Good bye 2015, welcome 2016!

I know I promised to try to write a Christmas related post over the holidays but I think I got a bit carried away with all the Christmas food, sleeping till 11 am every morning (and then staring at the ceiling still at 3 am since I didn't feel tired at all). All in all, it was a wonderful, relaxing Christmas, with plenty of rest, food, family time and not having to rush anywhere! My apologies for the lack of that post though.

I am one of the lucky ones who didn't have to return to work for these few days between Christmas and New Years (I feel your pain, who ever had to do that - I did it last year and it was not fun!) So I've had plenty of time to reflect on the past year, think about all the ups and downs it has brought to me and my loved ones, and mentally prepare myself for a new year and all the excitement it will bring. 

2015 was a tough year but I learnt a lot about myself during it, and also about my relationship, some friendships and life in general. The older you get, the more you'll appreciate the people around you, who actually stick by you through thick and thin, good and bad, ups and downs. 

Everyone will have their own hopes, wishes, goals and resolutions for the New Year, and I truly hope that 2016 will bring you all the happiness, love, success and health you deserve. For me, I'm looking for a big change, new environment,  lots of happy moments, hard work, new challenges and the usual promises to losing a bit of weight and growing my hair a bit longer.Oh and a £50 mil lottery win wouldn't be too bad either!

Happy New Year to all of you and see you in the new year 2016!

My latest must haves.

For the last couple of weeks I've started paying much more attention to some of the beauty products that I use and been trying out a few more products that I normally don't use. For example I've always been using an anti-wrinkle moisturiser, usually one from Olay or Garnier, but lately I've been also been using a firming serum and an anti wrinkle eye cream, which hopefully will give some good results for my approaching-my-30's wrinkles(which aren't too bad yet FIY) If they're any good I will review the products here later on.

I've also discovered couple of great make up tools, which I never used before. For me, the tool to put on my foundation was always one of those normal, triangle shaped foam sponges, which I happily chucked in the trash after a couple of weeks and took a new one out of the packet. They did the job well but I was never fully happy. A while ago I bought the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge and I'm loving it! The texture of the sponge is very nice, the result on the skin is smooth and even and it blends the foundation easily, and the different angles of the sponge are good for different areas of your face. It's about £5.99 so not even expensive. I wash mine regularly to keep it hygienic and as long as you do it gently, the sponge should keep quite well. 

Real Techniques seems to have a good range of brushes too, which I'm still yet to discover but will definitely have a go later on. I've also been using a foundation brush to apply my make up, it gives a slightly thicker coverage on my skin, so I tend not to use that every day as I don't need a lot of foundation every single day, but for an evening make up, I love using a foundation brush. The one I use for the moment is just a cheap one, as I just wanted to trial it out but I will definitely purchase a decent one, maybe from Real Techniques. 

I've been a devoted lover of TREsemme hair products and often use their shampoo, conditioner and hair spray. Recently, in addition to those old favourites, I've started using a couple of their other products too and I'm loving them.

They have a great, variable range of products for different hair types, I tend to use the ones for coloured hair or the Keratin Smooth range. I blow dry my hair a lot and curl and straighten it regularly and I've noticed it really damages my hair(to the point that last time I went to get my ends trimmed, even the hairdresser said that "yeah..the ends are quite bad..." and gave a little sigh)

So I've been using a heat protection spray from the Keratin Smooth range, which seems to be doing a good job and it's easy to spray in every time I've washed my hair.  But my absolute favourite from TREsemme are the hair masks that come in tubs! They're amazing! They've got a whole different range of them, I've used the one dry hair and the Keratin one, and have loved them both. You can use it as once or couple of times a week treatment, or like me, use it every time you wash your hair instead of normal conditioner. It's not very pricey and it leaves your hair light and fresh, unlike some heavy masks that leave the hair quite heavy. I used a normal conditioner the other day and noticed a difference in my hair straight away - the mask makes it much, much smoother and leaves it in better condition. This is definitely a product to try if you're like me and your hair gets damaged easily.

And since there's not really a sign on sunshine in the sky in the middle of December, and like me you're not lucky enough to have family living in a hot and sunny country who to visit for the holiday season, you need a little helping hand from a bottle to give you a little bit of colour since the tan from last summer is only a memory by now.

 I'm not a fan of self tan products as they tend to make a mess and you end up smelling like sickly sweet cookie dough, but I've got a couple of trusted products that I use regularly. For the body I use Dove's Summer Glow moisturiser, which says it gives you a 'gradual tan'. I use the darker shade and even one application now in the winter is enough to change the colour of my pasty white legs to a healthy glow. Just be careful not to buy the one that says "Soft Shimmer" on it as you'll start glittering like a Christmas baubble. Not sure whose idea it was so add shimmer into the lotion, but it does not give a nice result.. Trust me on this one, I've made the mistake more than just once. 

I'm very cautious of self tanning creams when it comes to your face, as if you make a mistake it will be much harder to hide the unwanted result. I remember once when I was younger I used one quite regularly until one day my mom said she "thinks I've used enough of that cream now". I found one from Olay, called Every day sunshine, which is a gradual tanner as well and works as a moisturiser too. The result is not too dark or too drastic, so you can use it without the fear of waking up with a deep glowing tan on your face in the middle of the winter, and the smell of it isn't too bad either. It's quite hard to get a decent tan on the face anyway if you use make up regularly, so this one is a great way to have a bit of colour on your face if you don't like looking pale. 

That's all for now! Have you got any similar products you've discovered recently or maybe you've been a long time lover of them?

Next time will hopefully be posting something with a bit of Christmas spirit in it, as the holidays are almost here now!

Count your blessings.

You know those poster on the Tube above the seats, usually they're ads for some vitamin company, a weighloss/hairloss clinic or for some quirky new website for shopping. The other day I saw this poster and to be honest I don't even know what they were advertising but the line caught my attention and got me thinking. 

It simply said ' Think of three things you're grateful for in the last 24 hours.'

I got off the train and I actually had to stop and think about what three things I have been grateful for in the last day, and it was much harder than you'd expect. In your normal day to day life, when things just become a normality, you don't really think of all the things that you have, you're more likely to think of the things you don't have or that you feel like you are missing out. 

You complain about paying your expensive rent and the amount of money that British Gas will charge you this month again for gas usage, but did you actually remember that you're lucky enough to earn enough money to keep a roof over your head and keep your flat warm?

You complain about having to wake up at 6.30 every single morning to drag yourself to work when it is still dark outside, but did you think about the amount of unemployed people who desperately want to land a full time, stable job to earn their own money, let alone to earn more than just the minimum wage. 

You've got a blocked nose again, and the way you cough makes you feel like someone's kicked you in the chest, and you've emptied the medicine shelves of local Boots, but then you remember it is just the winter cold or flu, not some chronic illness that will take your life. 

Your boyfriend or husband has made you angry again by some stupid little thing, and you're beginning to think he has got some serious mental issues but at least you've got someone who truly cares for you and loves you. Same with your social group and your family, there is a reason your mom calls you at the most inconvenient of times to ask if you think the cream coloured curtains would look better than the pure white ones in her living room.

Now especially in the busy Christmas season, when you're trying to get all your shopping done, balancing your time between work and home and trying to get a few extra hours done at the gym because you know the amount of Christmas food and chocolates you consume will make your jeans feel a bit tight, it's been so hard to keep up with your friendships and relationships. Well, at least for me it has felt like that. I haven't had the time to chat to my friends and family as much as I wanted to, let alone to see them as regularly as I normally do. Every weekend has been scheduled to the max and I've been feeling almost anxious when I hear my phone beeping and someone asking for something again. The good news is that if your loved ones know how you truly are, they won't get upset over things like that and that the holiday season will actually pass pretty soon, and you can get back to your normal self! 

But still...
If you miss someone, call them.
If you love someone, tell them.
If you want to see someone, invite them over.

No matter how busy you are, stop and appreciate the things you have, make sure the people around you know you love and care for them, and greet that lovely old grandma who lives next door. It doesn't take a lot of your time or effort but makes a big difference. Treat your loved ones well and make sure they know they're there for a reason - no one wants to feel like they're taken for granted. Appreciate what you've got in your life, and what you have achieved and worked hard for - not everyone is as lucky as you are.

Enjoy the little things in life, because one day you may look back and realise they were the big things.

What three things would you choose?

Why a glass of water should be your best friend?

Water. So simple but oh-so-important to us. I've never been very good at drinking enough water during the day but recently I've been trying to pay more attention to it and keep a bottle near me and take a good sip every now and then. I've listed a few good reasons that should all make us want to fill up the glass a bit more often...

• Fluid balance. Our bodies are made of approximately 60% of water(that's a LOT!) and to keep that level high enough, you need to consume water regularly and in sufficient quantities. The level of fluids needs to be high enough  to help our body transport nutrients to the right places, to digest food properly and to maintain a normal body temperature, just to mention a few.
• Clearer skin. I'm pretty sure we all notice this every now and then.. There are days when your skin just feels grey, dull and your pores seem more clogged. Water helps to flush the toxins out of your body and the results can be seen in your skin!
• Calorie control. Simple as it is, water helps you to feel fuller and therefore stops you from having that extra biscuit with your afternoon tea or makes you skip the round of seconds at dinner time. Always a good tip to have a big glass of water 10-15 mins before having a meal. 
• Kidney function. Our kidneys work hard to flush out all the dirty stuff out of our bodies and in order for them to work properly they need water.  On a rough morning after a good night out downing Jaegerbombs with your girls, you'll surely want to lend a helping hand to your poor kidneys... Also a great way to avoid that feared hangover,which nowadays is SO much worse than it was in the early 20s, is to drink a good amount of water before going to bed, and to make sure you drink some water during the evening too, in between your wine glasses. 
• Muscle energy. Muscles need water to avoid from getting tired, especially if you exercise a lot. So keep that water bottle filled up at you spinning classes!
• Helps you stay focused. Our bodies need fluids to stay alert and focused and to stay hydrated in order to avoid fatigue. Tiredness is one of the first and most common symptoms of dehydration, so next time you're craving for a coffee or Red Bull(this is written myself kept in mind!) you might want to try a couple of glasses of water first.
• Keep away cramps and aches. Water helps you keep your muscles and joints hydrated, flexible and healthy and therefore helps to keep the little aches away.
• Healthy digestive system. Enough fluids in your diet keeps your stomach working properly and helps to avoid digestive problems and constipation.

How much is enough water then? If your body needs water to keep all this little, and not so little, functions running smoothly, the recommendation for women is 1.6 litres(that is about 8 glasses of 200ml) and for men it is 2.0 litres(10 glasses). It sounds quite a lot and for a person who gets bored of flavours, or the lack of flavours, easily a good trick is to spice up your water a bit! Instead of buying ready flavoured waters from your local store, which I sometimes do (Tesco has a nice range of flavoured sparkling waters with really nice combos like elderflower and apple, and one with passionfruit!) you can fill up a big bottle in your fridge and add any fruit in it that you'd fancy - like limes, lemons, apple, grapefruit, cucumber, strawberry..whatever is your preference!

A watery cheers to that!

My winter favourites

Since winter has now actually hit London and the balmy 15 Celcius degrees from last week are only a memory, I got cold. Seriously cold! Inspired by this, I did some browsing online for things that'll not just keep you warm, but look nice too and found a few cool ones that I really liked and will definitely have to look for some to add my own, not so extensive, winter wear collection. I know I'm probably awfully late with posting anything bout winter clothes, as everyone else has most likely got themselves warm and sorted already but better late than never!

First of all. Boots. No one's going to survive the winter without boots. Flat, knee high boots are not just comfortable but look good too, and keep you warm whether you're wearing a dress or a pair of skinny jeans. The pair I've got are very similar to this, from Call It Spring (it's a sister company to Aldo) As far as I know they don't have their own branch in London anymore, but Debenhams stocks their products pretty well, especially online.



Flat ankle boots are another great option,  I prefer to have at least a tiny bit of heel in my ones, so they look a bit more feminine but still comfortable and you won't end up with tired feet .The zip detail in these

ones is pretty cool too.


And for the days you want to dress up a bit more, or for the nights out in town when there's not probably snow (as this is London after all), but some sort of slushy rain, these heeled boots are perfect. Definitely going to look out for this style myself!




Leather gloves. Colourful leather gloves even better! I had a bright pink pair before which I loved, but for this year I'm thinking deep purple or dark green, the later one has definitely been my favourite colour in clothing for the last few months.

 I have never been a massive fan of fur, definitely not real fur but not even faux fur. These faux fur shawls or collar type scarves are very nice though, and would look amazing with a long beige or black woollen coat. They'll also update the look of your winter coat, such an easy and cheap way to change it up a bit. Added to my list!

Talking about scarves, if you're not into fur at all, a knitted or even a fabric scarf is always a winner. These oversized ones are perfect for wrapping up and will keep you warm and looking good, with a thinner jacket too, especially with leather.

Last but not least...headgear. I'm not big on wearing hats, let's face it - you wear a hat for half an hour and end up with a flat, static head of hair. But the older I've gotten, the more I've started appreciating feeling warm at 7 o'clock in the morning when struggling to get out the house, so I think this year a proper bobble hat will be the one. Last year I was still relying on beanies but might try something else this   year! I think these bobbles would look super cute with wavy or curly hair (not that I'll be curling my hair for that 7 am departure...)



Which one is your favourite? Have you got any tips on looking chic during the winter? 

Coconut / Date / Nut energy balls

The internet is full of all sorts of recipes for healthy home made snacks, anything from energy bars, energy balls to different kind of shakes. I thought I'd share you my favourite one, for coconut chocolate energy balls, which is a nice little snack to take with you for the day or have a little pick me up - snack in the afternoon. It's super simple as well!

                           

You'll need a blender, the more powerful one the better (my one is not the best and it does struggle a bit with mixing it all) or a food processor. This recipe makes about 15 balls, depending on the size you'll want to make. 

What you'll need is 

100 g almonds
100g brazil nuts
 200g soft, dried dates. I'd recommend to use medjool or deglet noor varities.
1-2 tablespoons raw cacao powder(or more if you want them quite chocolatey)
150g organic honey
1 table spoon chia seeds
Dessicated coconut for rolling

Pop all the almonds and brazil nuts in the blender and blend until you have a smooth, fine mix. Add the dates, blend and add the honey and blend again. The mixture will become very sticky at this point. Add the cacao powder and chia seeds, then blend again until it's a smooth,even mixture.

Roll the mixture into small balls and roll them in the dessicated coconut to coat them. If you prefer to leave the coconut out and have them plain, you'll want to use a bit less honey to make the mixture bit firmer as it will be quite hard to roll them without the coconut flakes.

Put the balls in the fridge for a few hours to chill, or in the freezer for a bit. Store them in the fridge too! You can use other nuts too, walnuts work pretty well as well.

Enjoy!

Have you got any similar recipes to share?

Mind the gap please!

8,6 million people, one major city, over 300 spoken languages..and then there's you. All these people around you and you might still feel like the loneliest person in the world, especially if no family around you, no set social group and a whole new life to adapt to. 

I came to London when I was just 20 years old, with a plan to stay for a year and then probably return back home. I was young and didn't have any commitments, so when a chance to leave my small home town in Finland(And I mean SMALL, we're talking less than 6000 people!) came to me - I took it with no hesitation. To me, it was an easy transit though, I had my then-best friend moving to the city with me and I had visited London before, and in addition to that my spoken and written English were fluent, so in that sense I had to difficulty with settling in. Long story short, that one year has now turned into over 8 years and I'm still here! 

For some people socialising comes easy and they have no difficulty in making new friends, no matter where it is - at work, when out and about or  taking part  in some free time activity. But for others, especially the older you are, it can be surprisingly hard to find similar sort of people to have around you, let alone the sort of people you can start calling friends. 

How do you meet new like minded people then? Thinking that there's all these people around you, there surely are tons of ways to get to know them. I doubt it being only a London thing, but people here can seem fairly unapproachable and hard to make contact with. Everyone is rushing about, worrying about their own lives and their own busy schedules, so who's going to have time to commit to a new person?

The key to getting to know new people is, as simple as it sounds though, is to talk and talk and talk! Approach people, start with small talk, be open, friendly and  show interest. No one is going to come and pick you up from your doorstep, so if you want to make the end to your non existent social life and lonely nights in front of the TV, eating chocolate and stroking your cat(not in my case though, I hate cats!) you have to get out there! I found nights out in bars and clubs to be good for meeting people and socialising when I was younger, but the older you are, the thought of that is just less and less appealing. Yes you might find your BFF or even your future husband by the bar, downing that last Jaegerbomb just before closing time, but the chances are fairly slim that this particular person will stay in your life in any other role than an occasional drinking mate. 

Get a hobby. Exercise classes, art classes, book clubs, drama groups or any other groups getting together regularly  are a great way to find like minded people and it will be easier to get to know them as you will have a join interest. It doesn't matter what you are into, the people around you will surely be into the same thing, hence why they're there.

Work related friends could be considered both as a blessing and a curse. Yes, they'll help you about with any issues regarding your work, are a great moral support on a day when you just want to hang your boss and it'll be convenient to nip out for an after work drink or meal. But at the same time, do you really want a lot of your free time conversations end up being about work, or seeing the same face both in the office and on a Sunday morning brunch? You can learn so much more bout people with a bit more variety in your social circle, whether it's occupation, age, race or background - I'll guarantee it'll be much more interesting to hear about your friend's day when he or she hasn't been doing exactly the same thing as you have. 

Same comes to nationalities.. As easy and convenient it might be to have your nation's sisters and brothers filling up your agenda, isn't the whole point of moving abroad or to a larger, multicultural city that you meet new and different kind of people? I used to have loads of Finnish friends, in my early days, but slowly they have either moved back home or we have just parted our ways. For the moment, I have no friends from my country living here which suits me fine! I have visitors every now and then and I get my dosage of Finnish charm whenever I travel back home. Nothing against that though, but that is just how it is for the time being. 

With so much of our social life concentrating online and on social media, looking for friends from the Internet is a great way to get yourself  out there! There are plenty of forums and websites for socialising, where you can find like minded people and arrange to meet up. I would avoid dating sites though, if you're not intending to find anything to do with romance, so there won't be a disappointment in either way. I found my best friend from a website called Citysocializer.com which is a site for people to arrange social meetings called 'socials'. I never attended any of the socials, but rather messaged a girl who seemed to have similar interests to me and now  roughly 3 years later we are going strong(didn't even kill each other while on holiday together earlier this year!) Just remember to be honest and open and my advice is to meet the person in real life as soon as you can, if you get a good vibe from him/her, there's no point chatting just online for too long. 

It might also be easy to find other London 'newbies' - you'll all be in the same situation, trying to find your ground in this city. Get lost together in the markets, discover restaurants where neither one you has ever dined before and learn more about your new home town together. Having said that, you shouldn't be scared of old school Londoners either, they'll take you to the coolest, most authentic places and make sure you get off at the right tube stop. 

Lot of more experienced Londoners, including me, never do any of the touristy kind of activities anymore so they might even find their inner tourist and go hop on the London Eye with you. Or on one of those open roof double decker tour buses, I still have that one to experience myself.

On a low moment, cuddling that cat of yours alone on the couch, it might feel just easier to give up, pack your bags and go back home to your familiar life and old friends but you've got to give yourself time. True friendships take time to build themselves up and to build that trust and connection. It just takes a bit of effort, open mind and maybe a good bottle of Sauvingon Blanc just to take the edge off and you're on your way to the time of your life in this beautiful metropol. 

Just keep in mind - you don't talk or smile to strangers on the Underground, they'll just think you're a nutcase ;)

How did you meet your best friend? What's your favourite spot for a good girly get together? 

Worry verb. - feel or cause to feel anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems.

I'm a worrier. I've always been a worrier. One of those people who over think about things all the time, thinking about different scenarios in their heads and letting themselves get wound up over things that don't really matter. So your partner didn't pick up his phone when you called him, what is he doing, why is he never there when you need him? Your friend had a very annoyed tone in her message, have you said something to her to  make her upset? Your boss said some snappy comment about some petty issue this morning and you're letting it bother you for the rest of the day.You go to bed at night, tossing and turning for a good hour thinking about a solution to a problem that really does not deserve to be called a problem. You think of a good sarcastic response to you partner when he finally calls you back with some pathetic excuse why he didn't call you back until now, or you think of a comment to say to your boss the next time she has some clever remark to make. But the problem is... when a similar kind of situation arises again, you realise that your smart responses and reactions are really just not that smart and you're better off just letting it go.

Yep this was me. Until I adopted my new attitude called I-Don't-Care. Yes, I get annoyed about things at work, or with friends, or in my relationship or those loud teenage boys on the bus at 7.30 am with their foul language and bullying comments towards each other. But I'm working on it really hard not to let it get to me, there's much more important things in life to focus your energy on. Don't get me wrong, I still complain and have that occasional rant at my friends over things that drive me up the wall, but that's just normal( what else can you expect - Finnish people are quite famous for their negative attitude and complaining how everything is just wrong, and my adopted nationality Brits aren't that much better!)

Obviously if the problem is something that you can change, something that you can have a direct effect on, you shouldn't just accept it. If you are not happy about your job, search for a new one. If you're not comfortable in your looks or your weight, change it. Take a risk, if it does not work, hey ho it's not like you missed out on anything. Even that awful fringe I had cut, to comply my black bob haircut 6 years ago, which made me look like I was Japanese, grew out eventually!(Note to myself : NEVER cut a thick, straight fringe again)

All that energy you used to use for worrying can be used for something much more rewarding. Challenge yourself a little bit! You can start with small things, like do a good deed every day : open the door to the person in front of you, smile to the cashier in your local store, help the woman dragging her baby and a pram up the stairs on the Underground or help the old lady carry her shopping across the busy road(but do remember to hand the bag back to her at the end, unlike some guy who I read about who only realised at home that he had taken the poor lady's shopping with him!) Or spend a whole evening home alone without logging onto any social media at all, I guarantee it's much harder than you'd think. I fail miserably every time I try...
Eventually you can set yourself bigger challenges - set a goal amount that you want to save on your savings account, run a 10k charity run, go on that dream holiday or lose that 10 pounds that you just can't seem to able to get rid off.

Also, find a way to relax your mind with. For some it might be yoga, meditation, good music or cooking. For me it has lately been either slightly OCD habit of arranging things in my wardrobe and drawers(and throwing away 7 years worth of unnecessary clutter) or the brilliant invention of colouring books for grown ups and a pack of felt tip pens. A half an hour of colouring and I'm good to say good bye to worries of the world.

 I saw a great quote the other day which came to my mind when I was carrying an umbrella the other day, wondering whether the drizzle is worth an umbrella or should I just let my hair get slightly wet - 

"Worrying is stupid, it's like walking around with an umbrella waiting for the rain to start."

What's your way to escape from your worries?

What a girl can't live without...well me at least!

I know we all have our trusted beauty and health care products that we just would not give up using. I thought I'd share a few of the products that I've discovered lately and found them to be good.

My first new love is Castor oil. I discovered it by accident when was on Google searching for good tips to make your nails grow faster. My own nails are in a pretty bad shape after years of wearing first acrylic nails and then glue on nails, and I now decided it's time to let them breathe a bit and make them stronger.(I will still wear glue ons every now and then for a night out or a holiday, but not on a daily basis as I ended up doing before!) I rub Castor oil on them every evening and whenever I really remember, and now after a couple of weeks I've noticed my nails getting slightly stronger again. They're still short and stump but I can see myself getting there. My other weapon is Biotin tablets, which I have heard good reviews about, and hoping that taking them daily will help too.
Castor oil has other great uses too, it's meant to be good for your hair growth. I've started using it on my eyebrows and eyelashes, rubbing a small amount on them every night. The oil is very greasy though, so you can't do it just before bed time or all the oil would just rub on your pillows! I've only done this for a short while so can't really say anything about the results, but I will update you on that later! I've heard people using it on their hair too, but I find the texture of it to be way too greasy for my hair. I also put a small amount of it on some occasional spots I get on my face and it has helped for them too! There's several makes and labels of it, I use Naissance 100% natural Castor oil.
Another good tip for spots and pimples is Calamine cream. Not Calamine lotion, the one that is used for chicken pox but a cream. It's meant for minor sunburns and other minor skin conditions and I've found it to be good for my skin which often gets small spots - a thin layer of it every evening and sometimes mornings too as the it absorbs quite quickly and can be used under make up.

My second new favourite product is a new eyebrow pen from Maybelline called Brow Satin. It has a pencil on the other end, one that you screw out rather than having to sharpen it all the time, which is a great bonus. You use the pencil to fill in in any gaps and to shape your brow, you can use this quite sparingly as in the other end there's a small powder cushion, which you use to fill in the whole brow and blend the colour into a smooth result. I love the powder end of the pen, it's very easy to use and leaves a nice soft result in your brows, no need to use a eyebrow brush,as the cushion gives you colour and blending at the same time. I use the shade dark brown, which is good if you like dark brows but the natural brown might be a better choice if you prefer your brows lighter. They do it in four different shades.

My new favourite brand for dry shampoo is Aussie. I always used to use Batiste, which is a good brand and has got lots of nice fragrances in their selection but as I've always loved the smell of all the Aussie shampoos and conditioners, this is a no brainer. The smell is beautiful and the spray is light and doesn't make your hair look all powdery as some spray-on dry shampoos sometimes do. My hair felt extremely greasy the other day and I sprayed it quite liberally all over and the result was much more lighter, airier and fresher hair. This one is a must for me now, I used the Mega Instant one but I'm sure the other ones are just as good.

One of my all time favourite products is BB cream, I'm pretty sure everyone is familiar with it by now. I use one from Garnier, the BB cream + Blur one. On a good skin day when only a small amount of coverage is needed, it's the only product I use. It evens out my skin tone nicely and is very light and airy. It's super affordable too, so you can leave your more expensive foundations and concealers for more special days!

What are your beauty secrets?

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! I'm in my late 20's, a female living in London,for my 9th year now, and trying to balance my life between long work hours, long distance relationship and trying not to worry about too much about the approaching age of 30!
I'm trying to make this blog all about positive things, which sometimes seem to be quite hard to maintain, in a busy life when you feel like there's just not enough time for everything.

I'll be writing about life in London in general, about relationships and friendships and about beauty, make up and fashion (us girls love all that!) And about travelling too. Please leave comments, good and bad, and if you have any ideas regarding good topics I'd be more than happy to hear! Thank you!