No more frustrating Hairdresser-Experiences

What to keep in mind when visiting a hairdresser | No more disappointments

Hey guys,

Have you ever been to a hairdresser, came home and then nearly cried over the disappointment? I have! And I think I am not the only one, especially when you're trying a new salon. Today was the big day. I went to get a new haircut and it went surprisingly well I think.

Here are a few tips, how to get what you want, when it comes to hairdressers:

1. Choose the right shop and hairdresser

It all starts with choosing the right place. If you have no recommendations from friends or any personal preferences, the web is the best way to find what you’re looking for. The safest way to find a good hairdresser is to choose a flagship shop of a popular brand, because they have an image to loos. When making an appointment, ask for a master or at least no trainee, so your hair is in the hands of an expert.

2. How to prepare

Make sure not to wear quite a dark or full coverage makeup, because otherwise there will be a noticeable frame on your forehead after they washed your hair. Another thing you should keep in mind is that you shouldn’t wear big earrings or at least take them of before they start cutting.

3. Say exactly what you want

When it’s time to tell the hairdresser what you want them to do, try to be as specific and detailed as possible. This is the only way the hairdresser can do a good job. If somebody is trying to talk you into something you don’t like, then say so immediately and do not hesitate, because it’s your hair.

4. What to bring with you

If you don’t usually tend to wear your hair in its natural, blow-dried state, bring a hair tie and some bobby pins with you so you don’t have to walk around feeling uncomfortable.

I wish you lots of luck next time you're visiting a hairdresser :)

Ilaria xx

My Skincare Routine

Skincare Routine | Acne-prone skin

If anyone will understand what it's like to have bad,
it's me. Throughout the years I've learnt a lot about my health and my body, especially how it works together with my skin. My skin has always been acne prone, with a combination of oily and dry skin.. I know, how wonderful. As I always dreamed of having clear skin, I have been trying out different products and reading up on how I can help my skin not only from the outside, but on the inside as well, I have finally come to a point where I can say that I am almost happy with my skin. I have found a routine that works best for me, so here are the products I've been using and loving. 

Step 1: Removing Makeup
The Garnier makeup removing wipes are amazing! Try them and love them.

Step 2: Cleansing
The Avon 'Clearskin' professional line has been quite good on my skin, especially the 'Deep Pore Cleansing Scrub', which I use every night after I have taken off my make up.

Step 3: Toning
Rose Water is such a simple, yet amazing product! Tones your skin nicely, removing any dirt whilst making it feel refreshed and is also great for sensitive skin.

Step 4: Moisturizing
No matter if you have oily skin or not, the importance moisturizing should never be underestimated! It's often difficult to find ones that don't leave a layer on your skin for ages, or don't actually moisturize well enough. The Nivea Soft moisturizer however is a miracle for me. Makes my skin super soft, but doesn't make me break out! Also a very affordable product.

Step 5: Spot treatment
A good friend of mine recommended me this product - Sudocreme. Actually produced for babies I believe, but honestly, nothing works better on pimples than this. It's antiseptic and perfect for sensitive skin. Keeps spots away better than most other specifically labelled 'spot treatments'.

Additionally step 6: Eyelash serum
Even though this has nothing to do with skin itself, this is part of my routine. My eyelashes are naturally not as long as I'd want them, so I've been using several different eye serums. Definitely worth a try if you are interested - currently I'm using Schrofner Cosmetics 'Wimpern Wunder'. Works great after using it every night.

Britta xx

OOTD London

London | UK

Three month ago my family and I took a short trip to London and even though I've been there before, it was amazing. I really enjoy the atmosphere in the city and there are just so many different places to go. As Harry Potter fan of cause I paid "The Making of Harry Potter" a visit and had a lot of fun riding a broomstick, but also just walking around in London was a great experience itself.

But now to the outfit I am wearing in the picture below:


Top - Only
Leather Jacked - Guess
Belt - H&M
Necklace - Michael Kors
Pants - Only
Boots - No Name

Healthy Breakfast No. 2

Healthy Savory Breakfast | Recipe

As you might be able to tell, we really love food. I personally love breakfast, which wasn't always the case but I definitely encourage reading into the importance of having a fulfilling breakfast and not skipping a meal. Even though I usually have a sweet tooth, I thought I'd share this amazing recipe with you that I recreated from the restaurant "Hungriges Herz" in Munich. 

Ingredients | 1 Serving:

- 2 slices of rye bread (or any whole wheat, healthy choice of bread)

- 2 eggs 

- Pumpkinseed oil 

- Pumpkin seeds 

- Rocket 

- Salt & Pepper 

- Parmesan (you can leave it out if you prefer to keep it as healthy as can be)

Steps:

Firstly, cook your eggs sunny side up in a nonstick frying pan. While they're cooking, prepare your slices of bread by toasting them slightly, then adding a dash of pumpkinseed oil. Now if you want to be a little sneaky, add a bit of parmesan. Top it with rocket and once your eggs are done, place one in each slice. Now season with some salt and pepper, and add a small handful of pumpkin seeds to finish it off. Now enjoy the deliciousness! 

I, of course made sure to have a glass of water and a cup of the classic morning coffee. And because I am fruit addicted I made myself a little assortment of berries, consisting of blueberries, raspberries, and baby kiwis, which I only just now discovered. Thinking about it now makes me wish I had it right in front of me right now! 

Hope you enjoy this amazingness,

Britta xx

OOTD in France

Strasbourg | France

Two days ago my boyfriend and I wanted to take advantage of his last free days and decided to take a short trip to Strasbourg. From the lake Constance it only took us two and a half hours by car, so we left early in the morning so we could have a full day in the city. Even though I've been to Strasbourg before, the beauty of it still amazed me.
One thing to know about me (and Britta) is that I could die for good macarons and baguette, so France with its cute, little patisseries is always like a food paradise for me! If you ever go to visit Strasbourg or France in general, you should definitely go to a "PAUL" bakery, because they have the best macarons and baguettes I ever had.

But now to the outfit. Of course you should dress up a little to go with the city lifestyle, especially at the department stores such as "Printemps" or "Galeries Lafayette", where they sell  the most luxurious fashion, and even if it's not affordable, is absolutely beautiful to see.


White Top - Zara
Striped Top - Forever 21
Jacket - Zara
Bag - Michael Kors
Jeans - Hollister
Sunglasses - Topshop
Boots - Michael Kors


Ilaria <3

My Hair Care Routine

For healthy and shiny hair

Smooth, shiny and healthy looking hair is nearly every woman's dream, but who actually has the time to go to the hairdresser every few weeks or do a lot of hairmasks?! My routine has been working so well for me that I though I would share my seven simple rules and tips I've been following, to keep my hair in shape.

1. As stupid as it sounds, you should try to wash your hair as little as possible. By this I don't mean every half a year, just try not to wash it every single day.  Wait till it gets greasy and you have to wash it. Otherwise it will dry out and you'll get split ends quite fast. If your hair gets greasy after only one day you could try using dryshampoo on the second-day-hair. After a few weeks your hair will start to adapt to washing it less, and it won't get greasy as fast.

2. Brushing your hair really rough is also quite damaging for your hair. Try to brush it after getting up in the morning and before you go to bed in the evening using a tangle teezer or something similar, that doesn't pull on the hair as much and won't cause as much damage to your hair.

3. While washing your hair, you should keep two things in mind. The shampoo is for the roots - and only for the roots - and the conditioner is for your "ponytail". If you put the shampoo to the ends of your hair, it will only dry them out faster, and vise versa goes for putting conditioner on top of your head right into the roots, which will make your hair go greasy a lot faster.

4. Another beauty hack in the shower is to blast your hair with cold water after you rinse out the conditioner. This will seal your hair pours and give it more shine.

5. I also think it's worth investing in a good hairmask if you have long or very damaged hair, because there almost is no better way to get moisture back into your hair. Use it every once in a while instead of your conditioner and leave it in for about 3-5 minutes. This will regenerate your hair and make it feel so much smoother.

6. Another very easy and not even time-consuming step towards healthier hair is to use a leave-in conditioner or spray after you have washed your hair. I don't know if the products I am using are available in your country, but I am currently using the "kms california moist repair leave-in conditioner", the "Wunder oil" by Garnier Fructies and for application to dry hair the "osis+ glamination smooth polish elixir" by Schwarzkopf.

7. Last but not least my tip about heat: Try to avoid it wherever you can! Let your hair airdry whenever it's possible and use the blow dryer only on low heat in combination with a heat protectant spray/oil if you can't get around avoiding heat. Same applies for curling wands and straightening irons! My favorite heat protecting spray is the "free shape hot flex spray" from kms california.

I hope you find these tips helpful and enjoy your shiny, healthy and smooth hair.

Ilaria :*

A Healthy Breakfast

Breakfast Bowl | Quick & Healthy


Good morning lovelies, 

I woke up today feeling very motivated and also very hungry, and decided that I should use my morning time to not only have a healthy breakfast, but to actually also make it look quite nice. I know it can be quite hard taking the time to make a proper breakfast, especially when you are in a rush, but I can honestly say that this took me 5 minutes maximum. If you are a fruit lover and have a sweet tooth like I do, here is a little inspiration as to what your morning could look like

Recipe:
- 100g (or more, whatever you crave) frozen berries
- 1 frozen banana
- a shot of almond milk 
- 1 apple
- Goji berries
- cinnamon
- mini amarettini

How to: All you have to do is throw your frozen fruit into a blender, with a shot of almond milk (you might have to add more later, depending on the consistency) and mix it through. It should turn into something close to ice cream, which you then pour into your bowl. Now you can decorate your bowl however you would like. I added a few slices of apple, a handful of goji berries and a couple of mini amarettinis (if you know me, you'll know that these are my guilty pleasure). 

Goji berries are known as a superfood and have been used in Chinese Medicine for over 6,000 years!! They're rich in vitamin C, vitamin B2, vitamin A, iron, selenium and a few other antioxidants. 

Also, on the note of eating healthy; I have been reading up on Atilla Hildmann's 'Vegan for youth' book, which is super informative on why you should go vegan, how to start, and many recipes to follow! Check it out if you're interested :)

Britta xx