Thursday, 26 April 2012

Review: John Frieda Thickening Blow Dry Lotion


What John Frieda claims:

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Thickening Blow Dry Lotion was John's first invention and won world acclaim for its amazing thickening results. Still loved by our consumers and the beauty elite, the formula has just got better.


My thoughts: To be honest I barely buy hair products. It is always the same story: The product seems to be (finally) the right one for my needs, I buy it, I try it... and it's awful. So I leave it in a dark edge somewhere in my drawer. Except for serum and oils I hate mostly every lotion, mousse and gel and still wonder, where the hairdressers get their magical produtcs from. Seriously, why do I have to put a product in my hair so it feels sticky when I want to have it clean and fresh?

When I saw this product I actually didn't really want to buy it. Nevertheless, deep down I wished to finally find a thickening product which wouldn't disappoint me. Who wonders it found it's way on my drawer and well, I have to say: I am honestly surprised.
This spray isn't used every day, but every now and then I spray it on my roots when my hair is still damp, using a large brush while blow drying. It lifts the roots and makes the hair look more luscious. I don't know how it turns out when my hair is longer, but for the moment this product is really nice.


Wednesday, 25 April 2012

Drama of the week - Will it snow for Christmas?

After a long time I am back with another korean drama review. Today let's have a closer look at "Will it snow for Christmas?".

(Source: mydramalist)
크리스마스에 눈이 올까요? - Will it snow for Christmas?

Being a member on mydramalist makes life a lot easier when you start to forget which dramas and movies (and animes) you already watched. But on the other hand it can be really frustrating when you are just a little bit like me. You can not only save all the dramas you watched but also make a list which dramas you are eager to watch in the future. Currently I have 777 planned dramas, movies and animes I still want to watch. But before I complain about it let's start with today's drama of interest.

The story sounds pretty boring. Han Ji Wan's boyfriend leaves her for another girl, actually a senior, in school and she decides to get revenge by stealing away the girl's latest conquest, Cha Kang Jin. As always soon ji Wan develops real feelings for him so she wants to abandon her plan, but Kang Jin rejects her. After a while he finally likes her back, but because of a tragic accident Ji Wan's older brother dies and she leaves her family, her life and Kang Jin behind to start anew in Seoul. Five years later Kang Jin, now a successful architect, attends the engagement party of one of his collagues. There he meets Ji Wan but is shocked when he finds out that she is the future bride.

Go Soo (고수,33) has other main roles before he played Cha Kang Jin. His acting is quite good, but not the best in comparison with other male actors his age (I think of Hyeon Bin and Gang Ji Hwan *Ji Hwan, sigh*). Han Ye Seul (한예슬,29) plays Han Ji Wan and goodness, this woman is really pretty. Again I haven't seen her before, but I fell immediately for her. Ye Seul is cute and innocent, her skills are really good and I symphatised with her right away. Sometimes I could slap her hoping she would finally grow some balls but well, women in korean dramas are most of the time pretty lame. Song Jong Ho (송종호,35) has the role of Park Tae Jun which he pulls off quite good. I like his acting, the role was perfect for him and to be honest I liked him more than Cha Kang Jin. Kim Gi Bang (김기방,30) plays Kang Jin's little brother Bu San who is a featherbrained but warmhearted person. Seon U Seon (선우선,37) as Lee U Jeong cut a good figure as well, also when she annoyed me alot. I'm thankful she didn't got a major role. I was surprised the villain is played by a woman, but Kim Do Yeon (김도연,46) was definitely the perfect cast for Seo Yeong Suk. Finally Jo Min Su (조민수,47) has to be noticed, not only because Cha Chun Hui plays a major part in the whole history and plot but also because she pulls the role off perfectly. She was one of my favourite actors in this drama.

My thoughts on the story: Everyone who watches korean dramas knows the characters need a lot of time, a lot of time to develop feelings, a lot of time to realise they love someone and even more time to confess it. But this time it was worse. When they made one step forward now they made two steps back afterwards. It takes forever for scenes to develop, yet the drama isn't boring.

ATTENTION SPOILER!!--> Han Ji Wan and Cha Kang Jin love each other. They fell in love while they were still children and five years later they still love each other. Park Tae Jun only dates Ji Wan because he doesn't feel comfortable with Lee U Jeong being the daughter of the president he is working for. At the day of Ji Wan's and Tae Jun's engagement day U Jeong slits her wrists and Tae Jun rushes to the hospital to be there for her. Even though it seems like he doesn't love her anymore he still cares a lot for her. Everything gets out of control when Ji Wan recognises Kang Jin. Oh, I forgot to say that every female in this drama loves him, so it's not surprise that U Jeong starts to have interest in him as well.
Ji Wan and Tae Jun break up, she starts to date Kang Jin, or well at least they try to date each other but then he is forced to write a resignment letter, I forgot the details.
As a result Kang Jin starts to date U Jeong or wait, did he just date her because she forced him to? So Tae Jun and Ji Wan meet each other again even though Ji Wan loves Kang Jin, nevertheless Tae Jun tries to get her back.
When you think it can't get worse, trust me, it can. Cha Chun Hui had a love relationship with Ji Wan's father back then when they were still teenager. She left the city when he married her friend Seo Yeong Suk. A few years later Chun Hui moved back with her two sons Bu San and Kang Jin, the latter met and fell in love with Ji Wan in school. But now Chun Hui, even though she knows he is a married man, meets him over and over again. I know it takes two to tango, I somehow could understand her feelings but critised his actions.
In every good drama someone has to die so it wasn't surprising when Ji Wan's dad found out he is fatally ill. While he was on a date with Chun Hui he died which causes Yeong Suk to panic and burning the house down. She makes Chun Hui responsible for both the death of her son and Ji Wan's brother and her husband. The stress causes a mental illness so when she wakes up in hospital she believes Kang Jin is her death son.
During the last episodes Kang Jin lives with Yeong Suk under the same roof while pretending to be her son. That means Ji Wan and Kang Jin can't date anymore and sometimes it seems like Kang Jin enjoys being her brother more than being her boyfriend.
In the end Yeong Suk gains her memory back but forces Kang Jin to leave Ji Wan, but the young woman tries everything to fight for him and to get him back. The ending was quite confusing and depressing, Ji Wan invites him for dinner together with her mother, first he refuses but then he goes after her. That's it. No romantic kiss or confession. The whole drama is so confusing, the characters don't stand up for their feelings, it's all haywire. Nevertheless I liked this drama. Final rating:
★★★★☆


Tuesday, 24 April 2012

Blogging Tips - Save your blog

Hello everyone!
I am on blogspot for a little while now and thought it might be helpful for a few who aren't acquainted with blogger to do some kind of a "Blogging Tips series". Yet I have no idea how often I will write about it, but this one is pretty important to share with fellow bloggers.


Everyone had to deal with a similiar situation once, I guess. Sometimes blogs are being marked as a spam by Blogger or just disappear, leaving a helpless blogger behind. I came across lots of posts in help forums and I have been there too some time ago. Since my experiences terrified me I decided to make a backup plan.

How does this backup plan might look like, you probably ask. Well, let me tell you first you don't have to be a total nerd to save your blog from being deleted. Lucky us Blogger has a nice feature so we can save our entire blog contents (i.e. posts, design, adds).
In my life I lost a lot of data, be it my laptop harddrive which suddenly decided not to work anymore or my laptop which broke down several times. Being on the save site feels a lot better and let's face it - you can't trust electronic things (I hope my lap isn't huffy now...).

Let's go through the back up step by step.
First go on your Blogger starting page, click the little arrow and chose "Settings".


Second: On the left tab you see different options under "Settings", click on "Other" and three different links along the top of the page will appear:
Import blog, Export blog, and Delete blog (you really shouldn't click that one...). "Export Blog" is what we need right now, so click on that.


Third: A screen will pop up telling you some random things and asking you if you want to download your blog. Depending on how much you already posted this might take a couple of minutes, but then pops up another window (save box actually) and you can save your entire content. Make sure you will find it afterwards and that's it. :)

And if you wonder how you can get your blog back when it got deleted: Click "Import Blog" and chose your saved file and it comes back to the blogger world.


Monday, 23 April 2012

Review: Sigma Dry n Shape

Every now and then my brushes need a wash, I usually lay them flat on the edge of the window, so the breeze can dry them naturally. That means they won't have their usual shape afterwards, so I thought it might be time to try something else. This is were Sigma came in.



What Sigma Says: 

Tired of waiting for your brushes to dry after washing them? Wait no more! Introducing the revolutionary Sigma Beauty Dry’n Shape system! 
The Dry’n Shape was designed to completely dry and shape your most dense brushes within 4 to 6 hours, guaranteed. The Dry’n Shape provides the necessary pressure to bristles to quickly and efficiently remove water from every fibre. 
The fabric used to shape the bristles was specially engineered to accelerate water evaporation, resulting in a faster drying time for your brushes. The Dry’n Shape is an easy, quick, and effective way to quickly dry and shape your makeup brushes. Follow these three easy steps for best results: 

STEP 1: Wash your brushes using a mild shampoo or brush cleanser. 

STEP 2: Gently press the bristles to remove any excess water. Place the clean, damp brushes into the Dry’n Shape using the smallest band the brush will fit into. Make sure that all bristles are firmly compressed. 

STEP 3: Wait 4 to 6 hours and your brushes will be completely dry and ready to use! In addition to being completely dry, the bristles will be reshaped to their original form. Your brushes will be perfect for your makeup application!


To allow the excess water to free flow downwards I left the roll upside down and put a tissue under it. According to Sigma it takes 4-6 hours until the brushes are completely dry. Since this wasn't the first time I cleaned my brushes I knew larger sized brushes like the powder brush or contouring brush need some more time. After six hours they were still slightly damp in the middle.

My thoughts: Because the roll holds only 12 brushes I can't dry all my brushes in their (well, right now I only use up to 8 brushes, however this is a downside for everyone who wants to clean all their brushes.)
Furthermore the smaller eye brushes didn't fit so I had to let them dry on a tissue.
I like the idea behind it and for $29/ 47$/ 35€ it is a good deal. Moreover you can also use it as an additional brush roll or for traveling.

Purchase here.

Saturday, 21 April 2012

Wishlist

Every year I make up a wishlist with some things I want to buy and achieve during the year. Let's have a quick look on the wishlist for 2012 :)
(Source: Amazon)
First: a new camera. As you may know I am one of those crazy chicks on youtube who does stupid videos telling the world how to (not) apply make up... I enjoy it a lot, but the quality of the cam I used to use isn't good enough so that I can't work with it properly. I love my camera since I got it from Suzi. :) After looking through guru blogs and their youtube pages and videos I decided to get my hands on a Canon EOS. Yes indeed, Suzi does use this camera as well, but hands down, her videos are always in high quality. It's not a bargain, but I can do more things with a reflex camera than just shooting HD videos.


(Source: Happily ever after apparel)
Second: To be honest I have no idea what happened to me but since I am with my amazing boyfee I changed (and still change a lot). In the past I did enjoy the company with my exboyfriend of course, but I never wanted to meet him more than two or three times per week. Now I literally die when we can't see each other one single day, it's hilarious. To complete my lovey-dovey behaviour I definitely need a pair of those matching crewnecks by happily ever after apparel. Shame on you tumblr, I found these pictures on my dashboard. I don't know whether my boyfee will like it, but you know how life goes, some people have to be forced into doing what's good for them. :D



(Source: Justfab)
Third: THESE SHOES ARE BLOODY AMAZING!! Thanks to Melissa and one of her endless OOTD videos I saw these wonderful platform peep toes. Hence I am only 5'4 I love to rock heels, mostly platforms, they are really comfortable. The only downside: I don't know if Justfabships to Germany - right now it looks like they only ship within the US and Canada...


(Source: tumblr)
Fourth: More / New brushes. Lacking inspiration and new ideas is one thing, but when you don't have enough tools to work with it's a desaster. I already have made experiences with those brushes you can get online from Hong Kong, some of them are nice but a lot are useless and feel horrible on the skin. But that's another story. Every artist needs good brushes, so do I. Not necessarily MAC brushes (they're hella expensive... Jesus), but some brushes by MAC are worth their money. Some days ago I made a list which brushes I definitely need right asap and decided to get them from Sigma. Some MAC brushes will find their way into my brushroll as well, but not at the moment.


(Source: tumblr)
Fifth: Trip to London. Being away from school and my english teacher for almost 2 years leaves one's mark. Furthermore I want to work outside of Germany once I'm done with university so I definitely have to train my business english. British colleges offer lots of different courses in different fields, I still debate which one would be the best. A language course sounds pretty boring and sometimes I still regret I haven't applied for the London College of Fashion. Unfortunately the businees administration courses only last a few days, but they do offer a fashion design summer course as well, which sounds pretty interesting. My summer semester break is long and I won't go on a vacation, so this is a nice and suitable alternative.


(Source: Sally)
Sixth: Being this caring girlfee I am (at least I try my best... :D) plus my addiction for healthy food take me here: I want to cook more. For myself as well as for my boyfee and my friends. Yesterday I stumbled upon this bloody awesome blog by Sally and directly fell in love with her recipes. Fresh, healthy but at the same time easy/moderate. I am a perfectionist and hate to try out a difficult recipe because it never ends like it should. Sally does a great job, you should check her blog out. :)


(Source: tumblr)
Seventh: fit and healthy. As you already may know I am in the middle of a lifestyle change. Not only did I changed my diet I also exercise regularly and do everything to live healthier. For me the loss of nearly 4 pounds / 2kg is already visible, but I am not done yet. I will join the gym in may which not only includes cardio and strength workouts but I also want to try out Tai-Bo, Tai-Chi and Pilates (and Yoga of course) and hopefully will stick to it so that I reach my goal in the end of June.

(Source: tumblr)
Eighthly: Become a better person. I am afraid that this might take a couple of years but it's never too late. Who's fault is this? My boyfees. :D He is such a nice and warm-hearted person, I really don't think I deserve him. I won't change my meanie attitude I have towards weird people... I mean, they are really weird, like weirdweird...weird. Not this Ryan-Higa-weird, that's cute and I am like that as well, but like... you know. Anyway. I just want to become a little more grateful, live happier and love fullier. Be nicer and stuff.


(Source: google)
Ninth: holland lop. This is something I thought about over and over again. After my little bunny died in January 2011 I felt alone. He lolloped everywhere I went and stayed by my side when I sat on the floor to watch TV or so. But when he went to heaven, my little heart broke in thousands of fragments and I never felt ready for another bunny. However, cuddling and playing with a little bunny is one of the most amazing things in life. My boyfee already said it would be "funny" to have one... and imagine those super cute pictures I could make with a little bunny LOL.

(Source: Amazon)
Tenth: Sewing Machine. Again it's Melissa's fault because of her DIY videos I planned to try it myself half a year ago but haven't done it yet. On youtube are tons of DIY tutorials, but my favourites are the ones you find on the Threadbanger channel. They provide different styles so everyone should find something interesting. If you are interested in those kind of videos, you should check them out. :)


Saturday, 3 March 2012

Fit and Healthy

Losing weight is not easy, it never was and it will never be.


Those girls who are naturally skinny are lucky, well, I do know they have to deal with critical comments too (I have been there some time ago).
I never felt comfortable being in-between skinny and starting-to-get-a-little-bit-chubby. There are a certain friends who will shake their heads when they read this, but I don't care. I have to feel beautiful in my body, not you.

Three years ago I gained around 17 pounds / 8kg due to unhealthy food (hell, I just love icecream so I ate it every night for a couple of weeks... shame on the inventor of icecream!) and emotional stress. On top of that I stopped going to the gym, I admit that wasn't one of the best ideas in my life. To be honest I did noticed some difference, but it was fine until I went out with a friend and saw a few pictures from that night online. Suddenly I had huge chubby upper arms, a little double chin in some mean ankles and beefy thighs.
Some may say curvy women are more beautiful than those skinny girls, which is true, but it does look pretty ridiculous having plump body parts without having boobs.

I tried to diet. And found out that dieting is awful. Changing your eating habbits is one thing, but counting calories all the time is nerve-racking.
Then I gave fasting cures a chance. I did lost 4 pounds in a week but I literally starved myself. Afterwards I tried really hard to eat low fat food in the evening, like salad and chicken. But I was always hungry. Always. And sleeping while you're hungry is really stressful.

After I moved out I planned to go to the gym again, but I never went. Excuses don't change anything, instead, they make everything worse.


(Source: tumblr - inspiremethin.tumblr.com)
It has been 2 years until I finally realised it's upon me, my body won't change itself over night. Unfortunately... :D

In my opinion strict diet plans and workout lessons twice or thrice at the gym don't solve your problem until you changed your behaviour as well. That includes working on your habbits, both eating- and exercise-wise.
During the last days I learnt a lot about healthy food and useful workouts without starving yourself. Healthy and mindful eating doesn't mean that you can't enjoy your food, but you have to be aware of how you eat, every single moment. We do forget too easily what we are eating and are barely aware of what we're consuming. Think about your food, pay attention to it.
Food isn't your therapist, it's not your best friend, your diary or your stress reliever. Food is fuel and we should treat it as such, no more, no less.


(Source: tumblr)
As for exercising, everyone has to decide what they would like to do, how much time they want to spend. I know there are some people who say you don't have to exercise to lose weight. That's true. But when you want to have a lean, athlectic body working out is a must. I want to have lean muscles so I have to work for it.
Tumblr is an amazing community where you can find so many different fitblogs and a variety of workouts, you should definitely give it a try. ;)

I guess everyone looks up to someone else, because of their looks, of their attitude or maybe good grades. But instead of hating on someone why don't you get your ass up and work on yourself? Envy pushes us, keeps us going.


(Source: tumblr) 

(Source: tumblr)
While I composed my workout I thought about how much time I can afford, what I like and what I want to achieve. I am an university student, I do have enough time to go to the gym twice a week for 2-3 hours, but cardio is the only thing I like to do there - most of the time it is a mix of stairmaster, bikes and elliptical trainers. Due to knee problems which lay in our family I can't use treadmills or rowing machines.
Beside cardio I love yoga and pilates so the gym should offer some courses. Everyone who did/does yoga knows what it does to your body. When you want to have a toned body, you should definitely try it out.
Furthermore I want to have an everyday workout for home, something quick, easy but effective. A friend of mine introduced me to Jillian Michaels (The Biggest Loser) and I fell in love with her 30 Day Shred Workout (Level 1).
20 minutes 5 times a week should make a difference after some time. You work on every little inch and every little muscle in your body, the first time I did this was pretty tough and I barely made it through the workout.
On top I wanted a few more ab exercises, but I was afraid to overwork my muscles because I haven't done anything in a really long time. When I stumbled upon this plan I immediately included it in my workout.


(Source: tumblr, perf-fect.tumblr.com)
This plus mason twists and "peeing dog butt" exercise takes only a couple of minutes.

After the first day I felt horrible, I had mucle aches, could barely move and was super tired and sleepy. But when I woke up the next morning my body not only felt fine, I also had the urge to do the workout again.
The weekend is Jillian-free but I will do my abs workout.

When I lose this weight I don't expect my boyfriend to love me more or stay with me forever, I won't get my dream job nor a lot of money. I won't turn someones head when I walk down the street. But I feel comfortable in my skin again, I will be confident, happy and won't fear to take my clothes off infront of someone else. That's the reason why I want to lose weight.


Who to follow:

Healthy Life Project

Fit and Healthy is beautiful

For a better me

Downtownn