reviews, rambles & much, much more

EOS lip balms

2010-09-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

I recently spent two entire weeks in my favorite city of all times - Manhattan. I had the greatest time and though this shouldn't be a review on New York City, I feel the need to tell all of you how amazing the city is. Breathtaking, beautiful, surprising, exiting.. I could go on for ever.

I did shop a lot and I'm sure you'd never guess what my favorite new things are... they're all lip balms! Yes, shocking, I know. They're the EOS Lip balms and I had heard so many things about them that I just couldn't resist buying one (then another and another) when I saw them.

Look at how cute they are! The packaging is quite interesting. I'm super easy to win as a customer. Put dirt in a cute packaging and I will spend my hard earned cash on it. Seriously. But anyways, I started out with one. The first one I bought is the light green one and it tastes of sweet mint (which I'm also a sucker for. Cute packaging and anything sweet mint flavor ftw!)

The other two are lemon drop and honeysuckle-honeydew flavored. The lemon one even has SPF 15! I'm not sure if the other ones do, the label came off because I've been using them so much ever since I got them. All of them taste great and work like a charm. They're all natural and 95% organic, which is pretty cool.

Did I mention that they don't only smell but also taste delicious? Yes, a lovely product indeed! I wouldn't recommend taking a bite out of the lip balm but since they're all natural, licking your lips every now and then can't hurt. Yummmm...

By the way, they cost about the same as a regular chap stick, so next time you're lips are dry you might as well try out the EOS lip balms! :)
(If you're as hooked as I am; Here's the link to their website!)

IT'S DIET COKE DAY!

2010-08-24T05:08:00.000-07:00

Actually it isn't, it was yesterday, at least for me. I drank my very first diet coke in an entire month very consciously. My glass was filled with ice to make it the best that it can be and boy, it was good. Since I have gotten so used to the taste of diet coke I previously didn't really notice it anymore but yesterday... man. It was like a flavor explosion in my mouth!

After drinking my half a litre bottle I did feel a little dizzy and foggy as I did right after the Dr. Pepper. I am pretty sure it is the caffeine. I mean, it could be, right? And since I'm not used to it anymore, it has a greater effect on me. I'm in no way an expert, I'm just a girl guessing wildly ;)

Unlike all my expectations, I left it at that one bottle. I didn't drink any more and didn't crave any more either. It's Already past 2 pm now and I haven't even touched or thought about diet coke prior to writing this blog post. I guess I am officially over my addiction?

Like I said previously, I won't give up diet coke all together but won't drink it all that much anymore, either. One a day seems like a good idea so I guess that's what I'll do. One a day or less.

three weeks without diet coke, who knew I was so persistent?

2010-08-15T04:30:00.000-07:00

Today I officially hit the 3-week mark - I can't believe I haven't had any diet coke for 21 whole days. This is crazy, considering diet coke was all I ever drank before. Once again, I have not noticed any changes in my body and/or behavior whatsoever. I still have those 'I-need-a-diet-coke-moments' every few days. Yesterday was one of those days. I had a headache and a sore throat, it was raining and I was feeling like a toddler who refused to take a nap and felt grumpy as a result. Anyways, I really really wanted my diet coke so I kind of cheated a little tiny bit. At least it felt like it. I bought a can of doctor pepper (which isn't diet coke and I specified my experiment to be about DIET COKE and aspartame, right?). So drinking this stuff was... interesting. I couldn't enjoy it the first few sips because I felt that I cheated (which I didn't. I did not cheat... right?) but ended up only drinking about half of the can because it made me feel very foggy. I don't know if it was the caffeine (I basically gave up caffeine altogether with a few exeptions. I used to drink my coffee with artificial sweetener containing aspartame, so that was ruled out of my diet aswell) or the sugar. Or my overall well, or not so wellbeing.

Either way, I am so exited to finally gulp down gallons and gallons of refreshingly cold diet coke. Mmmmhhhh!

it's been a week without diet coke!

2010-08-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

A WEEK! This is crazy because honestly, I didn't think I'd make it.

So far, it hasn't been too hard and I don't even crave it too badly. A few days in to my little experiment however, I was about to give up. I wasn't feeling good, I was just in a gloomy mood for no reason and if it had been any other day, a cold diet coke would've cheered me up. Open a bottle of happiness... It is true!

So for all of you who don't know, I switched from ONLY drinking diet coke to water. I thought I would feel a significant difference but honestly, I really don't. Not even a slight difference. I heard that it takes about two weeks for the body to adjust to any diet changes so we'll see. Maybe next week I'll feel revived and awesome?

For now, I am very committed to stay on track with my 30-day challenge BUT I am very exited for my next ice cold Diet Coke. In the future, I will definitely cut back on my soda intake but I won't eliminate completely it from my diet. A glass or two a day should be fine.

(The longer I think about it, the more I'm craving it.. oh sweet drink, I miss you dearly)

in the groove - all styled up

2010-07-28T12:00:00.000-07:00


all styled up from the MAC in the groove collection

OH MY GOODNESS! Why isn't everybody raving about this lipstick? I did a google search on it and I got hardly any hits at all. The reviews on youtube are few as well and I have no idea what the heck is going on. There's two MAC Counters downtown Zurich and one of those doesn't even have all styled up on display - they switched it with Saint Germain. Very odd, no?

My point is, I am over the moon with this lipstick and I'm wondering why no one else is? It's a well pigmented blue barbie pink cremesheen and reminds me a lot of Viva Glam Gaga (which I don't own but swatched at least 28 timess on the back of my hand). The Gaga one seems to be a lot sheerer though. Anyways, I've been wanting all styled up, viva glam gaga and Saint Germain for quite a while now and I am fully aware that buying those three very similar lipsticks would be kind of... a waste of money. They're all similar BUT I want them all anyways.

without lipgloss

with a pink lipgloss

I got the last one at my one MAC counter but I am contemplating weather or not I should try to get a backup - it is a limited edition lipstick after all. I was with my friend when I got it and when I told her that that's one of the most beautiful colors I have seen in my entire life, she gave me that empathetic smile, you know, the one people give you when they completely disagree but know you're dead serious about something. The color itself might be a little much for my everyday life but lipgloss mutes it down quite well. Actually, I feel like being daring for the next couple of days and not wear lipgloss over it. I love that color to pieces, I always have! I do believe there's lipsticks out there that suit me more but I still love it and don't regret my purchase a bit.

30-day trial

2010-07-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon a very inspirational website. Unfortunately I closed the tab and have no idea what it was called but there was an article about starting new habits based on a 30-day trial period. I love the idea, why didn't I come up with that? I've been wanting to make some changes to my diet (like giving up soda. Diet Coke, to be exact. Is it ironic that I'm drinking that the very moment I'm typing this up?). But doing that knowing I want to keep this up for the rest of my entire life seems daunting.

Right now I feel so motivated that I want to take on several tasks. This is so typically me. If I really like an idea, I'm all in. Meaning that I overestimate myself which results in failing. I mean let's face it; I can't give up soda, go vegan, exercise daily and completely refrain from shopping all in the same month. It is just not possible. If I tried to do that, I'd set myself up for complete failure. So this time, I'm taking it slowly. I'll master one task at a time.

I will start my 30-day no-soda trial tomorrow and I know it will be tough. Actually, I'm avoiding foods and drinks containing aspartame (artificial sweetener, typically found in diet-drinks and low-calorie foods) alltogether (see, I'm doing it again! I'm taking on more than I can handle... haha!). I've read that aspartame can be the cause for hypersensitivity to certain sounds and smells which would make so much sense. I can not stand certain sounds at all and some smells, even faint ones, can make me fell nauseous. So weather or not aspartame is the cause for my hypersensitivity my body will thank me.

I will keep you updated! :)

Lush collection & reviews

2010-07-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

I decided I'd share my Lush-stuff with you today! I think with Lush products it's either hit or miss. There's loads of products that I absolutely adore but there's also a bunch that I do regrett buying.

This is a little overview of how I store my products. They are exposed to sun - not good, I know. I need to figure out something else. I leave the soaps I just used out to dry on this little tray thing. It's a storage thing, but I turned it upside down so my soaps could fully dry.

Oh the shampoos. I got a bunch of them for my birthday, along with that tin to store them in. I must admit that the Lush-shampoo bars seem like a really, really good idea but don't really work all that good on my hair. They seem to dry my hair out and leave them feeling and looking like straw. Not so attractive. I have absolutely no idea of what to do with those. I have no intentions of using them up but I also don't want to throw them out. My fellow lush-addicted friends all hate the shampoo bars aswell. I wouldn't reccomend them to anyone.

Hahaha, the shower jellies make me so happy. For no real reason, just because soap isn't supposed to be the consistency of Jell-o. Fun to use, especially for kids and those who are still young at heart! (Smells really good, too!)

Ohhhhh the Buffy Body Butter. This is one of my favorite Lush products EVER. I love exfoliating my body. Buffy is quite harsh but makes up for that by moisturizing as you exfoliate. It's a product that I probably always will repurchase. I like it even better in the winter, when my skin needs extra moisture.

The yellow chunks are from the sexy-peel soap. A slightly exfoliating, very citrusy soap that wakes you up in the morning. Love the scent and consistency.

The huge, brownish chunk is called porridge and my FAVORITE Lush product. It's extremely abrasive and smells of the maple & brown sugar oatmeal packets. (My friend doesn't think so at all, but that's my interpretation of the smell - it is called porridge after all!) If you don't like rather sharp peelings, this soap isn't for you. Seriously. It leaves me with red marks over my legs and arms but nothing makes me feel as squeaky clean as a shower with this gem!

Rockstarsoap is the pinker one of those two similar colored soaps. It smell really, really good, lathers up nicely and is basically just an awesome soap.

Ring-a-roses on the other hand just isn't. One of those Lush products I regrett buying tremendously. Doesn't lather up, isn't as moisturizing as promised and just not worth my money. Period.

Oh my favorite Lush scents! The snowcake soap (ltd. edition, came out at around christmas) and the hand cream that smell just the same. It's the scent of almonds and a bunch of other ingredients I can't quite figure out. Anyways, the soap is amazing. I will stack up on that thing next winter, let me tell ya! The hand cream however... I don't know. Love, love, looooove the scent of it but it doesn't absorb quickly and leaves my hand&body feel greasy. But the scent... ahhhhh.

Shimmy Shimmy massage bar leaves you shimmering like the setting sun. It smell divine, reminds me of my room. (don't ask, I have no idea) It smells like vanilla and lavender, so so so soooo gorgeous. Shimmer and scent. This seems to be the only product that I don't absolutely love or despise. It's a good product but I don't know if I'd repurchase it. I don't know if I like that whole shimmer thing even though it's quite subtle and gorgeous.

The misterious thing in the famous yellow Lush bag is a sugarscrub. I have not tried this one out yet but am so exited to use it sometime soon. I love scrubs! Speaking of which, I completely failed to take a picture of my Lipscrub which I absolutely adore. I got the mint julips kind. I'm a sucker for mint/chocolate combinations (and no, I'm not English)

Please let me know which Lush product you like the most and the least and why. Thank you :)

outfit of the day (well actually, outfit of last night)

2010-07-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

It was my mom's weddingparty and let me tell ya, IT WAS AMAZING. It was a great party with loads of dancing, laughing and socializing - great evening to sum it all up. My shoes did get the best of me at around 1 am so I changed into the balletflats I brought with me. I wish I was a high-heels girl but I'm really, really not.

The dress is actually my moms. She got it at a boutique that usually just sells very, very weird, grandma-ish clothes. I love the detail at the bottom of the dress and the fact that it's short but not in a cheap way. It actually has straps but I tucked them in to make it look strapless.

The belt is from Target. I believe it was about $19 but don't quote me on that! The necklace and charm are from Globus (Department store in Switzerland), the gold bracelet is from the Lauren by Ralph Lauren Collection and I got it at dillards for $30. The pearl bracelet is by Thomas Sabo and was a birthday present. The shoes are from the worst store ever. They basically sell everything tacky, so yeah. But obviously it was worth going in there ;)

Teeny-tiny update

2010-07-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

I did repurchase the Body Shop Moisture Foundation. I finally ran out of my other one and was left without any foundation at all. Okay that's a lie BUT one makes my skin burn and the other two are way too light for me right now so I HAD to repurchase it. I somewhat wanted to get another one just so I could test what else is out there, but since I'm sort of broke right now, I didn't want to risk spending money on something that's not worth it.

Anyways, point of all that: I love the body shop moisture foundation and am happy with my purchase :)

Project 10 Pan, slightly different

2010-06-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm aware that there are 11 items on the picture - not 10. That's because I think the chap stick and the dove body mist only count as half. I also made some slight changes to the rules. I am not allowed to USE (not buy) any new products that do the same job until I'd finished them.

That's not because I'm a lousy cheater. (Okay maybe it is... partially) The real reason for that is pretty good, actually. I live in Switzerland and as you might know, everything here is ridiculously expensive, so when I go to New York in August, I actually want to be able to buy stuff and stock up on what I need. Yeah, MAC products are almost double the US-price here, Clinique products are even more than that. For the dramatically different moisturizing gel, I would have to pay $75 whereas I could get it for $24 in the US. But that's besides the point.

(I will describe the products from left to right, then the front row also from left to right)

1. The John Frieda Frizz Ease heat protecting spray is almost empty. It didn't last that long and my nozzle was either broken or it's made horribly. When I spray it, it just wets my hair. It's not a fine mist like I had expected. It's an okay product but not my holy grail heat protectant. I won't repurchase that, but don't regret buying it.

2. The John Frieda Frizz Ease Glossing mist is okay as well, I liked it but won't repurchase it. Not because I didn't like it - there's just so many similar products out there that I want to try out.

3. My Body Shop foundation. Sigh. I've already posted a review on this but I think I slightly changed my opinion on it. I'm almost out of it and I am a bit sad. I will repurchase the foundation, just a shade darker, the one I have right now matches my winter skin better.

4. HOLY COW, this product really impressed me! It's the Dove go fresh body mist with cucumber and green tea scent and a int of moisturizer. Best body mist ever. I will probably buy 57 backups if I do find it in NYC. Totally awesome.

5. This Glossing spray by Nivea is okay but hasn't impressed me much. You basically just spray it into damp or dry hair and it makes your hair all shiny and smooth. Won't repurchase.

6. In this pink bottle is another heat protectant/straightening cream. It's okay, it does make my hair straighter even when I let it air dry but I won't repurchase that. I'm still looking for a better one.

7. This is kind of weird and hard to finish. It's made with royal jelly and promises to soften and nourish extremely dry hair. You put it on your hair at night (damp or dry) and leave it on over night. It smells nicely but for me, it doesn't do what it promises.

8. My Crabtree and Evelyn hand- & body lotion. Hahaha. Some of my friends hate the smell (roses). I like it a lot but won't repurchase. There's just so many body lotions out there I want to try. It definitely does the job though!

9. I got this Lip balm at victorias secrets. It's a double balm stick, temporarily moisturizes your lips. It's just a chap stick. Whatever. ;)

10. OHHHHHHHHH. This is my favorite Lush-Soap EVER. It's called Snowcake and they only have it around Christmas time. It's almond scented goodness, let me tell ya! Will stock up on that next Christmas!

11. Last but not least, the buffy body butter. Good exfoliator, really does the job. The little grains are quite sharp and abrasive but I really like it. It moisturizes and peels your skin at the same time which I think is great. There are a few other peelings I would like to try out first but I probably will repurchase this one sometime.

O.P.I.'s Pearl of Wisdom

2010-06-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

Oh it breaks my heart writing something bad about this nailpolish! It's a love-hate relationship but I'm trying to fall in love with this product again.

I believe Pearl of Wisdom came out with the Hong Kong collection, but I'm not entirely sure. When I first bought it I was over the moon. I though I'd found the nailpolish. You know, the one I've been looking for all my life without even knowing it. The color is beautiful. In all honesty I have never seen a nailpolish this gorgeous. And I'm a fanatic when it comes to nailpolish. It pearlifies (I'm sure that's not a word but what the heck) your nails instantly... it's oh-so-gorgeous! I think I will wear that on my wedding.

So after I got over my first überlypositive shock I noticed the not so tiny flaws this nailpolish has. I don't know if mine is old or just bad (that would explain the funky smell) but compared to all of my other O.P.I's it does not apply well at all. It's streaky, sheer as a window and doesn't dry quickly. You can't get it opaque.. or well, I stopped trying after the fifth coat. It also applies a lot pinker than it looks in the bottle but has purple and blue reflections, sometimes gold and silver.

The color is beautiful. And frankly, this must be my favorite nailpolish ever (sorry mangoes loco and rose amore). It's very, very classy, very subtle yet noticably gorgeous. If used as a topcoat, it transforms even tacky colors into something breathtakingly beautiful (okay.. I'm getting carried away a bit).

Without a doubt a must have. Even though it's not too easy to work with, I'd reccommend it to everybody and I'd definitely buy another one, two, five. Just in case I'd ever run out.

The Body Shop - Moisture Foundation SPF 15

2010-06-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

I’ve had the Moisture Foundation with SPF 15 from The Body Shop for about a year now. Long enough to decide weather or not I like the product… you’d think.

It’s a very creamy, moisturizing foundation. Perfect for my superdry, supersensitive skin. It doesn’t cover up major breakouts and blemishes but easily conceals redness and minor imperfections. Due to its sheer nature it leaves your skin looking natural and glowy.

Unless you follow up with a powder it leaves your skin feeling a little bit greasy or to throw in a bit of euphemism; extra moisturized. It’s perfect during the winter when your skin might be a little bit parched or is exposed to harsh weather. It does feel quite heavy on your skin - so when summer comes around and you’re not too fond of foundation melting off of your face: DON’T USE IT.

So if you’re skin’s not too flawed and you’re looking for a moisturizing everyday foundation with light coverage and an SPF, this product has the potential to become your new go-to foundation.

The Moisture Foundation has not sent me over the moon. It is nice - but it’s time for me to move on and try another one. I will definitely keep it in mind though - next winter will surely come one day.

I forgot to introduce myself - how rude!

2010-06-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

Better late than never: Hi, my name is Sophie and I’m 20 years old. I live in Switzerland and love to travel. I know exactly what I want out of my life: Everything. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, ambitious and curious. I’ve travelled to so many countries I lost count. Travelling’s taught me to be more tolerant and accepting of different ways of life and showed me the beauty of diversity.

I’m on a neverending journey to find the best of everything. That’s where my Blog comes in. I don’t have money to waste, so I like to know beforehand weather or not a product is worth my money. I know that there’s different opinions on what’s good and bad and that somebody might love something an other persones hates (which is completely okay, by the way) so I want you to know that if I like a product, it’s not guaranteed you do too. All reviews will be based on my own experience with them and I’ll solely express my own opinion. If it’s yours too then AWESOME :)

Jil Sander Sun - my very first review!

2010-06-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

Although it is quite pricey - it retails for about $35 - I always have a backup of this one (and the Eau de toilette and the bodylotion). The showergel doubles as a shampoo and leaves you smelling fantasticly. The scent does not linger on your skin all day but you will definitely smell like sun and summer for however long it lasts. Although I use the product all year round it is a quite summery scent. One of the main ingredients must be summer.

I love this scent and will always, always, always (!!!) repurchase!