Nail Polish: Mavala - Sweety

I have only posted about Mavala once before but I swear I have super many of their nail polishes! I love them for couple of reasons, first they have amazing colours and secondly they have 5 ml / 0.17 fl.oz. bottles that are just perfect!

Today I am wearing the colour Sweety by Mavala. I only wear one coat because I love when the polish is a bit sheer sometimes and I just LOVE this colour!

I haven't been wearing nail polish at all for some time because my nails had some epic meltdown and just didn't want to do anything else but break! But with some tender, love and care I managed to get them healthy again.

Today I am as well wearing a nail strengthener from Yves Rocher, I haven't used it a lot so I can't really review it that well but so far I like what I am seeing! It is something I found at the bottom of my nail polish drawer, it seemingly has been discontinued and I can't find it anywhere online. But, it is called Manicure Soin Durcissant or Nail Strengthener.

Mavala in the colour Sweety can be purchaced at Boots.com for £4.30

Bisous

25 Things Before My 25th Birthday

Whilst some of my goals are quite straight forwards some are more ambiguous. There are two reasons for that, while some of my goals I am totally willing to share all about them now some are still not really ready to be completely revealed and some goals are just not fully formed and I might have to change the direction they are taking later on. 

Over the next five weeks I plan writing more about these goals, I am going to choose five goals every week and write more about them and why I want to accomplish them.

1. Do a 100 Days Declutter Challenge 

2. Move 

3. Do a Photo an Hour challenge every month (12 times December 2012 - November 2013)

4. Read books that start with all the letters of the alphabet (a-z) and review them.

5. Read books that by authors last name (a-z) and review them.

6. Start an inspirational book.

7. Sew seven pieces of clothing.

8. Learn how to draw

9. Improve my handwriting

10. Make and write Christmas cards AND send them

11. Go for a road trip

12. Go camping

13. Write and publish a short story

14. Write and publish 5 poems

15. Write and publish a small poetry book

16. Publish on my blog 5 cookie recipes

17. Publish on my blog 2 Do It Yourself

18. Publish on my blog 12 soup recipes 

19. Take 12 outfit photos

20. Open up an online handmade shop 

21. Have over 250 published posts on my blog

22. Start the free advertising on my blog

23. Be more organized.

24. Do the 200 sit-up challenge

25. Not gain weight

It just seems to be a lot but if you think about it, it isn't that much, 365 days can go by super quickly and you need to stop the rush of life and enjoy what is in front of you. 

The Little Mare That Could

This is totally different from what I have ever written but I just have to because it is an amazing story that should be heard!

The farmer and the mare (Photo by Guðmundur Karl)

Let's begin with how it all started! Last Monday a young man, 24, escaped from the only prison in Iceland and he is considered to be dangerous (he was found guilty of trying to murder his stepmother) and therefore there are hundreds of people looking for him. 

One of the helicopters that was looking for him spotted a mare frozen stuck in a pond in a secluded area that could not have been seen from any road. The people on the helicopter decided that they should do something and landed by the closest farm. They talked to the farmer and told him about where the mare was and the farmer went to the mare and attempted to save her. The helicopter squad had to keep on searching for the missing prisoner and went away. 

Later on, the helicopter squad check on the farmer again and saw that he was having trouble saving the poor mare and began helping him. The mare was barely alive and couldn't walk or anything. Therefore, she had to be transported back to the farm in the shovel of a digger. 

Transporting the mare (Photo by Sigga Pje)

When she got to the farm they did not think she would make it and called the vet to help them to euthanize her so she wouldn't suffer anymore. However, the vet decided to give her some steroids and with that she sprung back to life and is now doing much better! They believe that the young mare will survive her ordeal. No one knows how long the two year old mare had been stuck in the middle of the frozen pond. The farmer is planning on calling her "Þyrla" which is the Icelandic word for helicopter. 

The farmer, Steinn Skúlason, told the Icelandic newspaper Morgunblaðið that "she will be very spoiled over Christmas by us" 

The fugitive is still at large and is considered dangerous so if you are chilling outdoors in Iceland just be careful! 

Source: Pictures Story

It was my birthday - 24 things before my 24th birthday

I know I didn't manage to finish my list or even being close to finish it but I feel like I have accomplished a lot this year! All in all this was a great year and I had some great experiences! 

Green means I managed to do it completely.

Orange means I did some of it 

Red means I didn't do it

1. Change schools

I actually managed to do this! I started my new school in September and I just love it. 

2. Learn how to write in Arabic

When I was picking what classes I should take I chose to start studying Arabic! I have now finished 1  semester of Arabic classes and I can really say that it is amazing learning a new alphabet and with that such a different language! 

3. Learn better French (I am on level B1 now)

Since many of my classes are in French and I have school books that are in French I do feel a bit more confident with my French, I do understand what the teachers are talking about and I am getting a better grip on understanding daily chitchat. I even talk to  some classmates in French! That is a big up for me since I am super shy about talking in French. 

4. Start a Handmade Shop

This one is orange because I am almost there! I plan on opening the shop in the end of January! 

5. Knit a sweater

This one was one of the first one that I accomplished. It doesn't really fit so I might actually take it apart and make something else from the yarn.

6. Find an apartment

Mr. Handsome and I moved into a new apartment in February.

7. Grow some herbs

This actually happened and they survived for a while, we have a half dead basil plant still around that might survive the year. 

8. Take 52 outfit pictures

I did take 3 outfit pictures, they can be seen here. I really liked taking outfit pictures and I do plan on starting that again! 

9. Lose 10 kg (22 lbs)

My goal weight was 67.5 kg ( 148.8 lbs), I started weighing 77.5 kg (170.9 lbs) right now I am bouncing between 74-75 kg (163 - 165.3 lbs). So, in total I have managed lose about 2.5 kg. I know it isn't a lot but it is super hard for me to lose any weight so I am quite proud that I didn't gain any weight this year. I plan on going on with a healthier lifestyle and hopefully one day I will manage to be in the right weight for my height.

10. Cook 52 different recipes 

I did try new things, and next year I will post some of the recipes that I have been developing!  Some can be read here.

 11. Knit 52 different things

I don't think I have made 52 things but I believe it is in the double numbers. I can't wait to show what I have made when I open my shop!

12. Needlepoint 12 different things

I didn't really start this one, I looked at different things and did some practices but I didn't really make anything.

13. Sew 52 different things

I did do some sewing but nothing really that I would count as one of the 52 things. 

14. Write a short story

I did write couple of drafts of a story but like always I didn't finish them. 

15. Stop eating milk products

I decided to stop even trying to do this, I love cheese and other dairy products. 

16. Set up a workplace for me

This is orange because while I don't have a specific workplace for me (the apartment is way to small for it) I do have a specific place for my yarn and fabric. 

17. Take 52 make-up pictures 

I did manage to do quite a lot of these! I really enjoy writing about my make-up! 

18. Get a bike

I decided that biking in Geneva is just way to dangerous! 

19. Visit the East-Cost of the USA

This didn't happen, but I went and visited South of France, Copenhagen and some other places.  

20. Save some money (around 2600 chf)

I am on the right path with this matter.

21. Have 400 twitter followers - follow me here  

Today I have 142 follower! Yay! 

22. Turn this blog into a webpage

I didn't even start this. 

23. Stop using shampoo and conditioner

I started this on my birthday last year and I haven't turned back. I love it, at the moment I am only washing my hair with water and it is amazing! 

24. Grow a lemon grass plant. 

I am super proud of my amazing lemon grass plant! I love brewing myself a tea from the fresh leaves! 

As I said before I am really happy with my year! I've started to plan my 25 things before my 25th list and I hope I can write about it next week! 

Bisous

Review: Bourjois Paris Smoky Eyes - 06 Violet Romantic

I might be a little bit biased to this eye shadow trio. Why? Because it is purple and my all time favorite colour is purple and  therefore I just tend to love things a little bit more when they are purple.

I had been lusting for the Bourjois Paris Smokey Eyes for some time, but I never was really sure if I needed more eye shadows. After looking at it almost every time I went to the make up store I decided to go for it! Not so shockingly I picked the shade 06 Violet Romantic.  

At first glance the colours were amazing. I really was looking forward to such a bright purple hue. Sadly I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the colours are great. I like the eye shadows I was just expecting so much more from how they looked, both from the advertisements and from how the eye shadow itself looks in the little box. The dark shade, is more black than purple and the medium and light shades are almost identical.

I will definitely keep on using them but not as a statement eye shadow like I was expecting. I don't think I will be using the little brush that comes with it and I do think that that little brush is both a waste of space and material. 

All in all, even with some flaws I do like the eye shadows. I think I just went in with too much hope of super pigmented purple eye shadow that would rock my world but in reality it is just a normal eye shadow that can easily be used during the day. 

I didn't find any store in the US that sells this colour but boots in UK does sell it. 

Boots.com - Bourjois Smoky Eyes - 06 Violet Romantic - £7.99

Bisous

Review: Clinique BB Cream - Shade 1

I have to admit that I am not a big foundation girl. I think it is a combination between my freckles and the fact that I am super pale. I can never find the right shade that is pale enough and the shades I've tried that come close partially cover up my freckles so it just looks odd. 

Therefore, I didn't really have high hopes for the BB Cream from Clinique. I was sure since it only comes in 3 shades that the there wouldn't be a match and that it would look odd with my freckles like normal foundation does. 

But I was happily surprised, I bought shade 1 and it fits my skin tone perfectly and it doesn't cover up my freckles. 

What is the point of BB cream if it doesn't have any coverage? Well, that is the magic of the BB Cream from Clinique, whilst it doesn't cover up my freckles it makes my skin look better and hides the imperfections. I don't believe that my freckles are an imperfection and I do love that they can shine through the BB Cream. 

I love as well how easy it is to use the BB Cream, it goes on super smoothly and since it isn't to heavy you don't need to be afraid of it being uneven or having the dreaded foundation mask. 

An added benefit is that it has spf 30 which is always a big deal for me! I know that it isn't enough for the summer but it is enough for the winter when the sun barely shines! 

All in all I love it and I will defiantly buy it again! 

Age Defense BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30 - US$37.00

Bisous

P.S. I have been having this awful headache all day, and every time I have bad headache my face looks all wonky!