pack properly - so you can get done with it quickly and dream of your holiday even sooner!

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1. Plan before you start to pack.

Overpacking is never a good idea, especially when you're going somewhere by plane and have a certain weight limit you have to stick to - but even when you're not dragging huge, heavy bags or suitcases around with you isn't exactly a great time.

What I do to avoid packing things I won't really need is writing a list of all the essential items I'll need for my time away - toiletries, make up, medicine, clothing.
Clothing wise, it's wise to pack specific outfits. What I mean by this is laying out the pieces of clothing you want to take with you and combining them with other pieces - by putting together outfits and only packing pieces that go with other things you're taking, you'll avoid bringing unnecessary clothes that you cannot match to anything else you've taken with you.


2. Heavy and spacey things at the bottom.

Something I'll always do is placing heavy or big things I'm taking with me right at the bottom of my suitcase.
By doing that, you will stop heavy items from crumpling very delicate and soft cloth - because who wants to walk around in wrinkly clothing on their holiday?

Besides that, putting very spacey items like shoes at the bottom of your suitcase will force you to work - or pack - your way around them, for example by rolling clothing to fit into small spaces next to those large pieces.


3. Wrap any fluids in plastic bags.

Besides wrinkled clothes, something else you absolutely do not want to see when you open up your suitcase upon arrival is fluids that have spread all across the entire content of it.

To avoid that, always remember to wrap any form of fluid - be it perfume, shampoo, foundation, nail polish, medicine - in a small plastic bag. It's always better for them to leak into a seperate bag instead of onto all of your clothing.

Also, to keep fragile items like perfume from breaking, make sure to cushion them properly by putting the bag they're wrapped up in inbetween soft items like towels or clothing.


4. Never carry any valuable items in your suitcase.

I think a lot of people would've thought of this themselves, but it's still very important,
Always carry important items, such as your purse, passport, keys and other things you cannot lose under any circumstances in your carry on bag.

It's not unusual for suitcases to get lost on the way to your destination, especially if you have to switch from one plane and/or airline to another.
Most of the time, suitcases will show up eventually, but it wouldn't be the first time for one to dissolve into thin air.


Do you have any tricks that you cannot go without when it comes to packing?

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How to Become Better at Mornings

I feel like the characters in almost every single movie or TV show I've watched are the ideal morning people - they get up as the first rays of sunshine hit their face, stretch a little and then literally jump out of bed while whistling a joyful tune.

I don't know about you, but I hardly have days where I get up like this - usually it's only the case when I'm going on holiday and bouncing off the walls in excitement.

But no matter how much I hate it, there's no way to avoid my alarm clock ringing at 5.30am four days a week; and because of that, I've developed some habits that help me become a little more of a morning person and make me feel a little less dead while I wait for my coffee to be done.

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1. Whatever you do, don't press snooze.

I know just how inviting that damn snooze button is, but pressing it again and again will only make you feel worse.

Not only will you keep falling alseep only to be jerked awake after ten minutes , which can really screw up how tired you feel - even if you were to get nine hours of sleep yet keep pressing snooze, you'll find yourself unable to be fully awake.
On top of that, you're a lot more likely to be late for work, school or any appointments awaiting you, and who wants to run and break a sweat right after getting up?


2. Wash your face with cold water.

I know just how harsh or downright violent it can be to splash your face with cold water right after getting up - you'll be insanely cold for a few seconds, and you'll also wonder how much you must hate yourself to do this - but after you're done you'll feel insanely refreshed and a lot more awake!


3. Do some light exercise.

I've found that introducing some really light excersise like yoga or even meditation can really change the way I feel throughout the day.

It gives me those ten minutes to take a deep breath and clear my head in order to start the day with a refreshed mind.
Besides that, my body always feels so great after a short exercise in the morning and on top of that, I feel energized and ready to seize the day!


4. Take a few minutes to plan out your day.

This might not be for you if you're a super spontaneous person and often make spur-of-the-moment decisions, but if you, like me, love yourself at least a little organisation you should definitely include this step into your morning routine!

What I do is sit down with my bullet journal during breakfast and plan out or go over my tasks for the day - this helps me concentrate, even though the task isn't too demanding.
Besides that, it also helps me prepare for the day - by going over my to-do list every morning, I'm less likely to forget to do something important.


5. Prepare a good breakfast for yourself.

Something that I do every morning without fail is make breakfast for myself - whether it's eggs, pancakes or simply cereal or toast (let's be real, mostly the last two because I ain't to four star cook).

I feel like by preparing my food myself, I avoid eating anything too unhealthy or skipping breakfast altogether - it truly is the most important meal of the day. If you eat poorly or not at all, you'll struggle to come up with energy all day!



What is the most important step in your morning routine?

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How to Write a Banging Term Paper

I've always loved writing - it's actually one of the main reasons I started my blog. It was supposed to be a way for me to both talk about the things I'm interested and invested in and practice and share my writing.

Because of that, writing in any shape or form has always come relatively easy to me, even when it was mandatory writing I had to do for classes.
To a lot of other people, however, pieces that will be critically judged and then graded, work that will hugely affect their finals grade - such as term papers or even a thesis - are absolute nemesises.

I myself have to write something I can only compare to a shorter version of a thesis in order to be allowed to even take my final exams before graduation, so I've been experiencing the refusal and de-motivation almost everyone in my year has been struggling with first hand.

And because so many people struggle with writing important papers, I thought I might share some of the best tips on how to write an amazing term paper or thesis!

1. Choose a topic that interests you/ you're invested in.

My first piece of advice is actually pretty obvious, but still needs to be said.
Sometimes you might think that picking a certain topic for your paper might impress your teacher/professor, leading to a better grade - however, if you don't feel any form of conection to or compassion for what you're writing about, it'll definitely show in the quality of you work!

It's always a good idea to go with a topic you're genuienly interested in and won't get tired of working with after a couple of weeks as you'll be spending quite a lot of time with it.

2. Do research bit by bit so you won't feel overwhelmed.

In my eyes, the act of writing your paper is actually the easiest part of your entire working process.
What, to me, can often be insanely endlesss and tiring is spending hours and hours doing research - working your way through an everlasting list of books, trying ten different variations of the same key words to get as many results from Google as possible, doing interviews or handing out questionaires.
 Please don't tell me I'm the only one who thinks that while it can be really interesting, it's often nothing but god-awful.

What to keep in mind here is that while you'll eventually have to do all of this research, it's a good idea to divide it up into small portions - read a chapter or two one day, then another one the next day and so on.
By starting your research a little early and keeping it to bearable amounts at all times, you're much less likely to be overwhelmed by the stack of books awaiting you - because let's be real, getting through five big books, and I mean rellay big, thinking around 500-700 pages each - of immigrant policies in around three weeks while studying and working wasn't going to work quite as well as I had imagined.
Time management is key - which brings me to my next point.

3. Stop procastinating.

I know that even the thought of starting a big project like this can be insanely off-putting to begin with, but as I already mentioned - the more you procastinate and the later you start, the more work is going to pile up on your desk - and it will eventually end up drowning you.

Even when the deadline is not in the near future - mine, for example, is in early November and I started working on my paper at the beginning of the year - it's always best to create some sort of working schedule to keep you organized and on track.
It's important to keep these things in mind: Are all the books/other sources I need available at all times, or do I have to get them at specific times? Will I have to hand in any early drafts? By which point in time do I want to be done with research and start writing? How much time will I need for fine-tuning after I've finished my paper?

I like to keep a to-do or goal list related to my paper and tick aims/tasks off as I go - seeing them disappear of the list shows me the progress I've already made and thus motivates me to keep working on.

4. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

While you'll be working mostly by yourself when it comes to these big projects, it's important to know that you're not on your own at all.

For one, there will always be other students working on their term paper/thesis at the exact same point in time you are, so taking some time to talk to them about their progress, their feelings and their struggles can really help you - and even the others - a lot.
The group of people in my year whose topics are themed around Mexico and the United States - just like mine is - exchanges about the progress made every now and then, and it's amazing how we often come up to possible solutions for other people's sturggles when they seem to be stuck - and how others help us out as well.

And then there's always your teacher or professor - it's fairly easy to be intimidated by them, but most of the teachers I've come across have always wanted the best for their students, which means that they will be happy to help you out with any questions that might come up while you're working on your paper.
Don't be embarassed to ask them for advice - they might come up with ideas you never would've thought of. Coming back to my own paper - I told my teacher that I had absolutely no clue whatsoever about a possible introduction for my paper, and by discussing it with her we came up with the most amazing idea ever - and I never would've been able to incorporate it into my work if I hadn't had the courage to admit that I needed help.

On the other hand, they might point out mistakes you've been making and thus saving you from losing points when handing in a flawed piece of work - you can really just win something from cooperating with your teachers.

Do you have any advice when it comes to writing a term paper or thesis?

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My Favorite Palette from the Drugstore

You could say that I'm an eyeshadow palette snob. Pretty much all of my favorite palettes are high-end ones, such as Urban Decay's Naked or Naked Basics palettes - they might be rather expensive, but the quality they have to offer is more than worth it.

However, that doesn't mean that I don't like to branch out because there's definitely great alternatives to high end products - Essence, which is one of my all time favorite drugstore brands, never fails to come out with new exciting products that I love to try out.

Because of that it just so happened that I was browsing the Essence counter and stumbled upon their new "Blogger's Beauty Secrets" range which includes both nail polishes and palettes designed in collaboration with four beauty bloggers!
I was really intrigued by the concept, and when I saw that they also came out with a palette that can be used to both form eyebrows and create eyeshadow looks, designed by the wonderful Mary from strikeapose,  I had to get it - which wasn't so bad as it's merely 4.99€.

As you can see in the pictures above and the swatches below, the palette includes five powder products, three of which - 'hazel grace', 'audrey highbrow' and 'brigitte brown' - can be used to fill in eyebrows, while 'marilyn metallic' is a wonderul bronze eyeshadow shade that contains quite a bit of glitter; and 'billie vanillie' is the ideal highlighter for the inner corner of your eyes - or even an usual eyeshadow if you're feeling extra sparkly.
Besides that, it also comes with a wax that can be used in two ways - for one, it's supposed to fix your brows and set them in place and on the other hand, it can also be used as an eyeshadow primer.

without flash / with flash

After using this, I can finally say that I've found a shade that works for my eyebrows.
Even though I have dark blonde hair, the lightest shade is actually too light for me; however the second to darkest shade is a suprisingly good match for a drugstore option.

The quality of the products that are supposed to be used on the eyebrows is overall really good.
The wax works wonderfully, it keeps my brows in place all day; however, I have yet to try using it as an eyeshadow primer.
The darkest two eyebrow powders give off a high pigmentation, which I sadly can't say about the first one. If you either have really light eyebrows or want to use it as an eyeshadow, you might end up being disappointed. At the very least, they do stay on all day when used in combination with the wax.

The shimmery shades, on the other hand, are phenomenal.
Pigmentation wise, I dare to claim that they outshine even my beloved Naked palettes - my camera sadly didn't pick it up completely, even when I used the flash. The shades are so amazingly vibrant!
Their longevity is also amazing; even when used without any form of primer, they stayed on for around five hours, which is incredible for such a low price.


Overall, I would definitely recommend this palette to anyone, not just absolute eyeshadow lovers like myself.
With this little palette - it's actually so small and compact that it can easily be thrown into a handbag for when you might need it on the go - Essence covers both your need for eyeshadow and eyebrow powders, and they do it in such a clever way with high-quality products you wouldn't expect from a drugstore brand; and everything for less than a fiver!


Do you have a favorite eyeshadow palette - and is it from the drugstore or is it a high-end one?

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Movie Quotes That Stayed With Me

I'm one of these people who really love quotes. As in, everytime I hear one I like I write it down or screenshot it; as in I keep a little booklet of my favorite quotes. It might be a weird hobby, but at least I'm not into something like doing drugs, right?

As a big bookworm, I have a whole lot of favorite book quotes - which I've already shared some of on here - but do you know where people also drop some really amazing lines? In movies.

To be fair, I watch a lot more TV shows than I watch movies, but I still love the occasional movie night with my family or friends - and because of that, I also have my fair share of favorite quotes from all kinds of movies which, due to popular demand, I want to share with you today!

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1. "The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it." - The Lion King.

2. "You can't live your life for other people. You've got to do what's right for you, even if it hurts some people you love." - The Notebook.

3. "Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss." - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

4. "After a while, you learn to ignore the names people call you and just trust who you are." -Shrek.

5. "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." - The Phantom Menace.

6. "We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for." - Dead Poets Society.

7. "Working hard is important. But there is something that matters even more: believing in yourself." - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

8. "Only a real risk can test the reality of a belief." - God's Not Dead.

9. "You don't have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring." - Beauty and the Beast.

10. "I am in love with you. And I know that love is just a shout in the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed, and that the sun will swallow the only earth that we will ever have. And I am in love with you." - The Fault in Our Stars.

11. "Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved." - Winnie the Pooh.

12. "We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it." - The Breakfast Club.

13. "Lesbian? Her birthday's in March. I thought she was a Pisces." - Bend It Like Beckham.

14. "Sometimes the right path is not the easy one." - Pocahontas.


What are some of your favorite movie quotes?

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Why Going a Month without Make Up Was the Best Thing I've Ever Done

Doing my make up used to be a mandatory step in my morning routine. It was kind of like brushing my teeth - something I did without having to think about it, something that I did so much that leaving that step out of my routine would have felt a little weird.

I can't think of a time when I didn't leave the house without at least the smallest hint of make up, and to be honest, I think there were some people in my year at school who haven't ever seen me completely bare-faced before at all - until recently.

Because halfway through March, I decided something had to change.
I was struggling with some really ugly skin conditions, and I felt horrible just thinking about leaving the house without covering them up, but I also knew that they'd never heal if I didn't let my skin breathe.

So I stopped wearing make up.
And while that short sentence might seem so underwhelming to some, it was quite a big step for me. But it was also a very important one because I learnt so much during that time!

For one, my skin did in fact get better.

I've realized that being covered in make up for eight to ten hours a day could just not be healthy for my skin, and letting it breathe by just washing it every morning and night did so much for it, as did the sun rays that for once actually reached my skin without the layers of foundation and concealer covering it up.

My face has almost healed completely by now, which makes me so happy I could weep - that's also why I've only started introducing minimal products like mascara back into my routine.

What's even more important, however, is what it did for me as a person.
I think most people struggle with confidence, or more so lack thereof, and so do I - especially regarding my appearance and my skin. I've actually dedicated an entire post to explaining how I've been struggling with coming to terms with my skin for years.

Keeping that in mind, it might be clear why I was so damn scared of walking around bare-faced in public, especially during the early stages when my face still looked a little like I fell into stinging nettles face first.
But even though I've had some nasty comments dropped behind my back - only from people I didn't even know and most of whom were even younger than me - I've started feeling better and better in my own skin every day.

Now that we're almost halfway through June and I've only recently started wearing some mascara and lipstick here and there, I can wholeheartedly say that I don't give a shit anymore.
I've realised that the only person who has live with this skin is esentially me, therefore no one else should be bothering with how I look so long as I'm okay with it. And I'm fine with it, I'm finally contended with how my skin is doing, even though it's nowhere near perfect.
If I've taken one lesson out of this time, it's this - I have to feel good in my own skin and live with it every single day, not anyone else.

And one the other hand, to end this post on a little less depressing note because how the hell do I always end up going so deep into topics like this, I'm so deep I can literally see hell, it actually even helped me save money!
I love make up, it was and still is a great passion of mine so I ocassionally - okay, more often than I'd like to admit - splurge on products, even when I know that I technically don't need them.

However, not wearing make up in the first place also meant that I really considered every purchase twice and often ended up not buying anything at all!

Going without make up for over a month had really positive effects on me - but have you ever gone without it for a longer time? What did you experience?

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20 Things to Do This Summer

Summer is hands down my favorite season, from the fact that I'm off school and work to the warm days and overall positive vibes, everything about the season makes me feel like so well, calm and contended that I could probably conquer the world.

As much as I love lazy days spent in my bed watching my favorite TV shows, I often tend to feel so unproductive when the sun's beaming down and everyone's enjoying their day.
Sometimes, however, my mind just somehow goes blank and I get really stuck on what I want to do - if you, like me, are always looking for things to do during your summer holidays, the following list could give you an idea or two to try out!

1. Have a barbecue - is there any other food that reminds you of summer any more than barbecues do?

2. Be a tourist in your own city - explore places you haven't paid any attention to before, try new restaurants, maybe even do some really cliché, touristy things. You'll be suprised by how much you've been missing out on.

3. Give yourself a day when you can have a reaaally long sleep in without regretting one minute of it. Sometimes a girl just needs to sleep until 2pm, alright?

4. Don't use your phone for an entire day. When you're away during summer, you want to relax as much as possible, and not checking Twitter or your emails every two minutes can do wonders for that.

5. Go stagrazing, whether it's in your backyard or elsewhere.

6. Try out a new recipe - I've shared a few of my favorites here!

7. Go on a road trip. It doesn't matter how far your drive or what your destination is, there's just something about the feeling of freedom I get when on road trips that's so addictive!

8. Treat yourself to something you've had your eyes on for a while, whether it's a clothing item or even just some nail polish!

9. Give back - I feel like summer is the time I often find myself astonished by how many amazing people I have in my life that I don't appreciate enough, so I like doing something nice for them to make them at least as happy as the make me!

10. Have a closet cleanout and give the clothes you don't wear anymore to charity. And I mean all the clothes. Don't tell yourself you'll wear that shirt sometime when you haven't put it on once during the past three years.

11. Have a movie night in with your family or friends. Topped of with tons of snacks such as popcorn, nachos and gummy bears, those are my favorite kinds of nights!

12. Cut negativity out of your life. Summer is the time to feel incredible and have a great time, so why let toxic people or situations drag you down?

13. Read a your favorite magazine or a good book outside. There's nothing like lying on the gras while the sun is shining on your face!

14. Grab your friends, bring some food and have a picnic at the park on a warm evening.

15. Go to a funfair, have some cotton candy, ride a roller coaster and scream at the top of your lungs!

16. Pick berries at a local farm. This is one of my favorite summer activities, it's so much fun and besides taking home some sweet snacks, you can also sneak some of them into your mouth while you're picking them.

17. Go to a music festival or an outdoor concert and dance and sing well into the night.

18. Go for a swim in a lake. It's been so long since I swam outside your regular pool and I've been missing it a lot!

19. Go kayaking or canoeing - I've only tried kayaking once but it was so much fun!

20. Dance in a summer rainstorm. Feeling the warm rain on your skin is such an incredible feeling, and forgetting about everything while dancing in the rain, even if it's just for a few minutes, can do such great things for your soul.


What's something you really want to do this summer?

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The Device That Got Rid of My Acne for Good

Acne is a very unpleasant topic, especially if you've been dealing with it for a long period of time and not a single one of the products you've piled up over the years seems to work for your skin.

I've recently mentioned how much I've been struggling with my recent wave of breakouts when I talked about my favorite skin care range for problematic skin, but like most skin care products do when it comes to my skin, even those products have their limits.

However, I was pointed into the direction of a fairly new invention by a friend of my Mom's in early April - a device that is supposed to rid your skin of acne and work to prevent further breakouts.
I was more than sceptical about this, to say the least, but after testing it for two months, I can report that I'm officially acne-free - thanks to Face-Up!

The Czech company which developed the Face-Up devices claims it to employ magnetic fields and warmth to accelerate your body's metabolism, which means that it will at first make your spots grow at an immense speed, only for them to reduce in size after just a few days until they eventually disappear completely. Effects - as in, acne-free skin - are likely to show between the first 14 to 30 days after the first use.

Using the device is fairly easy.
After turning it on, its lower side (as shown in the photo above) will show a red, pulsing light. I usually let the device run for around five minutes before I start using it on my face so that it's already warm.
Then I touch the device to my face and move it in circular motions over an area of my face that shows spots or redness for 10 minutes. After those 10 minutes have passed, I move on to the next area.

Now, onto the actual effects my skin showed due to my usage of Face-Up!

It's definitely true that the skin gets worse before it gets better, While my face was already covered in pretty big spots, but within the first few days of using this, they turned into actual bumps. And I mean real big bumps that visbily stood out from my face. It was gross, to say the least.
Besides that, a lot of new spots started to emerge from their hiding place within the first week.

I knew that that was what's supposed to happen, but I couldn't help feeling discouraged.
However, after around two and a half weeks of usage, my skin started to clear up more and more. Smaller red patches were fading nicely, smaller spots were almost not noticeable - only the really big bumps took a little over three weeks to finally get gone.

What's really positive, though, is that none of the breakouts and other skin problems such as rashes and extremly dry skin have come back to haunt me - after using this amazing invention for just a little under two months, all that's left of an entire face that was once covered in spots are some little red spots of healing skin where the spots once were.

To summarize it - if you're suffering from acne and nothing seems to work for you, I'd wholeheartedly recommend this to you because it works insanely well.
Usage wise, it's feels really pleasant on the skin, besides the fact that it can get a little warm.

With a price tag of 179€, it's quite the investment, but in my eyes it's better to splurge on this device once as it gives you such great results than to buy products that don't work half as well.

Have you ever tried a device similar to this one?

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The Fear of Failure

If there's something about me that shows in my entire personality, in my temper - basically everything that makes me myself, it's the fact that I'm a complete and utter perfectionist.

I've always been this way, ever since I was a little peanut and still went to primary school - I had to get my work done precisely, and I wouldn't rest until everything was completed perfectly. Back then, that was alright, and my parents were so proud of their little girl who always excelled at everything, the over-achiever, the primary example.

Somewhere along the way, however, I feel like my perfectionism has turned into something unhealthy.
I mean, it's great when your inner strenght wins over your wish to procastinate all the time and you get things done, and you do them well, but for me it's started to feel like so much pressure. Like I pressure myself to be nothing but perfect when that's all but possible.

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I'm extremly scared of failure. There, I said it out loud.
It's what I've been trying to hide from people - getting smiles and hugs and recognition for doing well is great and all that, but I don't think my parents or friends would tear me apart and feed me to the lions if I ever didn't suceed at something.

I'm my own problem.
I want to so badly for myself to do well, which on one hand is healthy because after all, my entire future depends on the work I do and the choices I make leading up to my twenties, but I put so much pressure on myself that it stops me from doing all the great things I want to do.

I'm not going to lie, the days when I feel so teribble that I don't even want to approach my desks have been increasing, especially since classes and work started again on Monday.
Monday was literally my first day back, and it was enough to have me sitting in front of my Mom, crying because I felt so overwhelmed by everything that was thrown at me, even though none of it was particularly bad and outrageous.

And the awkward duckling I am, I don't really know how to explain how I feel to others, because to be honest it's hard to put into words when I think about it in my head as well, because until recently I didn't even realize how unhealthy my behaviour was starting to be.
Besides that, I feel like such a whiny twat reading all of this. It makes me cringe because I know that other people would love to do as well regarding education and work as I am and I must seem so ungrateful. If I do, I'm sorry - that's not what I'm trying to come off as.

The problem with this entire situation is that I don't know how to step back from all my work and responsibilities, sitting down and watching some episodes of my favorite TV shows is basically impossible because I always have all the things I could be getting done nagging at me while I try to relax, so other people telling me to "just chill" or "take your time and take a step back" might be really nice and want to help, but sadly it doesn't help me at all.


I don't know why I'm ranting to you all about this, but I do know that I really had to get this off my chest. And maybe there's someone else who is in a situation similar to mine?

I'd love to hear your story or thoughts on this subject as I feel it affects a lot of young people nowadays!

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