Rossmann Blogger Assignment: Lagom feelings from Barnängen

I recently wrote about Lagom and the beauty of living in moderation, but it was only from a theoretical point of view, as I did not have too many direct experiences - besides my visits to Sweden, where I also taught for a summer school once - with this much praised life-style. My wish to get a better knowledge about Swedish moderation and elegance come true, once I was offered to test the newest products by Barnängen, recently introduced to the German market and distributed through the Rossmann drugstore network. An iconic company, Barnängen was founded in 1868 and become famous for its soaps, but it soon diversified its products and nowadays offers a range array of shower and daily care items.

The four products I was offered in an impressively big box are the perfect company for a pleasant shower routine: Nutritive shower cream, Nutritive body lotion, Midsommar Glow Body Oil - doesn't matter we are running deep into the winter, your body should not stop glowing anyway - and all over intensive Body Balm. 

They look relatively good, without an outstanding elegant design but acceptable. However, the quality inside each bottle is far beyond the expectations, and for a good serious reason. I tested the products regularly twice the day, and I did not experience any allergy, but if you have a sensitive skin you might pay attention to the ingredients and to the advice of your dermatologist. 

Besides the body oil, the other products are designed as cold creams, a combination between fat ingredients and water. Barnängen products use could berries, an ingredient common to many traditional Swedish beauty and food recipes, including toppings for ice creams. The smell if very pleasant and easily impregnates the skin which remains discretely perfumed during the day.

The body oil has a floral mix, with a particular pleasant natural scent, leaving the skin smoothy and velvet-like. 

My personal experience with this set of Barnängen products was of 5 stars, with a pleasant skin feeling accompanying me during my busy hours and a relaxation and peace feeling after the evening shower. A wellbeing feeling I want to keep with me this winter.

All the 4 products are priced conveniently in the Rossmann stores in Germany.

Disclaimer: Products offered by Barnängen via the Rossmann Blogger Program, but opinions are, as usual, my own.

Summer sealife surprise from Rossmann!

Every couple of months, Rossmann surprises me with a secret big package arriving to my door, with some of their newest and top season's releases! Besides being a regular buyer of their products - especially for children and beauty and make-up, I also love how, compared to many other German companies they are working regularly with bloggers and influencers for the promotion of their products. 

This time, their surprise package included a couple of products that suits a busy yet stylish summer. The package, although naively painted with seahorses and funny colourful sea creatures and vegetation, was gay enough to keep me thinking over and over again about summer near the sea shores - which will happen for me only in one month time, and can't wait to see the sea again.

If you are looking for some efficient and unique shower gels, those two Exclusive Edition products are the right choice: with fruit-flower, respectively fruit fragrance, they add a joyful note to your morning, regardless if you are out for a day full of meetings or for catching the train to your countryside home stay. The blue sponge and a mermaid glossy pocket where you can store the precious shower gels are a good match. Plus, a dark blue shower towel and some funny colourful stickers to give to your children too.

Those products are ageless and fill the air with a pleasant note. A reminder that summer vacations are only a couple of days away and that you need some you-time that this time, you can also share with the rest of your family. 

Disclaimer: Products offered through Rossmann Blogger Community program, but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Nature Box Surprises - Your Hair Deserves More #BeautyPositivity

After the summer is gone and the cold time is coming, let's talk hair goals. Healthy, shining, perfectly beautiful hair goals. Did you even notice how better - or tired - you look when your hair shows it? I, personally, noticed the big difference between the two moments, which has to do with my own look and attitude. As I said more than once, this is why a woman wearing a good looking wig can win at least 10 years. Sometimes, more often than you think, your hair tells everything about you.

My hair look has ups and downs, especially after years of colouring and not too much awareness about the toxicity of some products included in the innocent bottle of shampoo. Stress, unhealthy lifestyle and eating habits, the city life pollution are other noticeable elements which harmed my hair and can harm yours too.

More love and care for my hear is my motto and I am trying to be true to my words as often as possible.

Therefore, when I was lucky enough to receive a full box of haircare products, part of the Rossmann Blogger programme, I realize that it is a good sign to focus more on the appearance and health of my hair. After a couple of weeks of intensive care, I can finally review the products generously offered.

#NatureBoxBeauty

The products included in the NATURE BOX by Henkel Beauty Care are available in the any store part of the Rossmann Drugstore network, but also in other chains throghout Germany, since the beginning of this October. They are sold in colourful bottles and also include a body care variant. 

The common features of all of them is that they are vegan, silicone- and parabene-free and based on cold pressed oil. You may ask - as I did once - what is the relevance of this technique as long as those products are - obviously - not edible? As you might know, during the heating process of the oil, not only the flavor, nutrivional value and colour of the oil is chaging, but also toxins are exposed. The cold oil method avoid such a risk, therefore your hair and body are not exposed to elements with a high risk of toxicity which may affect its original texture and health and eventually speed-up aging. 

The products are made of coconut, almond, apricot and avocado. The liquid is heavy, with a very discrete smell - my favorite kind of beauty and skincare products in general - which requires an intensive cleaning. A good occasion to intensively massage the skin of your head. It makes you really good, with a relaxing, soothing effect, especially after a very busy day. 

Each specific haircare product has different qualities: the avocado helps actively to repair and regenerate the splitted hair, apricot - a fruit whose advantages for the beauty industry I still have to discover - protects and nourishes the hair, giving it a shining appearance, the almond creates an elegant attractive volume, while the coconut brings an intensive, long-term fresh aspect.

All those results can be noticed after two consecutive use of the products. 

Applying them does not require a big amount of time. Often, 30 seconds of waiting for the conditioner to work are enough. Sometimes, you can apply them directly on the wet hair and wait for the hair to dry for the full effects.

The purchase prices in the drugstore are more than affordable, therefore, with an investment of 10-15 EUR. you can change your hair from your enemy to your main ally in courageously displaying your personality.

Verdict: The Nature Box products are becoming part of my regular hair care routine. After one week, my health recovered its original healthy aspect and volume. Although I complain often that I am mostly out of time, the high qualities and ingredients of both the shampoo and conditioner allow me to use them fast, with a minimal time investment for maximal results.

Disclaimer: The products were offered for free part of the Rossmann Blogger Programme, but the opinions are, as usual, my own.

A summer of eos beautiful lips

I am very careful when it comes to lips care, as either summer or winter, I do have once in a while issues with dry lips. I am usually the kind of person who needs a lot of time to find the right product, but once I am done, I'm stuck with it as long as possible, because it might work beautifully. Especially a frequent traveler as me needs products suited for various temperatures and weather conditions. Therefore, I was very interested in testing the newest limited edition product by the famous American company eos, distributed by the huge German drugstore retailer Rossmann. 

Recently, I was offered to review two lip balm products available in a Rossmann near you in the next months. They were delivered in a cute package, packed with product information and looking just cute yet small enough - each package weight 7g - to carry with you at work, at the beach or wherever your summer plans lead you next. As usual when it comes to product testing, I wanted to use them for at least two weeks before a review in order to cover all the aspects related to them.

I am not a big fan of fragrance and flavours infused products, therefore, the lemon twist - yellow box - and the fresh grapefruit taste weren't so impressive. But put aside those aspects, there is nothing else that might vouch against those cute lip balms. 

They offer UVA/UVB protection spf 15 - the lemon - respectively 30 which is perfect for the hot summer days - which I am still waiting to experience in the rainy Berlin. In both cases, the 100% natural flavor is enriched with antioxidant-rich vitamin E, jojoba oil and shea butter. The products are hypoallergenic, tested by dermatologists and paraben and petrolatum free. 

Once applied on lips, it gives a freshness and wellness feeling and you just feel how, at least for a couple of hours, it works hydrating and embelishing the lips. The egg shape allows a very practical and easy application, on the go. I wonder how will it be when it is almost over, but still have to wait some good weeks and maybe months to see.

The overall view is that despite my taste issues, it is a very efficient and recommended product for this summer. On eos website there is a wide range of similar products, some of them with exotic tastes such as blueberry acai, coconut milk or vanilla mint.

Disclaimer: Products offered by Rossmann via their program for bloggers, but the opinions are, as usual, my own.

Beauty corner: Clean-up strips from Rival de Loop

As the air in Berlin is very fresh and the pollution is relatively limited, I do not need too many clearing products, but somehow, especially in the spring I need to intensify the number of skin products. For a long time, I was a faithful user of Nivea clear-up strips, with relatively good results. 

But I am known for my curiosity to try new products as well and for the last 4 weeks, I used the Rival de Loop Pure Skin Clear-up Strips, available at my local Rossmann at a very acceptable price - as everything that goes up by this company distributed by Rossmann.

Based on tea tree oil, it can be used for forehead, nose and chin. The application is relatively easy: you wet the strip with warm water, apply it in the areas with predisposition to black spots, wait for around 10-15 minutes, take it out and clean the skin with warm water. The results are relatively modest: it cleans the skin, but every time I needed to clean carefully the glue that remains on the skin, an experience that I did not have before. The skin looks clean, but not completely, and most likely you need to repeat the process in less than one week. 

Otherwise, if you need to make a small investment in your skin, you can do it. If not necessarily, you can wait a bit more and buy a product that is really high-quality from all points of view. 

My Experience with Lip Patch by Isana Young

Sometimes you just have a look a bit scary - at least for a while - before looking better. It goes with the Korean masks - when my son first saw me wearing them he was in a shock - or the lip patch. Actually, the lip patch offers visually the Halloween-kind of fun, as it only has the enormous lips shape covering more than half of the face. In the last months, I've read reviews about them and was interested to have my own experience about them. At the beginning of the summer I purchased one bag from Rossmann, produced by ISANA Young and tried it a couple of weeks later. 

If you ignore your own appearance during the 20 minutes requested for applying the patch, the results are impressive. As I suffer once in a while because of dry lips, I am trying to keep them hydrated, in addition to drinking as much water as possible, especially in the summer. 

ISANA Young Lip Patch are suited for every skin type, and were created for Rossmann, at a very convenient price. Actually, ISANA is a good brand if you are looking for toileteries such as shower gel, at very affordable prices, recommended particularly if you travel, for instance. My lips were not only hydrated, but the patch had peeling effects too. The pinky jelly patch contains a liquid which is working outside and inside the lips, eliminating the dead cells and hydrating in-depth. One day after I used them, the lips are still looking and feeling fresh and with a velvet texture.

I didn't experience any allergic reaction, except a bit of itchy and burn, the usual sensation in case of peeling masks, meaning that something good is really going on with and on your skin.  

I personally recommend this product to anyone looking to have normal and healthy looking lips. Although the one I tried is a limited edition, I might look for similar products by other brands.

Beauty corner: a glittering sorbet manicure

Summer is finally around and there is about time to completely change the colours of my wardrobe and also the makeup colours. Although I am not that extravagant and off the books when it comes to the daily makeup, regardless of the season, the manicure is always one detail that I keep in mind when it comes to going out of the house.

Due to the intensive use of nail polishing - my nails are usually free of lacquer only one day the week, from Thursday evening to Friday, when I am cooking - I need to be sure that my nails are getting the right protection. For a couple of week, I apply once the week this Multivitamin Gel from Rival de Loop, an affordable purchase from my local Rossmann store in Berlin. The nails are looking healthier and are stronger.

From the same Rossmann, I purchased last week two tempting bottles. One yellow sorbet - the colour is so tasty that I could not resist the 'buy me' call. Luckily, it was included at sales and thus, I was able to buy another item(s) too. The other one looks awesome, little glittering that doesn't necessarily looks uniform, but very elegant and interesting for various occasions. Either you go to a business meeting or at shopping, it gives a joyous air of distinction that matches a curious personality. 

I first applied the sorbet and waited till dry - maximum 10 minutes. Then, I applied with one single touch of the brush, the special effects. It shines without giving the impression of carnival outfit. It is not necessarily looking too teenage either. 

The good part is also that it resists a lot, around 5 days upon the first application, although I cook, wash dishes, and write the whole day. The cleaning will take a bit more efforts than usual. I was more than happy with both choices and be ready to hear more about the combinations I made with the 'special effects nail lacquer'.

The overall price of the purchase is less than 5 Euro. 

Time for a cup of tea - Rooibos Tea Sahne Karamell, by Rossmann

I am doing my best to understand and taste more teas, and for now, I am on the good way. At least once in a while I am testing a new sort trying to read the flavours and understand the pleasantness. 

A couple of weeks ago, I dared to have one, two, three times a special kind of Rooibos Tea: Sahne Karamell, available at the usual Rossmann drugstore. 

As usual, I did not add any sugar, even I am sure that a little bit of brown one doesn't hurt. I left the little bag for around 6 minutes. At the first gulp, it has a very rich taste that gets better and better till the end of the experience. 

One of the reasons why I usually avoid teas sometimes, is because I am easily disappointed when I see that it smells much stronger and better than it tastes. It is almost the same in this case, but somehow, good enough to reduce my disappointment by half.

It is preferably in the evening, with some biscuits for a change. 

New Foot-Care Routines

We care about our face, about our hands and more visible part of our bodies, by using creams, masks and other massage and regular treatments. We want those part of our bodies to look fresh and shining and young. But what about those parts that we usually don't see but still are playing an important role in our everyday life, like feet? We keep them most of the time tied tight in socks or shoes and we rarely do anything for them unless there are asking for our attention. But, without feet, we rarelly can make it through the day and that deep sensation of tiredness after a very busy day affects the feet at a very big extent.

I am personally very much aware of the need to offer more care to my poor feet, especially as I am a regular fan of walking at least 10,000 steps the day and feeling over years the deep feeling of tired feet and the need to do more than simply stretch. A foot massage is such a blessing for my tired sore muscles and therefore, self-care for this part of the body is what I am looking for to improve this summer.

I started by checking some very simple, affordable products. First, a foot-mask by Rossmann. I am using every week more than 3 different masks for my face but never imagined that this could work for my feet too. Part of the Fuss Wohl line by Rossmann this product is the best recommendation to use at the end of a very exhausting day for your feet - which means it involved a lot of walking in very heavy shoes. It has sheabutter, aloe vera and macadamia oil which has an instant effect of hydration to dry tired feet. You can easily use them at house. The product is a funny yet practical idea: for each feet, you have a big plastic sock-designed mask that you have to keep it on your foot for at least 20 minutes. The pairs are designed for different shoe sizes. After using it, your feet look much smoothier and feels more relaxed.

The other product that I am using right now twice the day is a menthol cream, from the same Fuss Wohl line. Compared to the mask, it has a much stronger and instant effect. The strong concentration of menthol and mint oil ingredient is very refreshing and relaxes the muscles instantly. It gives that feeling that I often had after a very exhausting hike when I arrived to my destination and just hung out my feet on a chair and stop walking. A feeling of relief and perfect relaxation. I applied it in the morning, after shower and late in the evening, before going to sleep.

Both products are relatively affordable and for a medium-care they do very good, especially if you are healthy enough to do not need some additional treatment and medical care for your feet.

In addition to this feet-beauty care, I tried this weekend something completely new: walking barefoot in a forest for over one hour. I advocated previously on this blog about the healthy advantages of barefoot walking and this time I was able to practice it extensively in a specially designed area in the Beelitz-Heilstätten area near Berlin, Germany. The park is specially designed to walk barfoot and offers a couple of variants for each type of activities. For example, you can chose to do a lot of balancing activities - like walking on wood logs - or follow some other good-for-your-feet remedies, such as caking mood with your feet (which is certified as healthy but decided to skip this time).

Walking on pinecones, anyone?

Walking barefoot in a forest might involve a couple of risks, of cours: insects' bites or some little forest needles that can get stuck into your feet. What I've learned though was a completely different connection with nature. When I am walking wearing shoes -most of the time, obviously - I am less focused on where I put my feet and on the sensorial sensation of walking against new textures every time. It is a deep organic feeling of coping with new that I was happy to experience, that probably was a little part of what we are usually calling 'reconnect with nature feeling'. 

Hopefully, will involve even more foot-care practices into my daily self-care schedule. What I see coming up next is a throughoutly feet professional massage. Because my feet deserve even more care and attention.

Cooking with bio smoked tofu

Once the week we have in the menu pasta, but each time I should find out a new combination. During the summer, I like to add a lot of cherry tomatoes and vegetables in general, while during the winter I am more tempted to use a lot of cheese or fish, especially salmon.

As I recently had a good tofu meal at a vegan restaurant - with vegetables and coconut - I wanted to repeat the adventure and have my own pasta with tofu at home. Without any other available options, I tried a special bio smoked tofu, that I've found at a local Rossmann drugstore. (PS: In Germany, you may find a lot of gluten-free, bio products alongside with beauty and cleaning products, especially in the Rossmann or DM stores).

I've used this type of tofu at least once before, with eggs and some vegetables, and I was relatively satisfied - did not like the taste too much - so I was not extremely worried that a product with such a colour might be a failure. The smoked smell is moderate and in combination with vegetables - I added cherry tomatoes and some local spices I received from a friend from the Middle East that I should need to read more about before dedicating a post, together with olive oil drops. I finely chopped both pieces, enough for the 500 gr. of pasta, plus 250 of cherry tomatoes.

The overall impress was, as in the first case, moderate, but not unhappy either. It is not extremely tasty or leaving me with such pleasant memories that I cannot eat anything else for the next weeks - it happened with some good tofu products before. It is the choice for some boring summer days, when I do not spend too much time at home and I need to do something healthy and relatively cheap in due time. 

Maybe the next time I should try the recipe recommended in the picture from the cover, it could be a good choice for a summer salad. 

Bon Appetit! 

Product Review: Warm Cookie Dough Shower Cream by Treaclemoon

Yes, you've read it right: Warm Cookie Dough Shower Cream. It is not a mistake and (this time) I will not share a recipe. This post is exclusively about a deliciously smelling shower cream, a limited edition created by Treaclemoon. This product is one of the many from a line which includes shower creams and gels with attractive names such as Apple Pie Hugs or Nutmeg Coffee Cake. If you are a foodie, like me, you would definitely love to keep your creative foodie mood while having a shower. After all, many of the good ideas are popping up our minds when we are lost in thoughts in the shower, isn't it?

A couple of years ago I had a little discussion with a colleague at work about those beauty products smelling as foods. 'Who wants to smell like an apple strudel?', she said, and at the moment I was almost convinced she was right. However, as usual when it comes to foods, it is a matter of recipe to create the finest, less smell-intrusive product. Although the Warm Cookie Dough Shower Cream do smell like a warm cookie in contact with water, on the skin it has a discrete mild fragrance, which rather reminds of shower creams than on a cookie. It is an aromated, vanilla scented smell which relaxes your senses and makes your skin feel good. I've tested the product every day for a couple of days already and haven't experienced any allergic reaction. 

Treaclemoon, which has in its German version, one of the most creative websites of a German company I ever seen, creates not only innovative mixtures, but also vegan and cruelty free products, an additional reason to have them if you are concerned about the environment and wants to surround yourself by brands with conscience. Their products, which are dermatologically tested and free of silicones or parabene, including the Warm Cookie Dough Shower are available in Germany in the Rossmann, dm, Müller and Budni.

Disclaimer: Products offered for review via the Rossmann Blogger Project, but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Product review: Clearasil Daily Clear. Hydra blast Peeling

After giving birth, I am looking for new reliable skin products that can be used fast with maximum efficiency. After the weekly masks, the cleaning products are the most sought during my frequent visits to Rossmann or DM stores in Berlin. 

Clearasil Daily Clear - Hydra blast peeling, exfoliant, is my newest beauty discovery. It has aloe vera and cucumber extract - one of my favourite ingredients in creams and not only for the smell - and Vitamin 3, praised for its qualities as good skin moisturizer, bringing skin softness, suppleness and hydration. Especially for a skin that it is no longer in the early 20s, this Vitamin helps improving the appearance. 

I started to use the product twice the day, in the morning and in the evening. In the evening, I took care to have a make-up free face. The moisturized cream mixed in the hand is applied in all directions on the wet skin. Wait around 2 minutes than rinse with warm water. Preparing and applying takes around 5 minutes from your time, a total of 10 minutes the day for your skin only. Not bad, isn't it?

As for the results, my skin looks back velvet-like. A did encounter some mild irritation that did not last. It has a pleasant smell, fresh, for sure given by the high concentration of cucumber. 

The 150 ml tube is a new formula and may last around 1 month. It can be purchased from the Rossmann store for less than 3 euro. Besides Germany, and France where it is produced, it can be found in North America, Japan, Russia, UAE and South Africa. 

New beauty products from Rival de Loop Young

I am usually very critical when it comes with the ways in which German companies - whatever the domain - deal with bloggers and online media in general, but no one seems to do it better than the drugstore giant Rossmann. My almost daily destination when it comes to baby products, it offers many other goodies, at very good prices, from cosmetic and beauty products to house cleaning and even books and veggie products or wines. More than that, they have a special program for bloggers, where they give local online writers the chance to test and recommend their products, as well as to be part of different promotions.

Regularly, they send newsletters with the newest additions to the stock that you can wish for. One of the last weeks, I was lucky enough to be randomly selected to test some of the latest Rival de Loop package. It included products which suit my usual posts: lipbalm, two lipsticks with matching nail polish plus a top coat, a mascara and - not in the picture because it will be featured a bit later - an eye liner.

As usual, I carefully tested each and every one of the products, in order to be sure that I am writing the adequate recommendations. And, here we are:

- The lip balm does not only have a cute cover, but it also works efficiently against the dry lips I may have once in a while. My product has a very discrete strawberry taste. It contains lanolin, seed oil and jojoba, among other products. 

- The nail polishes: I definitely loved the colours and the coating makes wonders when it comes to resistance. And, as a busy mother that spends some good amount of time cleaning the house and the baby, this is what I need. My favourite is the pinky one, but unfortunately, it is a bit short-lived if the coating was not applied. 

- The matching lipsticks are really hot and elegant. Actually, I developped a passion for the reddish one, and thus, I wear it as much as I can around the day. Both last long and do look very good if you have a light complexion and dark hair. 

- The mascara is water resistant and in general makes a good impression. It brings volume and outlines the eyes in a very normal way.

All the make up products are a good addition for the summer and travel makeup set, are affordable and can be easily matched with different outfits and moods.

Disclaimer: Products delivered by Rossmann via their blogger program, but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Your 15 minutes of skin care: Garnier Skinactive Hydrabomb

Busy people tend to set low priorities for the time spent for themselves only, and for us, women, the skincare routines seem to be the first victims of full schedules and never ending merry-go-round of children care, meetings and house chores. However, the modern beauty industry created many incentives to challenge dramatically such a perspective. Smart and highly efficient products were created, that don't need more than 15 minutes of your time the week. I agree that it is important to take care of your skin every day, but at least for now, it can be a good beginning and the good results are an incentive to keep up the good work of respecting yourself.

In the last three weeks, I tested every week one of the Garnier Skinactive Korean skin masks, each of them promising a full hydration after 15 minutes of use for at least one week. It sounds a bit miraculous, but after I used the first well soaked mask, I was convinced that this could last even more than that. Each of the products were available at the local drugstore chain - Rossmann or DM in Germany - for 2 EUR. each (actually Rossmann may have some even cheaper discounted rates). Given the results, it is also a more than smart investment.

Each of the masks has a special ingredient, besides the hyaluron. The first I used has chamomile extract, which is recommended for sensitive and very dry skin. It works slowly, without even noticing what happened in the last 15 minutes. You will only see when you look yourself in the mirror, at your shining skin. The next one has green tea extract, one of my favorite cosmetic - and food too - ingredients. It has a soothing and relaxing effect - as in the case of all skin masks, my advice is to keep it in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours before using it, as it has also a very refreshing effect. During every of the 15 minutes, I felt as my skin was under permanent water and was a very healthy sensation. The skin was so smooth thereafter, that I felt that I don't need to apply any makeup for the next days. The last mask, with pomegranate essence. Compared to the others, it also has a pleasant smell, as it contains special fragrance. Due to the high percentage of hyaluron, I was able to feel how it was working on my skin. It is very recommended particularly if your face is too tired and dehydrated. In the case of the previous two masks I prefer to clean the liquid from the face, but in this case, I just left it on the skin to work further on.

The conclusion: those products are high quality, with good effects on the skin, that last for at least a couple of days. You can easily take with you in your travel bag too. It is about time to start taking more care about yourself, but take it easy. You can start with just 15 minutes the week. 

Good luck and a happy healthy skin glowing 2017!

Skin Care Recommendation: L'Oreal Hydra Active 3

Guaranteeing a minimal care to my skin is part of my early morning daily ritual. Given my busy schedule, I always need efficient products, and it goes equally to deos, skin care creams, make-ups and perfumes, with more than 12-hour protection offered.

L'Oreal Hydra Active 3 was a good choice in this respect. I am using it for more than a month and most probably I will keep doing it for as long as the product will be available on the market. It offers 24-hour active care, with a proper hydrated skin all round the day. The 50 ml. bottle looks simple and can be easily carried for short or long trips. It contains Vitamin E, ceramid and ingredients able to offer UV-protection. The cream doesn't smell and is recommended for sensible skin too. After weeks of using, I personally didn't experience any unpleasant effects.

I prefer to apply it first thing after I am out of bed, and wait at least one hour until applying make-up. The skin looks shining and smooth by touch.

I purchased the product from the Rossmann drugstore chain in Germany, at a very convenient price. 

Overall, I had a very good experience with L'Oreal Hydra Active 3 and I recommend it to anyone looking for a minimal daily skin-care menu.  

Innovation by Neutrogena: Anti-Acne Light Therapy Mask

Given my interest for creative beauty and skin care products and ideas, I couldn't miss this innovative mask by Neutrogena. Delivered in big drugstore chains in Germany such as Rossmann, and available for around 46 EUR., this product is aimed at reducing the acne. Affecting women at different ages, but especially teenagers, acne creates negative effects on self-perception, social relationship, job search and professional achievements in general or dating. 

The product was created based on tests with 52 participants, presenting various degrees of acne, that used the product for 10 minutes the day, for 12 weeks. That amount of time is recommended for using the mask too. It operates with both blue and red light, therefore there is a double weapon against acne: the blue light is fighting the bacteria producing acne, while the red one reduces the infections. The mask doesn't have chemical elements and do not produce ultraviolet rays. The first effects are visible after one week of regular use. 

The package contains a face mask, looking as a Japanese fask mask, with only space for the eyes left, and an activator, which allows using the mask 30 times. After that, a new product should be purchased. 

The steps for daily integrating the mask into your regular skin care routine are as follows:

- clean the face with face cleaning products and dry the skin

- activate the mask

- put the mask on the face and relax for 10 minutes, while the rays are operating on your skin. 

Overall, it looks as an interesting - and high-tech looking solution - which can improve your fight against acne, most probably together with a proper dermatologist supervision and an adequate nutrition.

Photo credit: Amazon.de

A spicy tea, for a good afternoon

I am still trying to get acquainted with the pleasures of tea and it will take me a long time till I will be able to play the role of a real connoisseur. But the summer and the winter are the best time to test more teas and fragrances and also to read as much as I can find about the mysterious - yet - drink (for me). (I am preparing a very historical-intellectual post about tea sorts and its history, but probably after I finish the long line of real foodie reviews waiting in line for me).

From the same Rossmann shop, I purchased a Bio Sweet Chai Vanille. I am passionate about spices and wanted to see their effect on everyday teas. The result is very pleasant, with the full fragrance turning my kitchen into an interesting secret food laboratory.

The good and perfumed taste comes at the end, after the tea spent some 2-3 seconds in your mouth. It is a good simple taste of good mixture of spices. Do not expect nothing sophisticated or outstanding, an unique fragrance of vanilla spices, but a good perfumed companion. It goes very well with biscuits and even with some Gouda small cheese croquets. It goes as well at the end of some heavy foodie days, when all you need is a little bit of help to relax your tired stomach.

It is easy and you can drink as many as you want to. There it is always a good occasion to celebrate the good life. 

Makeup review: Soft eyeliners from Studio London

I love using eye-liner a lot. Sometimes, I only need a line around my eyes and I feel like nothing else matters. Especially when I am so busy all round the day, I would also love that the eye-liner lasts more than a couple of minutes, therefore, I don't need to refresh the makeup every couple of hours.

My latest addition of Studio London eyeliners is the perfect ingredient for a fashionable summer, without too much effort. 

The four nuances of my pencils - brown, beige, blue and grey - are pastels, easy for the morning, middle of the day and the evening too. You can easily match them at the beach, for a shopping spree or an early hiking - yes, I am that kind of person who uses a little bit of make-up even when about to embark on a camping adventure - or a glamorous date. They are soft and you can use them together with light, pastel make-up eye shadows. A good Mascara accentuates the colourful effect and makes your eyes shining brighter in the colours of the summer. 

The blue might be a bit too strong nuance, if you are not so brave when it comes to make-up, but you can soften with some light shades. The grey and beige do have some nice metallic shades which are both distinguish and elegant. 
Although are bigger than the usual eyeliners, you can easily carry in your makeup purse, so no extra space needed. 

My only inconvenience was that after so much - almost daily - use, I needed to sharpen them and as they are quite big, I had to find the right sharpener. Fortunatelly, I've found a two-size - very big and small - sharpener by Rival de Loop at Rossmann's, which was perfect to get them back in shape.

Overall, I recommend the soft eyeliners, especially if you like some special nuances on your eyes. Easy to apply and to match, this 4-pencil collection is a good addition to your makeup studio, especially if you want to try something completely different this summer. Or, to keep the summer on for the rest of the year.

My Skincare Routine for December

With a bit of more creative time on my sleeves and motivation, I was finally able this December to get back into my skincare routine, not only by using at least every week a new mask, but also with a regular, disciplined program that helped my skin to get back its natural glow and healthy aspect.

My investment was not significant - not for now, at least - and included skincare products available in the usual Rossmann and DM drugstore (less than 50 euro for all the products). They last more than a months therefore it is more than a great deal and you did it for your own beauty and health.

Twice the day, I am using the Garnier SkinActive: It has basically the same concentration of the face mask that I've used and reviewed a couple of years ago, but has a different consistency and the effects are instant. With a high concentration of the precious pomegranate, the antioxidant water-cream moisturizer offers within minutes the necessary hydration of the skin. I use it a couple of minutes after waking up and shortly after removing my make-up. After one day during which often my skin is exposed to various pollution factor and stress, this cream gives a healthy shining and makes me feel perfectly in my skin.

Another cream of the three that I am using three times the day is L'Oréal Anti-Wrinkles Expert. Recommended to be used in the morning and in the evening, it is suited for the 35+ women. The 50 ml. bottle is heavy, with a discrete smell and has a high concentration of collagen which brings back the dynamism and the skin elasticity. To be applied in the morning and in the evening, with circular moves helping to put into motion the blood circulation. 

Last but not least, my latest discovery is Nivea Hyaluron Cellular Filler. Used once the day, usually after the second cream is applied on the skin - with a break of around 10 minutes, to leave it work properly on the skin. Odorless and oily, it makes it also as a good makeup basis, but I would rather recommend to wait at least 30 minutes after applying. It helps to regenerate the cells and conferes to the skin not only shining, but also volume, as it efficiently counters the dead cells and the wrinkles. I am using it only once the day and it is enough. 

Overall, a very good daily experience, and only after 10 days, the concentrated effects of all those creams are pleasantly visible on my skin. 

As for the products I am using during the week, stay tunned for another post, hopefully soon!

Skin spa from L'Oréal

Source: L'Oréal

I haven't tried too many skin oils because I just prefer to use the right product at the right moment. Right now, after three weeks spent in a relatively polluted part of the world and with a different temperature heights I am back to the chilly yet hot once in a while climate of Berlin. The first victim of such changes is the skin and thus, decided that I should pay more attention and care to it.

Thus, my decision to give my skin a spa for a week with Luxurious oils from L'Oréal Paris. It is available in Germany at any Douglas or Rossmann store, for prices starting with 15 EUR. I used 5 drops each time, in the morning and for the night. The recommendation is to use less for the day, but somehow I decided that I need more soothening. I applied the oil on the entire skin, plus the neck. In the evening treatment, I did a bit of extra massage. 

The overall experience was from good to excellent. It is well absorbed by the skin and I haven't developed any allergy. The skin looked revigorated and shining. The first minutes after applying, the skin is a bit too greasy, but maybe I was too excited about the products and overdid the recommended dosis.

L'Oréal aimed to offer a real spa feeling to the skin, with a mixture of many fragrances among which: olive fruit oil, jojoba seed oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, rosemary, cucumber fruit extract, turmeric root extract, jasmine extract, orange peel, lemon. Unfortunately, the predominant fragrance is lavender, which I fancy the least, so for me, was not the happiest olphactive experience.

The general impression about this product is very good, with a good value for money and visible effects on skin. Recommended, especially if you like the lavender smell.