Montly Favourites | November

November has gone by way too fast for my liking! In the months leading up to December (Christmas, snow and family time) I never feel useful :D I spend most of my time inside (as outside is WAY to windy for me) and read. 

In preparation of my November favourites, I had a hard time deciding if I wanted it to be a 'fashion' one or an 'all in one' favourites. I decided on the last one to give you the most complete look on what I have been loving last month. 

So without further ado, here are my November favourites!

Eyelash-curler by Primark
Ever since I have started using eyelash-curlers, I have been using one from Hema. I wasn't really loving it, and it would be ready for replacement after a month... As I was strolling through Primark a while ago, I decided to just give it a go. For only € 1,50 it was worth a try.. (the one I was using was €4,95)
I have been using this curler for two months now, and I absolutely love it! You do not need a lot of strength to get a good result, whereas my old one needed a few firm pushes to get the slightest result. I close the curler for 20 seconds, apply mascara right after and it will stay put all day :)

Black nailpolish by Maybelline

To me, wearing black nailpolish is not only for darker weather. I find myself wearing it throughout the year to finish an outfit or if I don't like my (too short) nails. 

In the winter months, I try to stay away from it as much as possible. I think black can give you a bit of a down feeling when the weather is not really 'fun' either. But... I have to admit that I still enjoy wearing this particular black. It's a shiny black, and the shimmer it has when applied, gives it a bit more sparkle than other black nailpolishes. 

I combine wearing this polish with a darker blue or a bright colour on one of my fingers. 

Blue cardigan by Primark

Trying to find a brighter colour when shopping for winter seemed like a good idea. That was until I actually went out and started looking for it. I bought this cardigan before the winter started, but looking for a bright colour was getting tough. Working in a clothing store, the comment I get most these days is 'Do you have any colour? All I see is dark red, black and brown' Which is true. I have been wearing this on days where it's really dark outside, just to brighten up my own day a bit by seeing colour.

Knit headband by Pieces (ONLY)
I am not the biggest fan of the cold temperatures (even though I love fall)... I do love accessories though! A few years ago these headbands were a trend, and I ordered a few of them on-line. Not having to go anywhere by bike, I didn't really use them and just wore them around the house :)
Having a job 20 minutes away by bike changed that. Whenever I have to go to work now, I pop one on my head and it keeps me nice and warm!

Chestnut Ugg boots by UGGs Australia

Living in The Netherlands, winters can be quite cold. When my feet experience cold temperatures, my toes will swell and feel like they are on fire. It's called 'wintertoes'. Unfortunately, this runs in my family and it was given to me as well. You can prevent this by wearing shoes with a rubber sole. I am aware that they are not be most beautiful shoes out there, but they are super warm and comfortable. Which is the only reason I bought them. (I want you to know that I had bought them before all the horror videos were showed about the way the sheep are treated!) As you can see on the picture, they are not brand new anymore. This will be the second or third winter I am wearing them :)  

What is your favourite thing from last month?

Love, Danielle

Monthly Favourites | August

This month I have been using a lot of different products, and I've liked a few more than others! I also put a bit of summer in this now that September has come and the cold weather is approaching. So let's take a look at some of my favourites from this past month :)

WELLA flex hairspray #3.

 I've found this hairspray again. I had been using it a lot before I donated my hair last year September but stopped using it after. Now that my hair is becoming longer, I find myself using it a lot more often again!! I like that you can spray as much as you want in your hair, I spray it on my arm from about 25 cm, it doesn't get really hard. It holds, but it's not visible. At the end of the day, I comb it out and shape it back the next day without adding more hairspray. I use this spray when I curled my hair or to hide fly-away's on the top of my head.

Nivea Hydrating and Cleaning Mask for dry or sensitive skin.

I use this as my third step when I take my make-up off. I put on this mask 3 times or week, and let it sit for 10 minutes. The packing says 5 minutes, but I've found that leaving it on for longer makes my skin feel really soft in the morning. The creamy texture with tiny scrub-balls feels very nice and it's easy to cover your skin. I personally like to use a lot when I put it on, but two or three fingertips is enough for a normal skin type. 

It's never been tested what kind of type my skin is, I just prefer products (in some cases) for dry skin because it's more gentle in use. (And you can skip a few days if you're not feeling like sticking to your daily routine!!) I would not recommend using the product if you have little wounds in your face, because it will itch and feel like your face is on fire. (Zits or spots are not a problem! It may calm your skin, preventing new ones to pop out.)

Dove Original Deodorant Spray.

I've been absolutely loving my spray's on hot days. (I've read that it's not very good for your health breathing them in :( ) On holiday there were a few days where we were walking or going somewhere, and there was no stopping in sweating. I've been carrying a travel-sized deodorant with me in my backpack, and I've felt fresher instantly! This one smells really fresh, and has Vitamin E, making my skin feel extremely soft. The travel-sized one sadly is still somewhere between France and Italy, but as soon as I got back home I purchased a bigger bottle!

Dove nourishing hand cream.

Another product by Dove I've enjoyed this month. I've used this hand cream whilst I was on the train to France (dry air is not the best way to leave your hands in for four hours), and on the trains (a total of 10 hours of traveling) and plane home. My hand have never been the most moisturized, and being in situations with dry air sometimes makes my hands feel like they are about to break. Putting on a little bit of this (intense) nourishing cream has helped a lot whilst traveling this summer. I've also found that my hands have been warmer and have gotten less paper cuts or other cuts when I was using the hand cream.

Vape Derm Herbal: After Bite Stick.

This Italian product has 'saved' my life. The night before leaving France, I was stung by mosquitoes. Not just a few, say... 36 times. My legs were covered and it would not stop itching and burning (allergic reaction). As soon as we arrived in Italy we found a store and bought this stick. It instantly calmed down my skin and the itch was getting less and less by day. No more red bumps covering my legs :) !!! I've used this for a total of 7 days before my legs were not itching anymore, which to me is a short period of time thinking about all the bumps I've had.

OPIA Vanilla Pod Candle from Primark.

When I got home, I came home in an empty house. Not the most happy and comfortable setting to face, but before leaving I got my hands on some scented candles from Primark. One of them turned out to be amazing (I once fell asleep with it because of the relaxation (or exhaustion...))!! The first Vanilla candle is coming to an end, lasting me for over 4 weeks of every night scents, and that for a Primark product and price!! (nothing bad on Primark products!!) I've been using this in my bedroom or the living room, and after blowing the candle out, the room is left with a nice vanilla scent :)

Local Market Bracelets.

Our campsite held a market for locals every Monday and Thursday. On this market were salesman from the area, selling their fruits and vegetables. And of course, for the tourists mostly, their figurines, necklaces, rings and bracelets. I am quite the bracelet person, wearing them with as much as possible and all together on one arm. My friend and I wanted to get something as a memory of this summer, and we both bought the purple one (she got it in red, but the same design). The other two I purchased at the same market, but a few days later. They had caught my eye, but I was not planning on buying them. Until the next day... I waited for Thursday and they were still available :)

I hope you liked this months favourites!! Leave a comment below telling me your favourites from August, I always love reading them and am always up for trying new products!!

Love, Danielle 

Monthly Favourites | June

There are not a lot of favourites for this month, because I have been relaxing in the sun and reading for most of this month. Besides London at the beginning of this month and my Graduation at the end, there have not been many occasions I got to play dress up.

Anyway, let's get started!

Heat starts at 60°

The first favourite is my new straightener! After deciding to take a year off, I wanted to change my hair. I got side bangs and the new do requires some effort... According to my hairdresser, it was needed to straighten my hair every day to make it look good. Now, I had a straighter, but it wasn't doing it's job very good anymore. I bought this one and I've been liking it so far! This one is a 'ThermoCeramic Slimline' one, with a coating to protect your hair. (As visible in the pictures, this coat burns and turns brown. You can remove it, but the coating will be gone.) If you are not a morning person, like me, this straightener will work for you! I straighten my hair at night, sleep with it, and find my hair still straight in the morning :) (Some mornings, I need to re-straighten some places, but that doesn't take me longer than 10 minutes). I have fairly thick hair, and I straighten my hair in 40 minutes (my old one took me 2 hours). After straightening my hair, it stays in for around 3 days without washing.

I spray this in my hair after showering, then blow-dry my hair and straighten it after. 

With my straightener, I bought a heat protection stray to feel less guilty about damaging my hair. The one I picket up protects your hair up to 200 degrees, as high as most straighteners go. With using the protection spray, your hair will become more oily. When I use the spray, I leave it in for two days, showering at the end of the second day.

My next favourite is a little bit random... Another change this month was my eyes. (No, I didn't get new glasses...) I got an eye infection, and it caused me to lose sight at my right eye. My eyelid was swollen and I had a terrible itch. Thankfully, I had this before, so I had some leftover cream to calm it down.
This time the infection was caused by my lack of make-up removal. I have been lacking removing my make-up when I was watching movies till late and basically fell asleep on the couch, continuing to snooze in my bed. Lesson Learned: Always remove make-up, even if tired or half asleep. 

I bought #15

Staying with the eyes, a favourite I have been using everyday of this month, whether I was going out or not, is the FIT ME concealer by Maybelline. I have seen a lot of people from across the globe rave about this, but wasn't able to purchase it in my country up until the first week of June. I did, and it works amazing. I am really self-conscious about my dark under-eye circles, and I have been feeling a lot better when I have this on. It doesn't work wonders, but it does make my face look more awake in the morning, and more fresh and clean during the day. Another positive about this concealer is that you do not need a lot to conceal your dark circles. When first applying it, I swept the brush over the whole length of my dark circles, but as I started using it more, I found that with a lot less, it gives the same effect and it becomes easier to blend it into the rest of your make up (or skin tone on days without any make-up)

Monthly Favourites | May

Over this past month the weather has been swinging from freezing to boiling, so the products I used changed everyday. I tried to pick a few items I have been using throughout all of this month.

First up: Hair
Classic Shampoo by Head&Shoulders

250ML, €5,07

I've been colouring my hair for almost a year now, and last time... It didn't turn out the way I hoped. My hair was supposed to be light brown, but turned black at the top and dark brown at the ends. (my own hair is dark blond). Thankfully, one of my friends works at a drugstore, and told me the 'Head & Shoulders Classic or 2in1 shampoo would lighten up my hair. I have been using this shampoo for 6 months, and my hair is almost back to it's original colour! Also, this is only my second bottle (250ml), and you don't need much if you wash your hair every other day.
When you put this shampoo in, you're going to want to make sure your hair is not dripping wet. Wet hair is best, and leaving the shampoo in for a few minutes helps speeding up the process of removing the colouring out.

In my opinion, I think it's a reasonable price. It lasts a long time and does what it needs to do!

Lips
Classic lipbalm by Labello

5ML, €3,55 (per two)

I have been hooked on the classis Labello lipbalm. I've tried other brands or lipbalms with flavours, scents and what else, but I always find myself going back to this one. (I have just recently bought 4 because they were on sale...)
My lips tend to get really dry, and in the always changing weather this month, there was noway I was able to keep my lips from breaking. I always have this with me, and makes my lips break less and feel less painful.


Lipfinity Lasting Lip Tint #4 by MaxFactor

'Berry Burst' #4 €11,99

Another lip product I've been loving this month, is the Lipfinity Lasting Lip Tint in number 4 by MaxFactor. This is actually my mums, but I used this for prom, and I have been wearing it ever since! Even on days when I don't go anywhere and have no make up on, I wear this. I will put on a little lipbalm first, then apply the lipstick. It doesn't dry out my lips, and stays on for a whole day without touch-ups. The number 4 is a bright pink, but is not an 'in your face' lipstick. It darkens my lips just a few shades darker, giving my lips a bit more 'life'. And it's super easy to apply!

Facial
Day Cream by Nivea

50ML, €6,07

My skin has, like most people, some spots that are dry and others that are oily. I've been looking for good day-creams to use, and have failed many times. I even tried some from higher brands (hoping the price I was paying was really worth it) but this also wasn't the answer. When I worked in the drugstore, I used to have a lot of people at check-out with this cream. So why not give it a go?  This is my third packaging, and I bought my fourth this morning because I am running low... The tube consists of 50ML of cream. I use very little a day, around two dots, but it covers my whole face and neck. The packaging says: 'Intensive hydration,  UV-filters with SPF 5, spots early aging of the skin and has almond-oil to prevent the face from shining.

Waterproof Eye-make-up remover by Nivea

125ML, €5,99

Another product by Nivea I've been loving is their waterproof remover. I almost always wear waterproof mascara because I tend to rub my eyes when I'm bored or tired and I don't want to look like a raccoon at the end of the day.
When taking my make-up off, I always clean my eyes first. I use this on a cotton pad, again, just a few dots is more than enough. Cover the pad in remover and hold the pad on your eye for a few seconds before swiping it off. That's it!


The Eraser Foundation #030 Sand by Maybelline 

20ML, €15,24

I haven't really used this until the middle of this month, because I couldn't really get along with the sponge on the foundation. It made the foundation turn orange once it touched my skin and I couldn't keep the sponge clean.
I wanted to try and get along with it as I was trying out all sort of make-up for my prom on the 31th. So I pulled the sponge off. Ever since, I've liked using it! The color stays the same and it's easier to apply. (I put a big dot on my hand and mix it with a little day cream, then apply with a foundation brush) It gives a good coverage and creates a healthy looking skin. Some concealer and powder to cover the blemishes and under-eye circles and you're good to go!
The foundation has SPF 18, and is perfect to wear on it's own. (I only use the power and concealer because the color of the foundation is a little to dark compared to my own skin color)