Favorites // January

When I put together the collage at the top I actually thought about excluding a product or two from this post just so the collage would look better. Pretty pictures are undeniably a big part of a blog but to include or exclude products because of the way they look seems hypocritical because I do want to talk about the products I actually like. That whole concept just seems a little messed up...

DoveNutritive Solutions Oil Care Spray: This is a wonderful new discovery of mine. I have written a review about this product already so I do not want to talk about it for too long but if you struggle with brushing your hair after washing it maybe you should give this product a try.

Astor Perfect Stay Gel Shine Nail Polish 502/503 Crème Brulée & Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer Effect Coat 41 Two Million Dollar Baby: I have been posting a lot about this Astor nail polish over the past few months but I just keep coming back to it. I have worn this combination of nude and golden glitter twice in January - which is a lot for me. I hardly wear the same nail polish on my nails two times in a row.

batiste Dry Shampoo For Brunettes: About two months ago I got a hair cut - which is nothing that special but this time I finally did it: I got bangs! Now they are pretty much grown out and I am going to have to get them re-cut but when I still had full on bangs I had to change my hair care routine. With that my biggest rediscovery was dry shampoo. I generally like using dry shampoo whenever I want to avoid washing my hair for another day. With bangs it was the most practical product ever. I wash my hair about every other day and there was nothing better for my second-day-bangs than this product. I love the look and texture it gives to my hair and especially my bangs.

alverde Limited Edition Winter Love Body Butter: It is no secret that I am a big fan of alverde body butters. This is one that has a thicker texture and I do prefer a 'softer' texture when it comes to body butters but I still like this one. It still sinks in quicker than any other body butter or lotion and it moisturizes my skin wonderfully. This is a rare limited edition version of the alverde body butter but I hope that in the future they keep coming out with special editions because to be quite frank I do not like the 'original' scent that much.

H&M  Little Black Handbag:  This is the bag I bought on Black Friday last year and is one of the best 'fashion investments' I have made in a long time. I use this bag almost everyday. It s small but still fits a lot of stuff and it looks good with any outfit I wear. This is basically the little back bag of my dreams.

Shape of You by Ed Sheeran: When there is a new song that I really like I just listen to it on repeat and any other musics tends to get neglected. This is one of those songs. It has been so long since Ed Sheeran's last release and I am so happy he is back.

What were you favorites in January?

Haul // December

Usually I like to do a little collage at the beginning of  post but since my laptop crashed last week I do not have access to my usual software. I still wanted to post even though the pictures are not quite like I would like them to be.

H&M Home Scented Cinnamon Candle: H&M home is a great place to shop for decor.  They have a lot of different styles and a big variety of products. Strange enough I never tried any of their candles. I am a little obsessed with Christmas candles and I am really excited to try this one out. The candle itself has a strong cinnamon scent and I hope it will make my whole room smell like that.

IKEA Sinnlig Candle Apple & Cinnamon: I look forward to burning this candle every year. It is Christmas edition scented candle by Ikea that makes the whole room smell wonderfully of apples and cinnamon. If you have not tried scented candles by Ikea you definitely should. This is by far my favorite scent and I have been buying it for years.

H&M Little Black Handbag: This was my only Black Friday purchase this year. It was on sale at H&M and I fell in love as soon as a I saw it. It is a really pretty black little handbag that actually fits a lot of stuff. I love the texture on the bag and the gold hardwear adds just the right amount of detail. I have already been using this lots and right now it is on sale again on the H&M website.

Dove Nutritive Solutions Oil Care Spray: I just used up my Schwarzkopf got2be Schmusekatze Anti-Frizz-Lotion and I had to get something new. Usually I would have repurchased that but since I have been using the app ToxFox I am trying to avoid products that contain hormonal substances. This is simply a product the app found to be fine and I decided to give it a try.

alverde Eye Creme for normal skin: I have been using this exact eye creme for years but since I started using it they changed the packaging about five times. At least it feels like it. I have dry, sensitive skin and this is by far the best drugstore I creme I have ever tried.

Carmex Classic Moisturizing Lip Balm: Carmex is the best lip balm I have ever used. My lips get easily chapped in the winter time and during the day time Carmex is my favorite lip balm. It works amazingly and it just looks like you are wearing a clear lip gloss.

Catrice Long Lasting Lip Pencil Waterproof 140 Sweet Auberginia: This is a wonderfully deep, dark lip color. The colder it gets the more I tend to wear darker lip products and lately I have been loving lip liners more and more because they often last longer than lipsticks and usually they are beautifully opaque.

alverde Miniature Hand Creme Calendula for normal skin: Again I was looking for a product with no hormonal substances to replace one ToxFox has warned me about. I like alverde skin care products and I have been using the corresponding eye creme for years and I really love that one.

ISANA Limited Edition Heart Warmth Bathing Pearls: Winter is the time of the year that I take the most baths. I have never tried ISANA bath pearls and I am looking forward to using these since they already smell amazing in the packaging.

What have you been shopping for this month?

New In // H&M

The H&M accessories section is killing it lately. I do not like their clothes as much but - as you can see - I have shopped quite a few accessories there recently. I have scarves in almost every color - but a simple grey one? - Nope, not until now. This is a really soft grey infinity scarf. It has a lighter and a darker side to it and it is long enough to wrap it around twice. It is important to me that a scarf is actually thick enough or has enough fabric to actually keep you warm. Ihave already made the mistake of wearing it with a black dress before - it was covered in grey fuss - but it has not transferred to any other of my clothes.

I have been looking for a new bag for university for forever (my old one is starting to fall apart). I wanted a black bag that was big enough to carry around all my stuff with but not humongous - as a lot of bags seem to me these days. This bag has a long and a short strap and one big compartment in the middle that you can close with a zipper. 

The design reminds me a lot of the Balenciaga bags I have loved for years now. Those bags are just too expensive for me but this H&M bag is an affordable way for me to still get the look. Another plus side to this bag (at least to me) is that it is not made out of real leather. I try not to buy leather and as far as I know Balenciaga does their bags in leather.

The last thing I bought were tennis shoes. Even though they are white these were my most practical purchase. I do not own a lot of flat shoes lat alone any that are still wearable in the colder seasons. White is not the most practical choice but I do like the look and since these are made out of faux leather they are easier to clean than the white tennis shoes made out of fabric that I own.

Where is your favorite place to shop for accessories? 

Much Needed Basics // Haul

I often find that I don't enjoy shopping for basics, because basics are usually not the fun stuff. Recently though I've changed my way of thinking about basics. They are what you use most and what you can build on. That is why now I am trying to build up a good foundation of basic products or accessories to work with.

Balea Shaving Gel Pink Grapefruit: dm no longer sells the blueberry version of this shaving gel which is sad. I still like this one and I will continue to use it but I hope that one day they bring the blueberry scent back. I loved that one!

ISANA young Showergel Limited Edition Vintage Fashion: Again I am not the biggest fan of how Isana packages its products but this time the scent was what won me over. I have only ever used one other Isana shower gel before but I really enjoyed that one so my hopes are high for this one as well.

Garnier Eye-Make-Up Remover 2-in-1: After discovering that I really did not like the Garnier Skin Active Waterproof Make-Up Remover All-in-1 I am so happy to have this eye-make-up remover back. I like this one a lot better.

Nivea Anti Age Hand Creme: I did not get this hand creme because of its anti-aging effect (I doubt it will have any). I got it because it says it helps with dry hands and because it has SPF. I guess these two things can help reducing the signs of aging in the future but I don't think the Q10 will have anything to do with that. Well, if I am wrong and it really does help I will happily welcome those results of course.

H&M Shoes: These shoes are so out of my comfort zone, it is ridiculous. I like these sorts of shoes on other people but I always thought they looked kind of strange on me. Lately I have been looking into sneakers to get simply for practical reasons. They are great for rainy but still warm weather - those days when ballet flats are not enough but is definitely too warm to wear boots. I considered buying white keds or Converse but when I went into H&M yesterday and saw these shoes on sale I just thought I would try them on. The problem with sneakers in my shoe size (41) is that they usually make my feet look very long and I don't like that. These however made my feet look small! That is when I decided to get them. Now that I have them, I am very happy that I did not spent that much money on keds or Converse considering how long those white shoes will actually stay white. Now I just have to find a way to combine them without feeling weird wearing tennis shoes.

What did you shop for this month so far?

Shopping Tip // Jewelry

I have a little bit of an obsession with snowflakes. It is kind of my thing. When I saw this two sets of snowflake ring at H&M and they were on sale for a euro each - I could not resist. Even the cashier told me I got an incredibly good deal on these and I do not recall that ever happening to me before.

I used to only wear golden jewelry (obviously not real gold) but lately I have been getting back into silver pieces. I like the snowflakes & stars theme of these sets. They have a great size because they are not statement rings but are also not too dainty so you could not make out any details.

I adore all of these rings but I think my favorite might be the one with two stars on it. I like that they are two different sizes and also just two different stars. I also love that the last ring has a different band than all the others.

Maybe you can tell by now that I am really happy with my purchase. I can already tell I will get a lot of wear out of these sets. Winter here I come!

What did you get from the H&M sales this season?

Beauty HAUL // Catrice FALLosophy

The Catrice FALLosophy Limited Edition is one I have been looking forward to a lot. I could have bought every single product from that collection. The product design and the colors they used are so up my alley.

Catrice soft lip color FALLosophy C03 Little Red Riding Hood: Do I own way to many red lip sticks? Kind of... but I swear I do not own a color like this! 

Catrice soft lip color FALLosophy C02 Rustic Rose: I think this might be my favorite from this collection. It is a pretty everyday color that is special to me because it has more brownish undertones than your usual rose lip stick.

Catrice soft lip color FALLosophy C01 Fabulous Fox-ia: This is a stunning color. To me this is the perfect way to wear pink on your lips in autumn.

Dove advanced hair series pure care weightless shampoo: Do I not have way too much shampoo back ups? Yes, I do. This is getting ridiculous. I did not need it but it was on sale and I will use it up at some point. I need to stop buying shampoo.

NIVEA volume sensation shampoo: Another shampoo?! Yes, but this is a travel size. I do go on a three day trip at the beginning of October and since it was on sale I just thought it would be handy to have such a small size to travel with.

Golden Jewelry: Both of these sets were on sale. I tend to always were the same jewelry pieces - pearls and simple studs. In order to make myself switch it up a little more I am trying to incorporate pieces into my collection that are unlike anything I already own. Well, we will see how much I actually wear them.

Did you get anything from Catrice's  FALLosophy collection?

New In: Nude High Heels

Ask pretty much anyone what they would consider 'wardrobe basics' and nude heels would be part of their list. I own a pair of nude heels by mango that are super pretty but there are a few problems I have with those. They are a little too big and they are platform peeptoe heels that are a little bit out of style by now. That is why I have been looking for a new pair for a looong time now.

Do I have a special occasion coming up that I would need these heels for? No, I do not. I have decided a while ago to be prepared for special occasions by stocking up on basics before I actually need them. Whenever I have needed a certain piece of clothing for an event I could never find the perfect item and had to compromise on what I wore. In order to prevent that from happening again I bought these heels. - Can you tell how well I can justify buying these? ;)

They are by H&M and I have been eyeing them since they came out months ago. When they went on sale I just had to order them! They are the most beautiful strappy heels ever. The shade of nude is perfect. I love the texture. I love the silhouette. I love everything about them. The problem is that they are rather uncomfortable. I do own higher heels than this but these are my highest heels without any real platform. That makes them rather hard to walk in. Well, I do not have time to practice walking in these before wearing them out. And who says high heels are ever really comfortable?

What do you consider your wardrobe essentials?

August Favorites & Flops

Gold Statement Necklace by H&M

Considering that it is such a statement piece I have worn this out quite a lot. I do not really like wearing statement necklaces on a night out simply because I feel like that is what everybody is wearing then. At daytime it is a completely different story. I do not see that many people (actually I cannot think of anyone) that I have seen wearing statement jewelry out and about during the day time. I know that wearing a necklace like this during the day time is not everybody's cup of tea but I really like doing that.

Maybelline Super Stay Gel Nail Color 76 French Manicure

This must be one of my most worn nail polishes of all time! This summer I have been wearing this on my toes a lot. It is just the perfect nude shade. It does stay on for a long time and it is super easy to apply. Whenever I do not know what color to wear I get back to this one.

Catrice Ultimate Color lip stick 260 It's a Matt Word!

I think this might be my favorite red lip product. It is hard to find the perfect red that actually looks good with your skin tone. I really like the color but I also like the red looks against my super pale skin. 

Astor Soft Sensation Lipcolor Butter 018 Pretty in Fuchsia

I have worn this a lot lately. I will do a separate pots about this product so I do not want to talk about to much right now. I love the color, I love the way it applies and it does stay on quite well.

Flops:

Palmolive Feel Dynamic Shower Gel

I do not remember ever disliking a shower gel. Sure, I had ones that I did not like that much but never one a just blankly disliked. I am trying to use this up so hard. I just want to get rid of it. It is not a bad shower gel. It is not the best and for the price I expected a little bit more but I guess it is still okay. What I really hate is the smell. In the bottle it smells great but when you get it out it just smells like a cleaning product. It is awful. 

Catrice long lasting Lip Pencil 070 I Got You Babe!

You can tell in the review I did why I regret buying this. The color does not look good on me at all. On top of that it has the driest texture imaginable. I almost feel like I am scratching my lips when I try to apply this. It is just super dry which does not improve the look at all. My lips just looked dry and ripped. I am very disappointed.

Minions

I expected so much from this movie! It was not just an okay movie, it was just bad. The only thing I really liked was the beginning and that had already been part of the trailer. The movie neither surprised me nor did it make me laugh. I love animated movies and this just was not for me. Sorry, but this was a big flop for me.

What are your Tops and Flops of the month?