Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Bumble and Bumble Surf

While I was in London I finally picked up some things from the brand Bumble and Bumble - two kits to be precise-. And as I was going on my summer holiday to Bodrum and really wanted to get beachy strands of hair, I thought this kit would be perfect to put in my suitcase. The shampoo and conditioner come in a small version too which makes it even more travel friendly. Yeeh!

Now I have heard great things about the Bumble and Bumble Surf line. I know the Surf Spray is like the best thing ever and I have seen many bloggers and vloggers rave about this line for years and years. Time to finally test it myself.

Bumble and Bumble Surf Foam Wash Shampoo -travel size- 60ml £6.50 
Bumble and Bumble Surf Creme Rinse Conditioner -travel size- 60 ml £7.50
Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray -full size- 125ml £22.00

As a girl who loves the feeling of freshly washed hair -I used to wash it religiously every single day- I now only was my hair 2-3 times a week. Nothing a bit of dry shampoo can't conquer, am I right? That is also how I used this shampoo and conditioner set. I have been using it for 2 weeks now and I am almost halfway through the bottle. Because my hair is quite long one shampoo rinse doesn't do the job with my long locks, that’s probably why it’s already half full.
Now I have to be a bit honest here and say that I am not as blown away as everyone else. Yes, it does the job of cleaning and moisturizing my hair really well and it does add a bit of texture and volume, but is it worth that much money? I doubt that. I have tried many hair care products in my life to know that there are better and similar products out there that are way cheaper. One thing I do really like is the scent. It brings you right back to those summer days on the beach.

I also tried the Surf spray which again has the same scent. I have tried the Toni & Guy Sea Salt Spray before and I find it's quite similar. After applying a couple of spritzes and blow-drying my hair with the dryer in our bathroom -it took like 15-20 minutes to dry my hair, the struggle was real haha- I did see a bit more volume and puffiness in my hair. I also experienced that my hair got greasier way faster than usual, which made me wash my hair a bit more often than I normally do. I don’t know if that's because of my SPF –I put that stuff everywhere- or the Surf spray. 

Overall, I think it's a nice range of products. Would I repurchase them? Probably not. Okay, maybe for the scent I will haha. I think that there are so many other products in the drugstore that work just as good and are way better for your bank account. But maybe that's just my poor student point of view haha.

Have you tried anything from the Bumble and Bumble Surf range?



Saturday, May 21, 2016

The Bodrum & Kos Travel Diary

Last week I had the time of my life whilst I was soaking up the sunshine in Turkey. I hadn't been on a proper summer holiday in forever so I was happy to finally relax, get a tan and not think about all the stuff that I needed to do back home.

I stayed in a resort in Bodrum with my friend Hester, she also has a blog (it is in Dutch though), and even though we don't know each other for that long, we really had a blast and made lots of great memories. In those nine days that we were there we stayed by the pool, went into Bodrum and shopped, visited the Greek island Kos -the 45 minute boat trip made us so sick and dizzy that the first thing we did was going to a Greek pharmacy to buy travel sickness pills haha-, had a lovely hamam treatment and made lots of Instagram pics along the way.

When we came back, the post-holiday blues were SO real. I have never missed something like that for such a long time and I can't wait to go back one day. I think for me it's just the fact that there is sunshine - the Dutch weather sucks- and that I could not really think about my uni to-do list. I probably need to plan a new trip soon -they say that helps- but for now let's look back on this amazing holiday!


















Sunday, May 15, 2016

Raspberry Cheesecake Muffins

 


One of the things you have to know about me: I love cake. Baking a cake is one of my favourite hobbies and eating it makes me even happier. I practically live at this hotspot in Amsterdam where they serve the best red velvet cake and at home I don't mind to spend hours in the kitchen creating the best baked goods. 
One of my last creations are these raspberry cheesecake muffins and I have to say they are the best thing ever. They are super moist, airy and delicious. The cream cheese on top makes it even better, because who doesn't love cheesecake and a muffin combined?

What do you need? (for about 16 muffins)
100g cream cheese
250g light brown caster sugar
200g plain flour
A pinch of salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
75ml sunflower oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50 ml milk
150 g raspberries (I used frozen ones)

Preheat your oven to 190C. Put the flour, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Also add 225g of the caster sugar and mix it all together. Then add the eggs, sunflower oil, vanilla extract and milk. Mix it all together until you get a smooth mixture and use a bit more milk if needed. Add most of the frozen raspberries and slowly stir them into the mixture. I saved the pretty raspberries for the top of the muffin. Grab another bowl and mix the cream cheese and 25g caster sugar together.

Take a cupcake/muffin tray and place some muffin cases in the tray. I made mine with baking paper! I cut squares out of the paper and then did a small, vertical cut on each side (4 in total). It might look weird but when you place them in the tray it looks really good. They won't stay in place at first but once you scoop the dough in there it will be easier.

Fill the muffin cases with the dough. I used a teaspoon for this since it's easier. Now it's time for the cream cheese mixture! Place half a teaspoon of the mixture on top of the dough and swirl it around. Take the leftover raspberries and press them down in the middle of the muffin and they are ready to go in the oven. The muffins will be ready in 25 minutes or until they are golden brown and risen. Take them out of the oven and let them cool down for a bit. By now, your kitchen will smell aaaamazing and you can finally take a bite out of a super moist and yummy muffin! Click here to see more of my baking posts!

What is your favourite thing to bake?

Saturday, May 14, 2016

The Benefit Brow Event

About a month ago I got an invite from Benefit for a super-secret event where they were going to show their new brow collection. I love Benefit as a brand and I am obsessed with brows so I immediately said yes.

The event was held at the Tuschinski theatre in Amsterdam. It's one of the oldest theatres in Amsterdam and the whole atmosphere is so special there. I have been there before once when I got pre-premiere tickets to see Remember Me. I was basically bawling my eyes out after the movie because the ending was so sad. 

After I ate a delicious cake pop - it was my first ever cake pop and it was so good - and chatted with other lovely bloggers we all headed to another room where the presentation would take place. We first saw some magic tricks and I still don't know how he did all of them. Magic is so cool and I deeply hope that there is a real Harry Potter world out there with wands and awesome spells.

After all the magic it was time for the big reveal. Jared Bailey, International Spokesperson & Global Brow Artist from Benefit, gave us a lovely presentation with the whole story behind the collection and revealed all the new products. You will probably recognize some of them, but there are also some new brow game changers added to the collection. A review of these babies will go up next week, so for now you can only see a glance of them in my vlog.

All the new products:
- Ka-BROW!: a creamy gel to fill in your brows.
- High Brow & High Brow Glow: highlighting pencils.
- Ready, Set, BROW!: an eyebrow gel that holds the brows into place.
- Precisely, My Brow Pencil: a super fine eyebrow pencil.
- 3D BROWtones: a highlighting eyebrow gel.
- Goof Proof Brow Pencil: an eyebrow pencil that's perfect for shaping the brows.
- BROWVO! Conditioning Primer: a primer for fuller eyebrows.
- Brow Zings: an eyebrow shaping kit.
- Gimme Brow: a volumizing fiber gel.

I also got to try the products after the presentation and see which colour is the best for me. I love the new silver packaging and it really makes them stand out. My faves are the 'Goof Proof Brow Pencil', 'Ready, Set, BROW!' and both 'High Brow' pencils. As I said before, a full review of these will go up next week, so make sure you follow me on Bloglovin or my other social channels to see when I post it! All these products will be available from July 2016, so unfortunately you have to wait a bit to get your hands on them. But believe me they are worth the wait!


Which new Benefit product do you like the most?



Thursday, May 12, 2016

First Aid Beauty Jumbo Face Cleanser

Skincare is a big part of my life. I feel that when you apply make-up to your face you also need to make sure you take it off and take care of your skin. I don't think I have ever slept with make-up on my face. Even when I am laying in my bed and postponing the fact that I need to get up from this comfy horizontal position I still do it. Even the thought of me sleeping with foundation on makes me cringe. I just don't like it.

One of my faves to take off makeup is the First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser. I've been using this beaut for almost two years now and I keep repurchasing it. It's just that good! A couple of weeks ago I actually ran out so I immediately went online to order it. As I was browsing Feel Unique I saw that they now have a Jumbo version of my beloved face cleanser. You pay a bit more but you also get way more (€18.48/141.7g or €27.06/226.8g), so I decided to order the jumbo one.

When it arrived I was a bit in shock, because it’s seriously huge compared to the normal one. I have shampoo that comes in the same sort packaging and it's literally the same size and everything. The product inside is luckily still the same and I completely fell in love with it again. I have been using some Kiehl's samples for the past couple of days and they just aren't the same. The F.A.B. cleanser does wonders at taking make-up off and leaving my skin feeling soft and clean. It might be a bit expensive at first but a little goes a long way so I see myself using this for the next 12 months haha!

Have your tried the First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser before?

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

My MAC Lipstick Collection + Swatches



Over the past couple of years I have collected lots of makeup -take a peek in my make-up drawer here- , but the ones I cherish the most are on top of my beauty table in a copper glass box that I got from a local store. All my six MAC lipsticks are in there too and today I am going to show you those in a video. I swatched them on my lips - my lips were not so happy with this - so you can see what they look like on and I tell you a bit more about the formula and my absolute faves that you need in your life too! Hope you enjoy watching it and don’t forget to subscribe! 

Which MAC lipstick is your fave?


Sunday, May 8, 2016

The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: Ree7


A few weeks ago I went to Ree7, a lovely hotspot in the centre of Amsterdam. It's actually in the same street as Pluk, a hotspot that I wrote about a few weeks earlier. Even though they are only a few meters away from each other, Ree7 has its own vibe and style and I really enjoyed my lunch there.

It's located in a small building with different levels. Me and my friend got there around lunch time and luckily there was one table left. We've sat there for quite a while and slowly more tables were available, so if you come a bit later you can definitely take a seat.
The menu is very diverse and they have a big selection of sandwiches, soups and salads. We both decided to go for the club sandwich. Mainly because I love club sandwiches and because they serve the fries in a nice way. Yes, I have been stalking other people’s photos on Instagram to see what the food looks like haha. I also ordered a juice of the day and both the sandwich and the juice were really nice. It was actually quite a lot of food - which is always good - and before I knew it, it was all in my tummy. The pumpkin soup also looked really nice, so maybe I will try that next time I'm there.

If you are looking for a cosy place to have lunch I highly recommend visiting Ree7. If you are a bit more of a health junkie Pluk is right around the corner, so that will maybe be more up your street. Both places are amazing so either way you will have an amazing time!

Have you ever visited Amsterdam?

Friday, May 6, 2016

A Beauty Haul

A few weeks ago I was super happy to be invited to a beauty sale. As a beauty addict there is no greater place than a room full of new make-up products that are half the price. I tried to behave myself and not buy everything I laid my eyes on, but I did find some amazing items that I am going to show you today! Hope you enjoy watching it!


What is on your beauty wishlist?

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

The Spring Essential: My Quay & ASOS Sunglasses

As the sun is starting to shine more often I was in desperate need of a good pair of sunglasses. I already have a gold/brown pair from Quay Australia, which I picked up in London last year, but I really wanted to have another pair.

The pair I was eyeing up the most are the Quay 'My Girl' sunglasses. The blue, mirrored glasses and the cat eye shape make it perfect for the summer. Since I already spent way too much money on summer clothes I decided not to make the purchase, but I did find a pair from Quay in the ASOS sale section that were right up my street and so affordable too.

This model is called 'Girly Talk' and they were discounted from €42,40 to €16,90. I love the cat eye shape and the purple glasses. I also like that they are cool toned and don't have any gold in them. It really makes them different from any other pair I own. These are definitely more a statement piece compared to the other pair. The coloured, mirrored glasses definitely have to take the blame for that!

While looking on ASOS for sunglasses, I also spotted a pair of sunnies from their own brand. These black cat eye sunglasses are such a classic and so stylish. They were only €14,08 - such a bargain - and I love them. My eyelashes do have the tendency to rub against the glasses. A bit annoying, but when I don't curl them and coat them in mascara it doesn’t happen. And honestly I can live with that because look how pretty they are? *heart eyes emoji*

What is your favourite pair of sunglasses?

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Vegan Raspberry Oatmeal Cookies


Raspberries are probably my favourite fruit. I love the sweet taste and they look so pretty on tarts and desserts. After looking on the web for an easy, healthy recipe I found it. These raspberry oatmeal cookies are easy to make and healthy too. Almost just as easy as my homemade banana bread. You can double the ingredients for a bigger batch of cookies but for a cookie craving this amount is perfect!

What do you need? (for about 5-6 cookies)
1 banana
70g oats
A handful of raspberries (I used frozen ones)

Preheat your oven to 180°C/360°F and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Mash the banana in a large mixing bowl, add the oats and raspberries and mix it together. Take a spoon to scoop the dough out of the bowl and use your hands to press them down on the baking tray. They won't rise a lot, so this is really a must. 
Place them in the oven for about 20 minutes and check if they are golden brown and won't fall apart when you lift them up. 
They are supposed to be quite soft and moist and I really like them. They are not your typical crunchy cookie but these are so easy to make, delicious and really good for you! Click here to see more of my baking posts!

What is your favourite fruit?

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